Apple Computer and a raft of high-tech heavyweights have joined forces to promote open standards in the bitterly divided world of streaming media, but market leaders RealNetworks and Microsoft aren't playing ball.
The Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) launched "in an effort to accelerate the market adoption of open standards for streaming rich media over Internet Protocol (IP)," the nonprofit organization said this week. Though its core members include Apple, Cisco Systems, Inc., Kasenna, Philips and Sun Microsystems Inc., observers doubt whether the group can achieve its goals without Microsoft's and RealNetworks' participation.
There certainly is a need for more leadership in fomenting standards in the streaming media space, but...who knows if this is going to be the one to provide that leadership?" said Ben Elstein, an analyst with Aberdeen Group. "These are good companies with good technologies, but this isn't Real and Microsoft linking arms."
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