For Immediate Release
Contacts: Peter Zaballos Ed Hutchinson
Vivo Software Lois Paul & Partners
(617) 899-8900 (617) 238-5700
pete_zaballos@vivo.com ed_hutchinson@lpp.com
VIVO SOFTWARE ANNOUNCES IMMEDIATE AVAILABILITY OF VIVOACTIVE 2.0 WEB
STREAMING VIDEO PRODUCTION TOOL, VIEWER
Most Popular, Easiest Way To Create Web Video Content Now Offers
Larger Image, Higher Resolution, More Flexibility
WALTHAM, Mass., May 19, 1997 — Vivo Software, Inc. today announced
immediate availability of VivoActive 2.0, an enhanced version of Vivo’s
popular, server-independent Web streaming video production tool and viewer.
VivoActive 2.0 offers Web developers the fastest, easiest way to create Web
video content, which can be streamed from a wide array of servers and
viewed over dial-up modem connections. VivoActive supports standard HTTP
servers as well as media servers from Microsoft Corp.’s NetShow, Netscape
Communications’ Media Server and Progressive Networks’ Real Media
Architecture.
VivoActive is the most widely deployed Web streaming video technology
today, used to create content on more than 2,500 sites. The prevalence of
VivoActivated video on the Web has led to more than 4.5 million downloads
of VivoActive Player over the past nine months.
“VivoActive 2.0 already has generated tremendous market interest and
activity,” said Dr. Staffan Ericsson, Vivo’s founder and chairman. “More
than 500 Web sites have been video-enabled over the past two months using
the beta version of VivoActive 2.0, including Digital Equipment
Corporation, Fine Line Features and AT&T.”
As Web-based video moves from a raw technology to a valuable new
business datatype more companies are looking for ways to quickly and easily
add video to their Web sites. Shell Oil launched a new product using
VivoActivated video to demonstrate its capabilities and provide customer
testimonials. The Health Communication Research Institute, Inc. is using
VivoActivated video to provide on-demand continuing education courses for
physicians over the Internet.
VivoActive 2.0 represents a major upgrade to the VivoActive software
family for producing and viewing low-bandwidth, on-demand Web streaming
media (video and audio). The VivoActive Producer 2.0 tool includes
workflow automation features and productivity enhancements that can shave
hours off the process of converting digital video into streaming media
content embedded in HTML pages. VivoActive 2.0 also enables intranet users
to view streamed, full-CIF (Common Interchange Format), high-resolution
images with FM-quality audio.
“This new version of VivoActive allows Web developers to address their
primary concern: creating compelling Web content and keeping it current,
quickly and easily,” said Dr. Staffan Ericsson, Vivo’s chairman and
founder. “We’re continuing to simplify the process of creating video
content for Web developers, as well as greatly enhancing the viewing
experience. We’ve taken this a step further by freeing the content creator
from being tied to a particular server platform. While IS and IT
organizations will need to make important decisions about the networked
multimedia infrastructure they deploy, Vivo has freed the content creation
process from this infrastructure selection process, by supporting media
server offerings from Microsoft, Netscape and Progressive Networks.”
VivoActive 2.0 features:
Scripted, automated production — Web developers can process high volumes
of content on remote machines to centralize the production process.
Programmed streaming parameters — Web developers can define streaming
parameters for frequent content types and automatically generate media for
multiple transmission rates.
Full-CIF, high-quality video images — Intranet users with ISDN or higher
Web connections can view streamed video clips four-times larger and crisper
than previously available.
FM-quality audio — Web developers can select wideband audio capable of
delivering FM-quality, offering enhanced user experiences for entertainment
and promotional content.
Server independence — VivoActive content will host from standard HTTP Web
servers, or media servers from Microsoft, Progressive Networks and Netscape.
Vivo is the only vendor that takes a platform-independent,
tools-oriented approach to enabling Web streaming video. Using VivoActive
with their preferred HTML authoring and video editing tools, Web developers
can easily embed low-bandwidth streaming video into Web pages for viewing
by PC and Power Mac users running standard Web browsers.
While its most visible applications to date are on prominent media Web
sites, VivoActive also is being deployed rapidly in corporate intranets.
VivoActive technology can leverage existing video resources and help to
quickly deploy them. Organizations can now create browser-based
applications for internal audiences and use the VivoActive Producer to
easily add video clips of product demonstrations, training material and
corporate information directly into these pages.
VivoActive 2.0 marks the evolution of the VivoActive software family,
launched commercially in September, which in just nine months has
established substantial market momentum. Already, more than 2,500 Web
sites have added VivoActivated streaming audio and video to their HTML
pages, allowing visitors to view video clips on demand. More than 4.5
million VivoActive Players have been downloaded by PC and Power Mac users
seeking to view VivoActivated Web video content and another six million are
in distribution through bundling arrangements with channel partners.
Prominent VivoActivated Web sites include CNET, MSNBC, CourtTV, HBO, the
BBC, the Vatican, the White House, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and NCR.
Pricing and Availability
VivoActive Producer runs on Windows NT/95-based PCs and Apple Power
Macs. The 2.0 version of VivoActive Producer can either be downloaded from
the Vivo Web site (www.vivo.com) or ordered directly by calling (800)
VIVO-411. The list price for VivoActive Producer is $695. Upgrades from
previous versions are priced at [XX]. Its companion product, VivoActive
Player, is a Web browser plug-in required to view VivoActivated video
content. It is free and can be downloaded from http://www.vivo.com, as
well as from many VivoActivated Web sites.
About Vivo Software
Vivo Software, Inc. (Waltham, MA) is a leader in enabling the Web
video publishing revolution and new Web-based businesses. Founded in 1993
by a team of internationally recognized experts in video and audio signal
processing technology, Vivo develops and markets VivoActive software, the
only commercially available solution for producing and viewing
low-bandwidth, on-demand streaming media (video and audio) over the World
Wide Web using standard Web servers. Vivo’s patented compression
technology also is licensed to PictureTel Corp., which uses it as the basis
for PC-based videoconferencing products.
###
For Immediate Release
Contacts: Peter Zaballos Ed Hutchinson
Vivo Software, Inc. Lois Paul & Partners
(617) 899-8900 (617) 238-5734
pzaballos@vivo.com ed_hutchinson@lpp.com
WEB VIDEO PRODUCTION TOOLS MARKET GROWTH
OUTSTRIPS NEW MEDIA SERVER PLACEMENTS BY 2-3X
Web Developers Embrace Tools Over Additional Web Infrastructure For
Streaming Video; “The Fastest, Easiest Way To Put Video Content On The Web”
WALTHAM, Mass., May 19, 1997 – Web developers are turning to
easy-to-use tools to produce streaming video content for Web sites at a
rate two- to three-times faster than they are installing specialized new
media servers, according to data compiled by Vivo Software, Inc. Vivo,
whose VivoActive technology holds a commanding market share among the
approximately 3,000 video-enabled sites on the World Wide Web today,
reports that new video-enabled Web sites are coming on line at an
accelerating pace; month-over-month growth of 30-40 percent is common. And
of those new video-enabled Web sites, 70+ percent include video content
produced using off-the-shelf tools, being streamed from HTTP-based Web
servers.
“Web developers overwhelmingly are choosing to make their initial foray
into Web video using the HTTP-based infrastructure they already own, and
tools that make producing video content for the Web a fast and painless
process,” said Dr. Staffan Ericsson, founder and chairman of Vivo Software,
Inc. “That’s why Vivo has seen such a dramatic growth curve in market
adoption of our VivoActive products – including the VivoActive Producer for
creating streaming video content, and the VivoActive Player for viewing it.
VivoActive is by far the fastest, easiest way to put video content on the
Web.”
“Certainly the new generation of Web multimedia servers, such as Microsoft
NetShow, Netscape’s Media Server, and Progressive Network’s Real Server
have an important role,” Ericsson continued. “They offer support for next
generation Internet protocols and are an important evolution of the
networked multimedia infrastructure. Our success in the market
demonstrates that enabling widespread content creation and network
evolution are occurring at different paces. We see that the proliferation
of such servers will only increase the need for powerful tools that
streamline the Web video production process, because they will fuel the
appetite for more video content on the Web.” As a result of Vivo’s unique,
tools-oriented approach to Web streaming video production, VivoActivated
video content is now present on the majority of today’s video-enabled Web
sites. Recent VivoActivated Web sites include: KSwiss
(http://www.kswiss.com), which is using VivoActive video clips to
demonstrate its new line of tennis shoes; and Shell Oil (
http://www.shell-lubricants.com), which is using VivoActive video clips to
launch a new product with an innovative mix of demonstration and
video-testimonials.
More than 2,500 Web sites have added VivoActivated streaming audio and
video to their HTML pages, allowing visitors to view video clips on demand.
More than 4.5 million VivoActive Players have been downloaded by PC and
Power Mac users seeking to view VivoActivated Web video content and another
six million are in distribution through bundling arrangements with channel
partners.
Vivo remains the only vendor of Web streaming media tools that provides
support for traditional HTTP servers and standards-based Web multimedia
platforms, including Microsoft Corp.’s NetShow, Netscape Communications’
Media Server and Progressive Networks’ RealVideo architecture. This
unparalleled flexibility allows Web developers to select one tool to add
streaming on-demand video to their sites, regardless of media platform.
Additionally, Vivo continues to focus on simplifying and streamlining the
Web video production process by integrating the VivoActive Producer with
popular videotape editing and Web page authoring tools to provide a
streamlined, “camera-to-browser” workflow process.
VivoActive Producer enables Web developers to easily produce and
integrate low-bandwidth streaming video and audio into HTML pages.
VivoActive Player is a free Web browser plug-in for Netscape Navigator, and
an ActiveX control for Microsoft Corp.’s Internet Explorer. Prominent
VivoActivated Web sites include CNET, MSNBC, CourtTV, HBO, the BBC, the
Vatican, the White House, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and NCR.
While its most visible applications to date are on prominent media Web
sites, VivoActive also is being deployed rapidly in corporate intranets.
VivoActive technology can leverage existing video resources and help to
quickly deploy them. Organizations can now create browser-based
applications for internal audiences and use the VivoActive Producer to
easily add video clips of product demonstrations, training and corporate
information directly into these pages.
About Vivo Software
Vivo Software, Inc. (Waltham, MA) is a leader in enabling the Web
video publishing revolution and new Web-based businesses. Founded in 1993
by a team of internationally recognized experts in video and audio signal
processing technology, Vivo develops and markets VivoActive software, the
only commercially available solution for producing and viewing
low-bandwidth, on-demand streaming media (video and audio) over the World
Wide Web using standard Web servers. Vivo’s patented compression
technology also is licensed to PictureTel Corp., which uses it as the basis
for PC-based videoconferencing products.
****************
For Immediate Release
Contacts: Peter Zaballos Barry Snyder
Vivo Software, Inc. Lois Paul & Partners
(617) 899-8900 (617) 238-5774
pzaballos@vivo.com barry_snyder@lpp.com
VIVO SOFTWARE EXPANDS
VALUE-ADDED RESELLER DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM
Leading Developer of Web Streaming Video Tools
Signs 27 Resellers in Four Weeks
WALTHAM, MA, May 19, 1997 – Vivo Software, Inc. today announced strong
initial success in its effort to recruit value-added resellers (VARs) to
deliver streaming video solutions based on Vivo’s Web video tool,
VivoActive Producer, since the recruitment program began on April 7. After
kicking off its VAR program by signing a distribution agreement with Ingram
Micro, Vivo has aggressively expanded the program to include 27 new VARs
focusing on digital video, Web systems integration and development, as well
as major broad-market computer resellers, including Micro Pace.
Vivo’s reseller program is designed to address the needs of Web content
developers and video producers who are being challenged to integrate video
into complex, fast-changing Web sites, as well as video professionals who
want a robust tool to add streaming video clips to existing sites. Vivo’s
platform-independent, tools-oriented approach to enabling Web streaming
video allows these content creators to work with familiar tools and
platforms, while simplifying the Web streaming video creation process.
“Since we introduced VivoActive last fall, we have seen an explosion in the
demand for creating video-rich Web content,” said Dr. Staffan Ericsson,
chairman and founder of Vivo Software. “Our new VAR recruitment program
has been instrumental in servicing this growing demand, allowing our
partners to deliver innovative Web solutions across a wide range of new
markets. We are pleased with the enthusiastic response from the reseller
channel, clearly the popularity of VivoActive is bringing new business and
opportunities to our reseller partners.”
Streaming Video Tools Available Through Major Distributors
VivoActive technology is available through its national distributors Ingram
and Micro Pace. Additionally, VivoActive products are available through
distribution agreements with TrueVision. All VARs — those signed up
directly and those buying through TrueVision — will be featured on Vivo’s
Web site at http:\\www.vivo.com, currently one of the 100 most popular
sites on the Web. Vivo offers its VARs the following benefits for
distributing VivoActive software:
* Reduced pricing on initial stocking orders
* Complementary copy of VivoActive Producer
* Assistance in video enabling their own site
* Training and pre/post sales and technical support
* Lead referrals from trial users of VivoActive Producer.
More than 2,500 Web sites have added VivoActivated streaming audio and
video to their HTML pages, allowing visitors to view video clips on demand.
More than 4.5 million VivoActive Players have been downloaded by PC and
Power Mac users seeking to view VivoActivated Web video content and another
six million are in distribution through bundling arrangements with channel
partners. Prominent VivoActivated Web sites include CNET, MSNBC, CourtTV,
HBO, the BBC, the Vatican, the White House, Hewlett-Packard, Intel and NCR.
About Vivo Software
Vivo Software, Inc. (Waltham, MA) is a leader in enabling the Web
video publishing revolution and new Web-based businesses. Founded in 1993
by a team of internationally recognized experts in video and audio signal
processing technology, Vivo develops and markets VivoActive software, the
only commercially available solution for producing and viewing
low-bandwidth, on-demand streaming media (video and audio) over the World
Wide Web using standard Web servers. Vivo’s patented compression
technology also is licensed to PictureTel Corp., which uses it as the basis
for PC-based videoconferencing products.
###