WEB CROSSING NOW SUPPORTS PODCASTING
Leading, Scalable Message Board and Collaboration Tools Now Powers
Podcasting Via Weblog and RSS Plug-ins
SAN FRANCISCO, Calif., January 31, 2005 — Web Crossing, Inc., the leader in
scalable message board and collaboration tools, today announced new
standards-based support for Podcasting. Now for the first time, Web Crossing
users can publish podcasts for distribution from a Weblog or over a Really
Simple Syndication (RSS) feed.
“Web Crossing regularly adds standards-based collaboration tools to its
legendary message board platform,” said Tim Lundeen, president and CEO of Web
Crossing, Inc. “Podcasting MP3 audio files is an exciting supplement to our
wide
range of collaboration capabilities. Whether providing audio format educational
tools, complete tutorials, workgroup reports, or simply entertainment,
podcasting support nicely extends Web Crossing’s weblog and RSS capabilities.”
Podcasting from Web Crossing Boards or Blogs
Podcasting is a hot, new audio file distribution technique for time-shifting
audio broadcasts to a self-selecting audience who chooses when to listen to it
on their iPod or other MP3-compatible listening device. Often posted as
part of
a blog, podcasting provides a convenient means for individuals to publish audio
files online. Already popular with individual bloggers and content publishers,
work-related applications of podcasting include reports, tutorials and other
educational aids.
Podcasting, in general, utilizes a combination of audio file (MP3 or other
format) and XML to publish descriptive data and metadata associated with the
audio file. The XML files used in podcasting from Web Crossing sites are
compatible with RSS 2.0 and can include dates, titles, descriptions and
links to
the audio files themselves. Web Crossing’s RSS feeds now use Unicode
Transformation Format (UTF) encoding to prevent any non-ASCII characters in a
file from creating XML parsing errors of the feed.
The new Podcast capabilities are incorporated in the latest Web Crossing Weblog
and RSS plug-ins. The Weblog and RSS plugins require no knowledge of XML,
allowing administrators to add Podcasting support in minutes with a simple
point-and-click.
The Web Crossing RSS plug-in gives a site’s visitors current access to
podcasts,
using any modern RSS Reader. In addition, the Web Crossing Weblog plug-in
makes
podcasting audio files as easy as attaching an MP3 file to any Weblog entry.
In Weblogs, RSS subscription designations automatically apply to categories
assigned by the blogger and chosen by the reader. Alternatively, the new RSS
support provides podcasting in addition to the RSS plug-in’s traditional
integration with weblog categories, weblog comments, topic folders, and
individual discussions.
Pricing, Compatibility and Availability
Free for a limited time, the new Podcast-enabled Weblog and RSS plug-ins are
available today and compatible with all Web Crossing 5 installations.
Additional
information can be found at (http://www.webcrossing.com/podblog/) and
(http://www.webcrossing.com/podrss/).
About Web Crossing, Inc.
Privately held, Web Crossing, Inc. is a leader in collaboration tools,
committed
to providing high-quality software and related services at a fair price.
Award-winning Web Crossing is a scalable, tightly integrated collaboration tool
serving a broad-spectrum of functionality and serves millions of pages per day
at thousands of sites, including well-known, high traffic sites as
eBay.com, The
NY Times, Salon’s TableTalk and Electronic Arts. Available licensed or ASP, all
Web Crossing software is easily customizable and highly extensible without
programming. Further information on can be found at
(http://www.webcrossing.com/).