Multicasting trial planned

A group of companies pushing IP Multicasting next week will select vendors for a wide-scale trial of the technology, a means of distributing multimedia content over the Internet or corporate intranets.

Members of the IP Multicasting Initiative on Wednesday will select from two groups of companies to launch the pilot, which will begin this summer. The pilot is designed to jump-start the IP Multicasting market by demonstrating how it works.

IP Multicast is a communications protocol designed to enable the efficient distribution of data over the Internet, intranets, satellites, cable systems, and other telecommunication networks.

The industry group will preview a report that identifies existing uses of IP multicasting and projected uses for the future. Applications include Webcasting, audio-visual distribution, and electronic data delivery, according to the study. The retail and automotive industries are likely to benefit first.