Sun, IBM team on streaming

NEW YORK--IBM and Sun Microsystems said today that a draft of version 2.0 of the Java Media Framework will be posted on the Internet within two months, and an early access version for developers is expected to be released by year's end.

Java Media Framework is an application programming interface (API) for how streaming media like audio and video are played on the Net. Sun and IBM, which are jointly developing the new specification, said it will enhance applications like distance learning, training, interactive presentations, and customer support.

"Today it is complex to get streaming media off the Internet," said IBM's Jeffrey Jaffe, general manager eNetwork software and security. "This will be a more coherent framework."

Java Media Framework 2.0 aims to reduce the hurdles to developers of using streaming media on the network. It also will allow software developers to use custom codecs and add special effects.

Today Big Blue also announced a new software application called eNetwork On-Demand Server, software that makes it easier to deploy Web applications by allowing them to be tailored to an individual user or group.

"We are solving the deployment problem for Java applications," said Jaffe. To date, much of the work on Java has gone into tools for building applications; the new server software now tackles deployment issues.

Features include access control for applications and single sign-on using SSL security. It also integrates with IBM's Tivoli Enterprise software.

On-Demand Server will be available in 10 languages on October 30, but pricing has not been set. It will run on Windows NT, IBM OS/2, AIX, and OS/390.