Internet multimedia deal agreed

Quicktime will be supported on Real Networks servers

Apple Computer and Real Networks have announced a deal which should result in greater compatibility in playing audio and video on PCs.

Real Networks - the maker of Real Player - has bought rights to serve Apple's Quicktime technology.

This means Real Networks' widely deployed media servers will support Quicktime, which is used for a variety of online broadcasting applications.

It also means that Real Networks gains access to more than 50 million copies of the Quicktime Player installed on Macintosh and Windows systems around the world.

The agreement supports streaming of Quicktime content.

Real Networks says the arrangement should be up and running in the second half of 2000.

Streaming

Website owners who want to broadcast audio and video in both Real Player and Quicktime formats will no longer have to do so from two separate computers.

Rob Glaser, chairman of Seattle-based Real Networks, said: "Streaming media on the internet is just starting out and we see a huge opportunity in this business.

"Our customers want as few duplications of infrastructure as possible and this will really help them reduce costs."

Apple expects the deal to boost the number of broadcasters willing to use Quicktime, rather than rival software that supports only a single format such as Microsoft's Windows Media Player.

Paul Schiller, marketing vice-president at Apple, said: "It gives content providers more choice in the servers they use to stream their product."

The deal also helps Real Networks stand up to the might of Microsoft in the marketplace.

Microsoft's bundling of Real Player with its software packages has been threatening to undermine Real Networks' revenue base.