Streaming Media Is Not A Product Or Service, It's A Technology

For a long time now, the term streaming media has been thought of as something sold by vendors. For the first few years of any new technology, the terminology is bound to get confusing and used in the incorrect manner. But 13 years since streaming media technology was first used on the Internet, I think it's time we describe the technology and services correctly.

Streaming media is not a service. You don't sell streaming media. It's a technology, plain and simple. I see a lot of websites by industry vendors that list streaming media as one of their services. What they should be saying is they sell content delivery. If that content is delivered via streaming, downloading, progressive downloading, webcasting etc...who cares? I know that many use the term this way because that's what the market bears, it's the way customers refer to it and it's what everyone has gotten use to. I'm guilty of the same, as that's how I sold the service back when I was at Globix. But I think 13 years later, we are at the point where as an industry we should be working together to describe and sell the services correctly.

Comments

[Jeff Hanley]

Right on the money, Dan. Some might think you're just quibbling over semantics, but the amount of confusion that permeates the industry as a direct result of misused and misunderstood terminology is mind-boggling.

For those of us who produce and deliver streaming content every day, it is a constant battle to get people to define their needs, their audience, and their expectations accurately. The words do mean something and clarity is key to creating and delivering quality streaming media.

Only when the language is used accurately can customers, producers and end-users all communicate successfully. Clear up the confusion around terms and you take a major step toward achieving a stable, mature industry that can deliver on the promise of streaming media technology.