Sonic Foundry Introduces Stream Anywhere[TM]

Los Angeles, CA — Sonic Foundry (AMEX: SFO), a leading developer of media authoring tools for the Windows[R] platform, today at Internet World introduced a free Beta download of its new streaming media authoring tool, Stream Anywhere. This robust, all-in-one streaming media authoring solution allows both novices and experienced Web developers to quickly and easily prepare audio, video, and synchronized metadata for distribution over the Internet.

Stream Anywhere uniquely provides developers with the flexibility to encode multimedia content in either the Microsoft Windows Media Technologies version 4.0 or the RealNetworks RealSystem G2 format and offers re-purposing of Apple QuickTime, MPEG-1, and MP3 content into these streaming media formats. This versatile program greatly simplifies streaming media authoring by supporting all aspects of the authoring process, from media capture through the generation of Web page layout and encoded media files that are ready for use on a personal home page or streaming media server.

Based on Sonic Foundry's VEGAS[TM] technology, a completely new software architecture optimized for multimedia content creation and streaming media authoring applications, Stream Anywhere features an advanced user interface with visual timeline for synchronizing audio, video, and metadata events. Stream Anywhere offers a host of powerful pre-processing functions that allow the user to significantly enhance the source media prior to encoding for an optimum viewing and listening experience. In addition, multiple bit rate encoding is fully supported, allowing the user to save a single .ASF or G2 file capable of adapting to the bandwidth available on the client side.

The versatile Stream Anywhere can capture video from digital cameras and video capture boards, making it an ideal solution for Web development, distance learning and training, personal Web publishing, as well as Internet broadcasting. To ensure optimum ease-of-use, the software guides the user through each step in the process of authoring streaming media for distribution over the Internet or a corporate intranet. Stream Anywhere also includes pre-defined, yet fully customizable HTML layouts that can be used as examples for incorporating streaming media into a Web page.

"We are pleased that Sonic Foundry continues to develop powerful media authoring tools to support users of Microsoft's Windows Media Technologies," said Will Poole, Senior Director, Marketing and Business Development, Microsoft Corp. "Stream Anywhere offers these users an efficient authoring environment where they can immediately utilize many of the new streaming media features incorporated in the release of Windows Media Technologies version 4.0."

Rimas Buinevicius, Chairman and C.E.O. of Sonic Foundry, stated, "The introduction of this advanced streaming media tool demonstrates our intent to expand beyond our traditional digital audio focus and take advantage of exceptional opportunities that exist within the rapidly emerging and highly lucrative Internet space. Stream Anywhere and our continued development on the Vegas Technology effort will continue to build Sonic Foundry's reputation for high quality media tools."

Stream Anywhere is the upgrade version to the Microsoft Windows Media On-Demand Producer, which has been released in an electronic download form from the Microsoft Windows Media Technologies Web site at microsoft.com/windows/windowsmedia/tools/odproducer.asp.

A free Beta of Stream Anywhere is currently available at the Sonic Foundry Web site.