Why do you need a professional streaming service for your audio/video or webcast project? Compare the different server operating modes and the possible resulting pros and cons for your project.

• Different techniques/protocols:
  
  => Web or "Homepage" Server/Streaming Service:
  Usually, when being retrieved by the user, relatively small amounts of data (typically homepages) are loaded through the HTTP protocol. Each file will be stored entirely as a download in the "temporary files" on the user's computer.
  
  Web server based systems, however, are often inadequate when delivering large amouts of data such as video files. Here are two comparisons for better understanding: a) Web optimized image ~ 3 KB, immediate download. b) Encoded video ~ 115,000 KB, 20 min download.
  
  => IMS - Media Delivery Network/Streaming Service:
  In contrast to download, streaming is the continuous delivery of audio/video formats (only) with specific communication protocols (RTMP, RTMPT, MMS etc.). Only the content which is necessary to show the currently playing media sequence is downloaded. Content which has already been played is allowed to loose itself, and is not saved to the user's hard drive.

• Bandwidth/Traffic:
  
  => Web or "Homepage" Server/Streaming Service:
  The playing of an audio/video file on a web page also immediately starts the download of the entire file. To view the entire video, it must first be completely downloaded. This causes a great deal of traffic, and can take a long time, depending on the bandwidth available to the user.
  
  This is particularily critical at peak times, when many users simultaneously start downloading large amounts of data from the web server. Just a few such downloads can quickly exhaust the available bandwidth (~ 100 Mbits/s) of a web based server system, possibly endangering other important continuous operations such as online shops, content management etc.
  
  =>IMS - Media Delivery Network/Streaming Service:
  Only that which is currently being played is being delivered. A user who clicks through many videos, or only watches parts of a video, causes only a fraction of the traffic. Furthermore, the delivery depends on the encoding rate of the video, and not the user's bandwidth.
  
  The upload of an audio/video media file is followed technically by its worldwide replication on our server clusters in various server centers, on various continents. The total external connectivity of the IMS - Media Delivery Network is more than 100 Gbit/s.
  
  Depending on the viewer's location, delivery is carried out by the nearest and currently best performant data center. Thanks to the large number of spatially separated systems, with high performance direct connections, we can guarantee every streaming account "unlimited" (~ 10,000) simultaneous user delivery connections.

• Protection of Content:
  
  => Web or "Homepage" Server/Streaming Service:
  Files are stored in a "temporary directory" and are, depending on the user's system settings, available offline to anyone having access to the computer. Additionally, the mode "right click/Save Target As" facilitates easy and unsecure download.
  
  => IMS - Media Delivery Network/Streaming Service:
  The user receives only the data packets required to play the audio/video. Nothing is stored locally, offline streaming is not possible. There is no download option.
  
  In addition, the IMS Custom-Player -> Streaming Server connection offers further options to ensure the security of your content, including DRM (Digital Rights Management) solutions.

• Video Playback Control:
  
  => Web or "Homepage" Server/Streaming Service:
  Full playback control of audio/video is only possible after complete download of the media file. You can't spring to a part of a video which has not yet been downloaded. As this can take several minutes, it can have a negative effect on the user dwell time
  
  => IMS - Media Delivery Network/Streaming Service:
  The user determines which sequence will be delivered. There is no difference whether this is at the beginning of a video, or anywhere along its timeline. Particularly for longer videos, or webcasts, it is important that the user can immediately jump to any particular part.

• Summary:
  
  Due to the limitations, restrictions and problems arising from video delivery via web or "homepage" servers, we recommend our business customers the exclusive use of streaming technology.
  
  With our Media Delivery Network, we can offer you individual streaming accounts within a professional, worldwide streaming infrastucture. Including free support and favourable conditions.