GridNetworks Unveils P2P "GridCast" Digital Content Delivery

GridNetworks, a start-up based in Seattle, unveiled its "GridCast" Platform for instant-on, full-screen, DVD-quality video to broadband-connected viewers.



GridNetworks said its solution overcomes the challenges faced by both content delivery networks (CDNs) and Peer-to-Peer (P2P) software solutions. While CDNs can provide secure distribution of content, their hardware-based delivery systems are expensive and fail to offer the delivery speed or scalability required to provide a reasonable alternative to conventional broadcast distribution. P2P solutions offer an inexpensive way to move complete video files, but fail to provide on-demand streaming, speedy file delivery, or a content security model video asset owners desire.



GridCasting is hybrid solution that combines CDN technologies with GridCast software. The approach is a new video delivery paradigm in which each participating computer becomes part of a vast, managed content distribution grid, optimized to deliver segmented, encrypted video data directly to the viewer's screen. This "Software CDN" approach effectively creates a vast, global network of mini-servers to redistribute encrypted video segments, providing overall network capacity and capabilities far greater than traditional CDNs. In addition to dramatically increasing the effective distribution network size, the GridCast Platform maintains centralized command-and-control of valuable video assets and has the industry's toughest content security proposition.

http://www.gridnetworks.com