Fluendo, GStreamer-based streaming media company, launched

Fluendo funds Xiph.org Foundation for Theora development

This press release marks the official launch of Fluendo, a company dedicated to creating streaming media services using free software technology.

Fluendo intends to develop a free software streaming media server that can provide an all-in-one solution to serve both live and pre-recorded media content to any existing platform.

While there are commercially backed streaming servers available for other platforms than Linux, these servers are proprietary, limited in features, and costly to buy, license, or keep running. A lot of internet companies already have a complete Linux-based rollout and would love to replace their last non-Linux systems if the software is available, CEO Julien Moutte says.

The streaming server will make it possible to do streaming using only freely available and royalty-free codecs. Proprietary formats will also be supported in the end product and available under the licenses the patent holders specify. Fluendo will also offer support and custom development contracts to content providers.

Fluendo is building their services on top of the quickly maturing GStreamer streaming media framework. It will assist the GStreamer community in further stabilizing and developing the framework.

Funding the Xiph.org Foundation

One of the missing components in enabling free software media streaming is a competitive open and royalty-free video codec to complement the already existing Vorbis free audio codec from the Xiph.org Foundation.

This is why Fluendo has funded the Xiph.org Foundation to complete the Ogg/Theora bitstream specification. This is one of the remaining steps before Theora 1.0 is released. Once the bitstream specification has been completed the format will be frozen for the 1.0 release and all future versions of Theora will maintain compatibility with the 1.0 format, opening the door to widespread use of the codec for media distribution.

Any company that bases their core product on commodity technologies obviously does well to choose a completely open, royalty-free technology. Technology that's open allows businesses to concentrate on delivering what clients and consumers want, says Chris Montgomery of the Xiph.org Foundation.

We are heartened to see Fluendo supporting the open standards they use and expect Fluendo to flourish in the years to come.

The Xiph.org Foundation is a not-for-profit organization dedicated to providing tools for a free, open, and level playing field for digital media.