This guide describes the practical application and deployment of Windows Media Services in the enterprise for digital media experiences and applications. Windows Media Services is a versatile and configurable technology that you can use to achieve a suitable streaming media solution for almost any situation. The information in this guide can help you during the deployment process and enable you to use your knowledge of local hardware and network conditions to set up a streaming media solution that suits your needs.

This guide is intended to help you take your Windows Media server solution from planning to implementation in your production environment. It presents common business problems and the design decisions and considerations to build an infrastructure for such solutions. When you use Windows Media, you can play multimedia content for applications such as employee training, broadcast communications, entertainment, and educational programs over the entire range of enterprise networks—from low-bandwidth, dial-up Internet connections, leased wide area network (WANs) to high-bandwidth local area networks (LANs) and campuses.

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Windows Media Services is best deployed as part of the Windows Media platform, which provides a complete set of end-to-end components for the creation, distribution, and playback of audio and video content. The Windows Media Resource Kit provides in-depth technical guidance and must-have tools for IT professionals who need to implement streaming media solutions for corporate communications, training and education, e-commerce, commercial broadcast, and other uses. The book provides a detailed deployment road map that covers all related Windows Media components, including Windows Media Encoder, Windows Media Services, Windows Media Player, and Microsoft Producer, as well as cache/proxy servers, routers, and other third-party networking software and hardware. In addition to providing expert installation advice, the authors—members of Microsoft’s Windows Media team—share their insights on how to build custom streaming solutions using samples from the Windows Media SDK components. The book's CD-ROM contains essential tools, including Windows Media products such as the encoder and a load simulator; test content including audio and video files; SDK code samples; and scenario-based topologies, plans, and checklists.

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