FutureSoft Advises IT Managers on the Rapid Expansion of Internet Streaming Media and its Effect on Corporate Bandwidth

Houston, TX-February 15, 2002

With the announcement last week that AOL will be adding even more content and features to its Radio@AOL service, FutureSoft, Inc., provider of the most comprehensive Internet Access Management solution on the market, is alerting Network Administrators and IT managers to be aware of the potential increase in bandwidth-hogging, on-line streaming media traffic in the enterprise.

Although it is likely that the great majority of listeners to Radio@AOL content will be doing so from home, it nevertheless shows that the market for streaming media is growing very rapidly.

Rick Mansel, President and CEO of Houston-based FutureSoft, said, “What we are now seeing is the entry into the on-line music arena of mainstream, high-profile media companies. This is a clear indication that they believe the potential market for on-line music and streaming content is huge. Some of that audience, inevitably, will be tuning in from their offices.”

It doesn't matter if the media is streaming audio, video or MP3 files. The effect on corporations is the same: degraded network performance, lost productivity and increased infrastructure costs. By using a combination of Internet filtering and monitoring, as well as real-time bandwidth analysis tools, corporate managers can quickly see if they have a network overloaded with non-business traffic and act to control it.

The impact on the network of even a few dozen employees listening to streaming media can be huge. Network performance can rapidly degrade, which in turn impacts everyone else in the organization. In the end, this costs the company money. Once Network Administrators deploy Internet filtering tools along with powerful real-time diagnostic utilities, they can decide if, or when, to allow access to Internet radio stations and other streaming media sources.

Mansel concluded, “Although single events such as the Olympics may be getting attention for their potential impact on corporate America's network infrastructure, it is on-going resource demands like streaming media that represent the real business issue. Our unique holistic approach to Internet Access Management with DynaComm i:filter and real-time bandwidth monitoring with our new DynaComm Traffic Monitor utility, presents the only effective way to ensure that the right kind of network traffic keeps flowing.”

Pricing and Availability

DynaComm i:scan is available directly from FutureSoft. To register for an evaluation version of the product, visit the Web site at www.dciseries.com. For pricing information, contact your FutureSoft account manager at (800) 989-8908 or send an e-mail.

About FutureSoft

Founded in 1982, FutureSoft is an international software company focused on the development of connectivity and access management solutions. The FutureSoft Connectivity Products facilitate the deployment, implementation and management of secure access to host environments from personal computers and thin client devices. For more information, contact Futuresoft at (800) 989-8908, (281) 496-4900, send an e-mail, or visit the company’s Web site at www.dciseries.com.

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