Skype Founders Prep Free Internet Video Service

Joining the growing list of companies promising to change the TV viewing experience via the Internet, Skype Ltd. founders Niklas Zennstrom and Janus Friis have co-founded Joost, a free peer-to-peer streaming-based service currently in beta-test.

Joost is described as being “powered by a secure, efficient, piracy-proof Internet platform that enables premium interactive video experiences while guaranteeing copyright protection for content owners and creators.”

Like Skype, which gained wide acclaim for offering calling for free, Joost said its service is free. Skype was later bought by eBay Inc. for $2.6 billion. Part of the Joost revenue model is based on advertising, according to its Web site.

"People are looking for increased choice and flexibility in their TV experience, while the entertainment industry needs to retain control over their content," said Fredrik de Wahl, CEO of Joost, in prepared comments. "With Joost, we've married that consumer desire with the industry's interests."

While Joost claims service differentiation in its marketing materials, the service is but the latest on a long list designed to deliver video (movies, TV programs, etc.) to users via the Internet. Content providers and telcos such as AT&T Inc. have already embraced the model.

Netflix Inc. announced plans earlier this week to augment its mail DVD rental business model with an electronic delivery feature that lets subscribers view movies on broadband-connected PCs. Like Joost, and others, it’s based on video streaming technology.

Joost also claims to be the first global TV distribution platform, bringing together advertisers, content owners and viewers in an interactive, community-driven environment. Joost can be accessed with a broadband Internet connection and requires subscribers to first download what it calls a browser, which, it said, will be open for programmers to write software to.

Joost www.joost.com

Skype Ltd. www.skype.com

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