AUDIO/VIDEO STREAMING

APPLE COMPUTER
Cupertino, Calif.
CUSTOMERS: ABCNews.com, BBC World, Bloomberg, Disney.com, ESPN.com
REVENUE (2000): $8 billion
NET PROFIT: $786 million

Quicktime, an Apple platform that handles video, sound, animation, graphics and MP3 files, has sold more than 100 million copies, and it just received a face-lift with version 5.0. Too bad Apple had to use the streaming-media tool to broadcast its report that first quarter 2001 losses totaled $195 million - compared with a $183 million profit in first quarter 2000.

REALNETWORKS
Seattle, Wash.
CUSTOMERS: Akamai, Digital Island, Deutsche Telekom
REVENUE (2000): $241.5 million
NET PROFIT: $30.9 million

RealNetworks licenses streaming-media software, including the RealPlayer product line, to content providers and delivery services, as well as to consumers. The company has managed to retain its content-streaming leadership and almost double its revenues in 1999 through key alliances with companies such as AOL, Adobe, Nokia and iXL.

VIEWPOINT
New York, N.Y.
CUSTOMERS: Eddie Bauer, Nike, Hewlett-Packard, Sharper Image, Sony
REVENUE (1999): $3.1 million
NET LOSS: $50.7 million

The company is focusing on interactive imaging and streaming-media technologies. One product, Viewpoint Experience Technology, gives users the ability to rotate images on a site and change colors and patterns. Viewpoint also offers 3D imaging tools and a media player.