CustomerCentrix

One of our customers is doing work with Flash for training and has on their wish list an implementation of the Flash Communication Server. This is a server product for streaming live or recorded media. I would guess that there is a good bit of overlapping technology with this product and Breeze, although Breeze is more of an end-user server product very similar to WebEx and other online meeting tools. The FCS is for deploying content that is created by developers using Flash MX or other Macromedia tools. There are a number of components included that can be cobbled together into applications (either web apps or standalone ones).

AudioConference
Cursor - for remote pointing by multiple users
PresentationSWF - to show/control a flash presentation
PresentationText - text slides, boring stuff
RoomList
VideoConference
Whiteboard
SimpleConnect - user logon?
PeopleList
ConnectionLight
UserColor
Chat
SetBandwidth
AVPresence
VideoPlayback
VideoRecord

Some of the coolest Breeze components such as automated PowerPoint load and deployment, application sharing, remote control and the professional looking interface are not included (as you would expect).

There is an O'Reilly book available about it with a nice intro chapter available online.

Deployment can be on either Win or Linux box and doesn't look like it would be difficult. The top end server is $4500, with less expensive options including a free developer version with very limited bandwidth. Bandwidth esimation details can be found in this whitepaper. I am a little surprised that this product has been around for over 2 years; I guess that I haven't paid much attention to this kind of stuff in a while.

I didn't see any information about applications for cell phone which is of particular interest to our client. We will need to do a little more research at some point into Flash for cell phones.