NewsForge: How and Why RealNetworks is Moving Toward Open Source

"'The idea [of Open Source within RealNetworks] had been kicking around for a very long time,' says Rob Lanphier, RealNetworks' program manager for interoperability. Now, finally, the company is licensing some of its code under a GPL-like license. This may help bring more current versions of the RealPlayer client to Linux, but it may also help RealNetworks make big sales to companies like Nokia, and if you're a RealNetworks shareholder, that's more important than making a few Linux geeks happy.

"Lanphier wouldn't mind seeing new, feature-rich versions of RealPlayer for Linux. Even though he's a former Microsoft employee, he now uses Linux as his primary desktop operating system. He says he is but one of many Linux and Open Source advocates who work at RealNetworks. Now he's the self-described 'mascot' for the Helix Community RealNetworks has set up to spearhead its Open Source efforts. In this job, though, he's not only working with developers who want to produce cool, free software that will help improve the world (presumably by filling it with streaming media) but also with hard-headed commercial people at companies that make products like cellular phones and PDAs..."

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Related Stories:

• The Register: RealNetworks Streams Staff(Aug 08, 2002)
• NewsForge: Draft Version of RealNetworks' New Public Source License(Aug 02, 2002)
• CNET News: Will Real Feast Where Apple Failed?(Jul 30, 2002)
• RealNetworks Announces Helix Platform, Open-Source Universal Media Content Project(Jul 22, 2002)