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StarBak Communications Wednesday introduced the Torrent 100 for Internet applications and Torrent 1000 for intranets, streaming network appliances that allow organizations to stream content in Windows Media Player, QuickTime, and MPEG1 file formats from a single interface.

The Torrent models combine GUI-based software, dedicated hardware, and an operating system into a single unit that allows delivery of multiple streams of audio and audio/video content at a rate of 1,000 simultaneous streams for Torrent 100, and 3,000 streams for Torrent 1000.

"Many of the problems encountered in delivering streaming media are the result of the complexity of set-up and maintenance," says Ray Harris, president of StarBak Communications. "It can take a Network Administrator many hours, or even days, to set up a standard software/server system and load files. By creating a single-purpose network appliance, we've removed those complexities, to the point where the only thing the network administrator needs to do is assign the IP address. After that, any junior-level IT professional can operate it."

Rather than using the Darwin code common to other streaming media servers, StarBak developed its own Real Time Streaming Protocol (RTSP) for the Torrent network appliance. The new code is designed to allow the Torrent 100 to provide 80 Mbps of content and Torrent 1000 to provide 350 Mbps in a compact 1U profile.

"Streaming media is becoming recognized as an invaluable communication tool in many environments from business to education," says StarBak's Harris. "As the infrastructure of the Internet matures and broadband connections become more prevalent, streaming media stands poised to make a marked impact in B2B and B2C communications."