SiClone also supports transformations of streaming media formats, including Netshow and RealAudio and RealVideo, changing the file location information embedded in the media so that it can run from subscribers' servers. At the ICE summit, the company announced the beta of SiClone 2.0, which will support the full ICE protocol. Our take The ICE specification is a significant step forward for those trying to automate the distribution of content on the Web. While it is not a silver bullet for those engaged in the conversion process, ICE will provide a stable platform on which developers can build transformation tools that process large quantities of material without human intervention. Assuming that a few vendors create successful products, there should be considerable reuse of the tools and processes, and the economies of scale that this provides for publishers should be dramatic.
Online syndication promises to be a major market for publishers.
Many magazine and newspaper publishers that once syndicated to a few online services now have innumerable syndication opportunities on the Web, and ICE could play a key role in helping to make that business profitable. Vignette has done a good job of shepherding the spec through the authoring stages and soliciting feedback from interested parties via the advisory council. Vignette clearly has a vested interest in defining a specification that its software supports, but it has made sure that competing vendors have ample opportunity to create ICE-compliant syndication servers, a strategy that should foster healthy competition among vendors and draw a wide base of support among content producers. But the release of the initial protocol makes this an opportune time to comment on the proposal and to begin evaluating systems for implementation.