The IP Multicast Initiative

Dr. Dobb's Journal October 1997

The IP Multicast Initiative (IPMI) is a multivendor forum created to accelerate the deployment of IP multicast on corporate intranets and the Internet. Its membership consists of Internet product vendors, network service providers, and content producers. It is managed by Stardust Technologies, a consulting organization focused on the promotion of open communication standards.

The IPMI charter is to speed the migration to native IP multicast by providing a set of marketing and educational services that promote the creation, use, and deployment of standards-based IETF IP multicast products and solutions.

One of IPMI's most important areas of work is the Internet Transition Working Group, which is examining the technical and business requirements, alternatives, and needed compromises for speeding IP multicast deployment on the Internet during 1997.

Launched in October 1996, the initiative has made significant progress. There are over 65 members, including Microsoft, Cisco, DEC, Novell, Ericsson, and Sun. In its effort to elevate the awareness of multicast, it sponsored a "Multicast Summit" in January, and has produced many white papers. It has recently focused its efforts on educating ISPs, which presently represent the single most significant bottleneck to ubiquitous multicast deployment.

For more information on the IPMI, call 408-879-8080 or see http://www.ipmulticast.com/.

-- B.Q.