(May 3, 2002) - IBM has announced a new technology, IBM Enterprise Media Beans. This technology reaffirms IBM's commitment to open standards, IBM being the first to propose an open framework for integrating rich media into business applications.

IBM Enterprise Media Beans (EMB) enable applications to integrate rich media data such as audio, video, or image into applications based on EJB Entity Beans within the J2EE application development model. It allows application programmers to embed rich media assets into their business logic without having to worry about client type, server media protocols, or media format. It's a standardized, component-based, open framework model for rich media integration throughout the enterprise.

EMB primarily targets the management and the seamless integration of rich media data into EJB-based business applications. The pure-Java framework uses the current available products and technologies for storing, modifying, and rendering (especially streaming) of media, while abstracting from their implementation and the different ways to access them. Because of the framework nature of EMB, new and upcoming products from various vendors can be integrated in a standard way, without necessarily affecting the business applications. Enterprise Media Beans are based on the EJB 1.1 standard, which is implemented with WebSphere 4.0.

Members of the Java Community Process executive board have given resounding support to the Enterprise Media Beans standard proposal with a 12:0 vote in its favor. Members include representatives from IBM, BEA, Oracle, Borland, IONA, and Sun. To download this new technology, go to alphaWorks, IBM's online resource for emerging technology, at www.alphaWorks.ibm.com.