A Year Ago: RealNetworks releases G2 player

RealNetworks took the wraps off the final version of its RealSystem G2 products yesterday. While the most well-known member of the family is the RealPlayer, the new products also include streaming-server and production applications.

"Server sales make the company in this niche," said Ron Rappaort, industry analyst with Internet-watcher Zona Research Inc.

The RealPlayer G2 lets Web surfers tune into Internet radio and TV shows with quality that varies with the speed of the user's connection. More than 150,000 consumers download the RealPlayer daily, tallying up a total of 38 million registered users, according to the company.