The International Webcasting Association (IWA) is a non-profit organization

Non-profit organization

Nonprofit organization is neither a legal nor technical definition but generally refers to an organization that uses surplus revenues to achieve its goals, rather than distributing them as profit or dividends...

 that works to promote effective and efficient delivery of multimedia

Multimedia

Multimedia is media and content that uses a combination of different content forms. The term can be used as a noun or as an adjective describing a medium as having multiple content forms. The term is used in contrast to media which use only rudimentary computer display such as text-only, or...

 content, including webcast

Webcast

A webcast is a media presentation distributed over the Internet using streaming media technology to distribute a single content source to many simultaneous listeners/viewers. A webcast may either be distributed live or on demand...

ing and streaming media

Streaming media

Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...

, over the Internet and other digital networks. The IWA serves as a forum for the ideas, people and issues shaping the future of the webcasting industry. IWA represents webcasters, streaming media companies, entrepreneurs, individuals and academics throughout the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

, Europe

Europe

Europe is, by convention, one of the world's seven continents. Comprising the westernmost peninsula of Eurasia, Europe is generally 'divided' from Asia to its east by the watershed divides of the Ural and Caucasus Mountains, the Ural River, the Caspian and Black Seas, and the waterways connecting...

, Asia

Asia

Asia is the world's largest and most populous continent, located primarily in the eastern and northern hemispheres. It covers 8.7% of the Earth's total surface area and with approximately 3.879 billion people, it hosts 60% of the world's current human population...

, Canada

Canada

Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...

 and Australia

Australia

Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...

.

Purpose

The International Webcasting Association was formed in 1996 to create a forum for all companies involved in the digital revolution to promote webcasting and streaming media

Streaming media

Streaming media is multimedia that is constantly received by and presented to an end-user while being delivered by a streaming provider.The term "presented" is used in this article in a general sense that includes audio or video playback. The name refers to the delivery method of the medium rather...

. Founding members include many of the early developers and companies from the streaming media industry. The membership includes portal websites

Web portal

A web portal or links page is a web site that functions as a point of access to information in the World Wide Web. A portal presents information from diverse sources in a unified way....

, streaming service providers, content creators, educators, entrepreneurs, and user companies.

The IWA's goal is to keep members informed, connected, and better prepared for the changes that are an integral part of the technology. The IWA supports the growth of individual member companies from their investment strategies to legal and regulatory issues to education through key research studies. Examples of these initiatives are meetings initiated with the United States Federal Communications Commission

Federal Communications Commission

The Federal Communications Commission is an independent agency of the United States government, created, Congressional statute , and with the majority of its commissioners appointed by the current President. The FCC works towards six goals in the areas of broadband, competition, the spectrum, the...

 and presentations to the United States Congress

United States Congress

The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....

 and the National Telecommunications and Information Administration

National Telecommunications and Information Administration

The National Telecommunications and Information Administration is an agency of the United States Department of Commerce that serves as the President's principal adviser on telecommunications policies pertaining to the United States' economic and technological advancement and to regulation of the...

. (NTIA)

The IWA disseminates information through regular meetings in person and via teleconference calls, functions and meetings at industry conferences, the IWA website, list-serves, and live Internet webcasts.

IWA membership provides members with:

• Electronic newsletters with industry news, calendar of upcoming events and member discounts.
• Webcasts from participating IWA member businesses.
• Regional meetings for advancement of webcasting and streaming media.
• Discounts of 10%-50% on selected webcasting conferences, publications, and products.
• Listing on the IWA website to promote organizational networking and research on the webcasting industry.
• List-serv to exchange ideas, opinions and get answers immediately to members' questions.