Flash video, which enables companies to deliver custom branded video experiences directly in their Web site, is beginning to sweep the Web.

With Flash video interactive content can be delivered across a high-performance, reliable content delivery network to Macromedia Flash Player. This means that approximately 500 million Web users - the installed base of Flash Player - can in turn immediately experience the video content without downloading special plug-ins or media players.

Macromedia has set up here a "Flash Video Gallery" containing additional customer examples.

Examples abound. Since the launch of "The Fan" in November 2003, video usage on Comcast.net has increased by a factor of 10. Comcast uses Flash video to deliver an interactive broadband portal to its high-speed Internet customers that in addition to "The Fan" broadband multimedia player includes "The Assistant," a personalized toolbar with always-on utilities, "Comcast Rhapsody," the country's leading Internet jukebox service, and additional broadband content from leading providers such as E!, G4, The Weather Channel, The Knot, Planeta Networks, Expedia, Scripps Networks, Major League Baseball, and others.

Meantime Carat Interactive used Flash video to deliver the "Impossible is Nothing" campaign for adidas featuring female boxer Laila Ali and her legendary father, Muhammad Ali. The video ad delivered more than one million plays in a single day.

"Flash video is a great way to bring the impact of a successful television and print campaign online," said Geene Keenan, director of technology innovation, Carat Interactive. "With the resonance Flash brings a campaign, to the reliability of the Flash Video Streaming Service for the delivery, this was an obvious choice for us."

Integrated video experiences look like being the wave of the future. MXDJ News Desk will continue to monitor the continued adoption of Macromedia Flash to deliver streaming video to millions of users.