Microsoft has made available for download the latest iteration of the Internet Information Services (IIS) integrated media platform. IIS Media Services 2.0 comes in both 32-bit and 64-bit flavors and is up for grabs since April 20, 2009. Existing IIS customers running version 7.0 will be able to turn to IIS Media Services 2.0 in order to take advantage of enhancements including Smooth Streaming, Bit Rate Throttling, and Web Playlists. Essentially, IIS Media Services 2.0 is designed as a collection of media-related extensions set up to integrate seamlessly with Internet Information Services 7.0.

“There are two releases available side-by-side: IIS Media Services 2.0 RTW – the production-ready release announced today. Includes: Smooth Streaming; Bitrate Throttlin; Web Playlists. IIS Media Services 3.0 Beta – a preview of new features in 3.0 made available in March at MIX. Includes: Live Smooth Streaming; Advanced Logging. For production deployments, you’ll want to use the 2.0 RTW, but if you are looking to try the full range of functionality available, get them both,” revealed John A. Bocharov, a program manager on Microsoft's IIS team.

ISS Smooth Streaming allows customers to serve and users to enjoy true 1080p high-definition video content through Silverlight. This demonstration webpage from Microsoft is set up to illustrate exactly what Smooth Streaming is capable of. But at the same time, Microsoft is laboring to take the extensions packaged in the integrated HTTP-based media delivery platform a step further.

This will happen with the introduction of IIS Media Services 3.0. The Beta of IIS Media Services 3.0 can be downloaded and installed through the Microsoft Web Platform Installer (Web PI), and offers: “Live Smooth Streaming – live adaptive streaming for Silverlight and Advanced Logging – rich, real-time client- and server-side logging,” added Keith Combs, Microsoft evangelist.

IIS Media Services 2.0 is available for download here.

Microsoft Web Platform Installer 1.0 is available for download here.

Web Platform Installer 2.0 Beta is available for download here.