Podcasts pop up in b-to-b

摘要

As millions of consumers became pod-cast listeners this year, veteran broadcasters such as ABC News, ESPN and National Public Radio, as well as niche b-to-b Web sites such as Penton's Firehouse.com and CXO Media's CMOmagazine.com, have embraced the technology. Although podcasting has been around since 2001, it wasn't until late June of this year, with the release of Apple's iTunes 4.9 and its iTunes podcast directory, that users could easily find and subscribe to these downloadable audio files. The iTunes podcast directory went from 3,000 listings in June to more than 20,000 listings four months later. Podcasting is forecast to grow at a compound annual rate of 101% through 2010, according to Diffusion Group. In June, the technology research consultancy released a report, "Podcasting: Fact, Fiction and Opportunity," that projected the number of podcast users in the U.S. will grow from fewer than 1 million last year to 4.5 million by the end of this year, ballooning to an estimated 56.8 million in 2010.