Today’s the day… FMS3 is here! In response to market pressures and lots of feedback from the developer community, Adobe has broken FMS3 up into three different editions:

Flash Media Interactive Server (FMIS) – $4500
Featuring full functionality of FMS, with customizable server-side code, Origin-Edge configurations, access control APIs, redirection support, server-side video recording, distributed core processing, and more. FMIS is ideal for large-scale deployment, developing custom video and communication applications, or enhancing your live or on-demand streaming apps with interactive functionality. It features everything we are used to in FMS2, and more.

Flash Media Streaming Server (FMSS) – $999
FMSS is the most economical if you just want to stream and protect your video. It comes pre-configured with live and ondemand applications, or ‘services’ as they are now being called. These are non-customizable FMS applications that allow you to stream content, right out of the box. Everything you need to stream video is included, such as H.264 support, high performance, enhanced seeking, encrypted streaming, multiple bitrate, and advanced tracking and reporting.

Flash Media Development Server (FMDS) – FREE
Available for free, this edition allows you full server functionality for developing advanced streaming or social applications. (There is a capacity limit of 10 simultaneous inbound connections.) FMDS can even be used to leverage the new multi-point publish feature which allows you to create a live publishing point, inject metadata into the stream, then push the video up to a content delivery network! Did I mention it’s free?

All three editions of FMS3 feature a wealth of new features such as:

  • New real-time encrypted communication channel (RTMPE Protocol)
  • Enhancements in content caching
  • Connection throttling
  • Stream data access (allows you to take snapshots from a stream)
  • Authorization plug-in API for stream security
  • Better quality of service for live streaming with data keyframes
  • Better DRM framework of encryption and access control
  • New File adapter API, allowing for remote content caching
  • New support for mobile streaming to Flash Lite 3
  • New AMF3 support to send complex data to clients
  • New IPv6 support
  • Complete support for legacy FMS2 applications
  • Easier to deploy, with new services, improved documentation, and pre-configuration
  • Significantly optimized server performance

And best of all –

  • UNLIMITED BANDWIDTH AND CONNECTIONS (FMIS + FMSS)!
    So go download your FMDS (as soon as everyone else is done…) and try out the new features for yourself. I’d love to have your comments here about the new editions, and how they are working out for you.