Microsoft Releases YouTube For Businesses, Cloud-Based Beta Launched

With so many other video streaming platforms coming out recently, YouTube is already starting to feel the heat. The new feature by Microsoft, which involves sharing videos among co-workers or businesses, is expected to add even more pressure on the online media sharing giant. Fortunately for YouTube, the company behind Windows will only be focusing on the corporate side of things with their new offering.

Calling the new service “Stream,” it’s meant to cater to businesses in improving worker dynamics and improving results of meetings or group activities, and then sharing it with others within the company, according to Computer World. Video sharing and streaming is the growing market that the online industry is heading towards, and Microsoft has to get into it if they don’t want to be the next Nokia.

In any case, YouTube is still the undisputed king of video streaming and sharing; pre-recorded or live. As such, no one is expecting that anything Microsoft does or indeed, any of the other major brands like Facebook and Twitter that will unseat the media giant from its throne. However, by serving a particular niche market that it already has cornered with Skype, Microsoft could be looking at a pocket of the industry that it can own.

“Stream” is a cloud-based service as well, Tech Republic reports, and it is one that Microsoft is hoping will finally allow the tech company to carve a slice of the online market for itself. The company said as much in a post on its official blog.

"As one of the most consumed and shared content types on the internet, video is increasingly an important part of our personal lives," Microsoft wrote. "We believe video can—and should—be just as impactful in the workplace."

The beta is already out and available for trying and polishing by businesses.