IBM is the latest major company to embrace podcasting, the digital audio craze that allows consumers to take audio programming off the Web and listen to it on portable music players, Eric Auchard reported for Reuters.

In the first podcast show, IBM experts discuss how Information Technology (I/T) like voice-recognition technologies, telematics, new user interfaces and sensing technologies will change the way people design, build, drive, maintain and insure automobiles.

The technology is not for everybody, however. Consumers need a digital music player, a broadband Internet connection and some technical proficiency to manage the quirks of moving large chunks of audio data between a PC and a portable music player.

True, the technology is not yet available for everybody but surely no broadband connection is necessary because podcasting is not streaming. Listeners can choose to download their favorite podcasts and play them offline. Playing podcast audio require no additional technical skill than playing an MP3 song on a media player. No portable music player is compulsory too.

Via Reuters: IBM joins podcast craze with audio think-pieces, visit IBM Investor Relations podcast.

Also available: More successful podcast business case.

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