Microsoft today announced the release of the Podcasting Kit for SharePoint (PKS), a free, open source podcasting kit that offers organizations a centralized solution to create, manage and distribute podcasts.

Built on the SharePoint Server and Microsoft Silverlight platforms, and compatible with the Zune, PCs and other devices that play podcasts (ie., iPods & iPhones), the PKS provides a medium to record and distribute video and audio information via the Internet and intranet.

What You Can Do With the Podcasting Kit For SharePoint

• Listen and watch audio/video podcasts, anywhere on your PC or mobile device (Zune, SmartPhone, or any podcasting device)
• Share content by producing your own audio/video podcasts and publish them on PKS on your own.
• Connect and engage with podcasters via your integrated instant messaging program
• Find the most relevant content using a five star rating system, tag cloud, search engine and provide your feedback via comments.
• Get automatic podcast updates by subscribing to RSS feeds fully compatible with Zune and other podcasting devices
  • Simple RSS feed based on a defined podcast series
  • Simple RSS feed based on a person
  • Dynamic RSS feed based on search results
• Play podcasts in real-time using Microsoft Silverlight and progressive playback
• Retrieve ROI and metrics with the ability to track the number of podcasts downloaded and/or viewed, instant feedback via rating system and comments, and subscribers via the RSS feed

Customers can download the PKS at CodePlex, Microsoft’s open source project hosting Web site.