Streaming video is here and the Internet is rapidly spreading the use of streaming multimedia, no longer is it about the technical ability to download audio-visual files before playing them. Technology has moved on (right in front of our eyes) to deliver full-blown, good quality video streaming.

From marketing tools, to movie clips - from online infomercials to streaming TV and live webcasting. Like it or not, we are in the grip of a major shift in online communication and we will all have to embrace this technology as our 'first-generation' static (text-based) websites gradually become extinct.

Time scale? Probably two years.

The first true video search engine, Google Video, shows that this streaming video technology is becoming part of the day to day Internet experience for millions upon millions of people, hence the recent Google take over of the widely used YouTube video site for a conservative $1.65 billion...What a bargain! Why? Because Google knows how important it is to be positioned at the front of the online video curve.

YouTube was founded in February 2005 as a means for people to watch and share original video. Within two years it has grown into a site where more than 70 million videos are watched every day (figures are climbing day by day so when you read this, the real numbers could be way above that).

Most experts agree that worldwide technology is rapidly moving to the point of true convergence between the Internet, television and telecommunications systems that will provide one single service or application for a truly multimedia world.

The major advantage of YouTube-type technology over other forms of internet video is the playback system, based on Macromedia FlashPlayer 7, which is already preloaded onto more than 85% of computers connected to the Internet.

This offers a distinct advantage for viewers who can immediately play video files on their computers rather than have to download and install additional software. It provides true point and click functionality.

Online video is here to stay. YouTube's rapid growth has far exceeded that of other household name websites such as Craigslist, Myspace, even eBay and Blogger. That has to be absolute proof that online streaming video has at last arrived and is here to stay.

The whole point of this brief synopsis is to illustrate the massive impact online video has had - and will continue to have - not only on the Internet, but also on traditional media such as network television. Experts agree that online video will be the largest and fastest growing global advertising medium over the next few years.

Most of the video clips posted on sites such as Google Video and YouTube are by amateurs looking for a few laughs, some notoriety and their 15 minutes of fame. However, with a little tweaking, this worldwide video delivery system can be used to drive traffic to websites and get your message in front of millions of potential customers, at almost no cost.

However, there's more to this than simply uploading a video and hoping people stumble across it. The basic rules of keyword research and relevant descriptions apply just as much to this form of online promotion as they do to promoting a website.

Whether you're selling a product, a principle or an idea, there's absolutely no doubt that (for the moment) online streaming video services provide online marketers with the perfect vehicle for massive global publicity - though it may only be for a limited period, as it's highly likely that the door to this particular free ride will be slammed shut within the next few months as more people catch on!