CES 2011: RealNetworks Steps Past Apple & Google to Offer Cloud-Based Music

http://www.nytimes.com/external/readwriteweb/2011/01/06/06readwriteweb-ces-2011-realnetworks-step-past-apple-goog91313.html

Looks like RealNetworks is going to beat Apple and Google to the punch by offering cloud-based music sometime in the early part of this year. This service will allow users to purchase their music and keep it stored in the cloud so that they can access their music from anywhere--mobile phones, PCs, tablets, etc.

People have been waiting for Apple or Google to offer this service and there have been lots of rumors that Apple was going to announce a cloud-based music service last year especially after the purchase of LaLa, a company that provided services to users by taking the music on their PCs and putting it on the cloud so that they could access their music from anywhere.

We'll see if Apple and/or Google can finally deliver this service sometime this year. I wouldn't be surprised if Apple finally was able to deliver such a service, but it will be another round of tough negotiations with the music labels before this becomes a reality.