Here is the problem.

I have a Flash Projector File (.EXE) that can be downloaded from a
website.  When a user downloads this file and opens it on their
desktop, I want the Flash Projector to periodically update with new
information.

Here is how it works in as simple an explanation as possible...

Step 1 - User Downloads TrafficAlert.exe

Step 2 - User Runs TrafficAlert.exe on their desktop and lets it run
in the background...kinda like Messenger, except they only receive
message alerts, they can't send messages back to the server... it is a
one-way messaging service.

Step 3 - 3 hours later there is an accident that stops traffic.  Their
is a central system that instantly generates a message to all of the
Traffic Alerts that are running on all of the desktops.

Here is the main issue.

We know that we can do it with an XML Socket Server. However, will
this option be feasible for peak periods of 15,000+ customers running
simultaneously?
Each customer will be permanently connected to the XML socket server
until they close the desktop application. We believe that our web
server will crawl to a halt and not be able to handle the large number
of simultaneous connections.

Here is what I request...

Is there a better solution for sending messages (one-way) from the
server to the desktop clients that will be more efficient and easy on
the server?

Here are 2 XML socket servers we are looking at... however, they seem
to max out after about 2000 simultaneous connections.

http://www.moock.org/unity/index.html
http://www.web-cd.net/xmlsocket/tests.aspx

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Clarification of Question by rampagetechnology-ga on 11 Jul 2006 23:31 PDT

One additional thing... We are not interested in Macromedia Flash
Media Server as the $4500 price is not in our budget range.  We are
looking for a simple, cost-effective solution.

Thanks!!

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Clarification of Question by rampagetechnology-ga on 11 Jul 2006 23:34 PDT

Also, our servers are Windows 2000 running IIS6.

We develop in ASP/ASP.net only... we cannot host or support anything
with PHP on our servers.

Instead of the XML Socket Server, if you want a cost effective
solution this is what I would do:

1. Have the .exe file pull in the data from your data source.

2. Convert the data to strings, numbers, arrays or whatever variable
you want to work with.

3. Include an interval that will trigger every once and awhile. The
interval runs a function that goes up to the server and pulls the data
again. It checks the new data info with the info from the last time
and updates the display, etc.

Simple and stable.