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SKYSTREAM ANNOUNCES SUPPORT OF INDUSTRY LEADERS FOR MEDIAPLEX 20 VIDEO SERVICES ROUTER

Mediaplex receives high marks for enabling carriers and service providers to bring

broadcast, on demand and interactive television to market faster and more

cost-effectively than ever before

Groundbreaking solution integrates technologies from leading solutions providers

SUNNYVALE, Calif. - May 20, 2002 – SkyStream Networks, the leading developer of networking solutions for digital media delivery, today announced that more than fifteen industry leaders have demonstrated their support for the company's new Mediaplex 20 Video Services Router. Mediaplex 20, unveiled today, is the industry's first all-inclusive routing platform for carriers and service providers to deliver advanced video services over broadband networks to consumers and businesses. Leading technology and system integration companies praise the solution for its comprehensiveness, high performance and wide range of video and data processing capabilities, which allow carriers and service providers to bring broadcast, on demand and interactive TV to market faster and more cost-effectively than currently available multi-vendor solutions. Those companies include: Sony Electronics, Inc.'s Systems Solutions Division, Imagine Broadband, Comtech Korea, EnReach Technology, Inc., Fujitsu Siemens Computers, Irdeto Access, iVAST, Lucent Technologies, nCUBE Corporation, Orca Interactive, SeaChange, Sigma Designs, StellarOne, Tut Systems, Inc., World Wide Packets and Yes Television. Mediaplex integrates with products from these leading solutions providers, creating an interoperable solution for rapid deployment of revenue-generating video services. Through testing interoperability, SkyStream and its partners can ensure compatibility with each other's hardware and software platforms.

"SkyStream worked closely with a wide range of leading companies to integrate best-in-class technologies and begin initial deployments of Mediaplex 20 to ensure the maximum success of our customers in this rapidly emerging market," said Jim Olson, president and CEO for SkyStream Networks. "We believe that earning the support of so many industry leaders through the introduction of Mediaplex is a testament to the inevitable direction of this market. Powerful drivers, such as the need by carriers and service providers for expanded revenue generation and the demand from consumers and enterprises for compelling new services, all factor into what has become an industry-wide call for more advanced, cost-effective solutions for video services delivery."

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SUPPORT FROM SYSTEMS INTEGRATORS

SkyStream will look to its system integrators to engage with customers to develop custom designed solutions that will include Mediaplex 20 integrated with equipment provided by leading technology partners based on SkyStream's reference architecture. Those companies include:

  • Sony's Systems Solutions Division - designs and installs leading content delivery solutions, including video over broadband, for service providers worldwide.
  • Comtech Korea (CTK) - a leading developer and integrator of solutions for system and network, set-up and digital broadcasting for satellite/network/cable broadcasting, ISP/telecom and Internet broadcasting.
  • Imagine broadband™ - the leading developer of solutions for organizations utilizing complex communications infrastructures such as broadband networks, IP networks, broadcast systems and related services and applications.

SUPPORT FROM TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS

SkyStream has developed close working relationships with network equipment vendors, network access providers, set-top box manufacturers, middleware software providers, security vendors and other technology companies to ensure compatibility of Mediaplex 20 with other hardware and software platforms. In many cases, SkyStream has included equipment from its technology partners into its reference architecture. This integration and testing will ensure that as customers deploy video and data solutions, the equipment will interoperate appropriately with Mediaplex. Those companies include:

  • EnReach Technology, Inc. - A leading global provider of digital video entertainment solutions for broadband IP networks. EnReach has developed complete broadband-ready entertainment systems for Residential, MDU and Hospitality operators to offer revenue-generating services such as: VOD, TV over IP, Internet and E-mail to their subscribers.
  • Fujitsu Siemens Computers - The leading European computer company - offers an open platform for broadband solutions. Its modular designed ACTIVY 300 can be used for a variety of applications and business models and can handle various kinds of digital content: Video on Demand, Pay per View, Data/IP distribution and streaming, to name but a few.
  • Irdeto Access - Develops end-to-end solutions to manage and protect content from unauthorized access in the television broadcast and Internet environments. Irdeto Access was the first company to develop and deploy and IP conditional access platform, and is the industry leader in conditional access systems with 70 operators utilizing products in more than 50 countries.
  • iVAST - The world leader in end-to-end MPEG-4 solutions. iVAST provides a comprehensive suite of software products and systems for the creation, delivery and presentation of interactive audio/video MPEG-4 content across broadband and broadcast networks.

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  • Lucent Technologies - Providing the industry's first Service Intelligent Architecture to meet the demands of every service provider and has developed industry leading broadband and narrowband equipment for the deliver of video, voice and data networking implemented by service providers worldwide. Backed by Bell Labs research, Lucent has introduced award-winning MPEG and the industry's first HDTV technologies enabling the deployment of broadcast and high definition quality interactive television, pay per view and video on demand capabilities over existing copper.
  • nCUBE Corporation - Offers cable operators and telecommunications network providers the most comprehensive business and technology management solutions for advanced television services such as video-on-demand (VOD), subscription VOD (SVOD), network personal video recording (nPVR) and digital advertising insertion.
  • Orca Interactive - A global market leader in developing applications for interactive TV. Orca's software products are directed at movie-on-demand providers, broadcasters, cable operators, FTTH, xDSL operators, content providers and broadband ISP operators. It is part of the Emblaze Systems group, the leading provider of streaming video solutions over Wireless and IP networks.
  • SeaChange International, Inc. - The world leader in digital video systems that are changing television. Its powerful server and software systems enable television operators to provide new on-demand services and to gain greater efficiencies in advertising and content delivery.
  • Sigma Designs - Specializes in silicon-based MPEG decoding solutions for broadband set-top appliances and commercial streaming systems that feature video-on-demand. Sigma has developed complete system solutions including streaming video, DVD playback, and PVR capability all supported under MPEG-4 or MPEG-2 standards.
  • Stellar One Corporation - A leading developer of software and platform solutions for interactive television over IP broadband networks. Stellar One offers network operators, system integrators and service providers a highly flexible, scalable and complete suite of server-client software solutions for the delivery of next-generation television based interactive services.
  • Tut Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: TUTS) - A leading provider of next-generation, full-service VDSL systems. Tut offers service providers the broadest range of systems for the multi-tenant and neighborhood dwelling market, offering service providers a high rate of return on fiber and copper investments.
  • World Wide Packets - Designs optical networking ethernet components that enable a single access platform for both business and residential subscribers, providing the most cost competitive and scalable broadband access solution for delivery of voice, video, and data services.
  • Yes Television - Delivers a proven, white label IP-based solution to enable service providers to offer their customers a comprehensive package of digital television including VOD, broadcast television, Internet access and email. Yes Television is active in a number of key international markets.

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INTRODUCTION TO MEDIAPLEX 20

Early on, SkyStream realized that carriers and service providers would need an all-inclusive system to reduce the cost and complexity of deploying new video services in order to stay ahead of the curve. Leveraging its expertise in solutions development for the delivery of converged video and data services, SkyStream built Mediaplex 20 as a 'second-generation' solution for the delivery of high-quality, quickly deployable video services to up to millions of customers at the same time. Built on a modular chassis with a unique distributed architecture, Mediaplex increases the efficiency, scalability and cost-effectiveness of processing video and data streams to millions of subscribers at the same time, eliminating the need for carriers and service providers to manage and operate gear from multiple vendors while delivering unprecedented levels of performance and content delivery capacity, allowing them to focus on other important tasks such as content management.

MEDIAPLEX TECHNOLOGY MILESTONES

SkyStream designed the Mediaplex 20 to pave the way for service providers to deliver new video services more quickly and cost-effectively via several technology innovations. These innovations enable service providers to leverage the most of their existing network capacity and deliver services with highest levels of scalability, redundancy and security in today's marketplace. The Mediaplex OS (MPOS) is the routing engine and the heart of SkyStream's Mediaplex product, featuring several patent-pending technologies in the areas of QoS, redundancy, reliability and high-performance video routing and switching. MPOS also enables service providers to create real-time video and data services. The Mediaplex Management Console (MPMC) enables real-time monitoring and management of all modules, ports and functions, providing comprehensive control over all aspects of the device. The MPMC features an easy to use, web-based interface for configuration and diagnostics of the chassis. The Mediaplex platform supports the delivery of the following applications: residential and business broadcast TV services, video-powered enterprise communication services, video backhaul services; video over IP for multiple dwelling units (MDUs) and multi tenant office (MTUs) facilities. Located in the video head-end of a carrier or phone company or satellite operator, SkyStream's Mediaplex offers a wide range of video and data processing capabilities that achieve several industry milestones in cost, performance, reliability, management, and security.

**See corresponding Mediaplex product release for additional information**

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About Skystream Networks

SkyStream Networks is the leading developer of networking solutions for service providers to deliver digital media services to consumers and businesses all over the world. With SkyStream's patented bandwidth optimization technology, service providers can offer new services to increase revenue such as managed enterprise, data over satellite and digital entertainment services with a consistently high level of performance to millions of people or locations. SkyStream's customers include Clear Channel, Convergent Media Systems, EchoStar Communications Corporation, Gilat, Granite Broadcasting, New Skies Satellites, Pacific Convergence Corporation, SpeedCast, Telefonica and Verestar. SkyStream Networks' Website can be found on the Internet at www.skystream.com.

SkyStream is a trademark of SkyStream Networks, Inc. Additional company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of the individual companies and are respectfully acknowledged.

Contact

Christine Yum Lenz

SkyStream Networks

408.616.3312

christine@skystream.com

Shirley Gines

Code8 Communications

858.459.6368

sgines@code8.com