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TECHNOLOGY EXCHANGE
Concurrent Computer Corporation, Pathfire, and PowerTV Integrate Digital Asset Management and Distribution System with Video-on-Demand (VOD)
Open and Standards-Compliant Integration of Industry-Leading Products
Reduces Risk and Improves Operational Efficiency of VOD Business
Atlanta, GA, June 11,
2001 -- Concurrent Computer Corporation, the industry-leading provider
of VOD systems, Pathfire, a leading business-to-business provider of
digital media content distribution and management services, and PowerTV
( formerly the
Orlando- based
PowerTV subsidiary, Prasara
Technologies), a leading supplier of cable-based, iTV-
focused business management tools and iTV applications,
today announced that they have successfully integrated? Concurrent’s MediaHawkÔ Broadband VOD System, Pathfire’s VOD Content
Distribution System, and PowerTV’s Interactive Services Architecture
(ISA) Asset Distribution Interface (ADI) Module. This integration results
in a secure and reliable end-to-end asset management and distribution
system that is open and compliant with emerging industry standards,
reduces both technical and business risks, improves operational efficiency,
and lowers the cost of providing VOD services for a broadband system
operator.
The integrated and automated asset distribution system is compliant with the AOL Time Warner ISA ADI Version 2.0 standard. Pathfire’s complete end-to-end VOD Content Distribution System includes content ingestion from the content supplier (e.g., motion picture studio) or content aggregator and satellite-based secure and reliable content delivery to a catch server at the broadband system operator’s content management facility. PowerTV’s ISA ADI Module automates loading of content and content metadata (e.g., title, performers, rating, and synopsis) from the catch server to the VOD system. Concurrent’s MediaHawk Broadband VOD System delivers the VOD content on-demand to home subscribers. From content supplier all the way to the home subscriber, programming content delivery is secure, reliable, and automated.
“Without an integrated and automated asset management and distribution system, VOD content is usually delivered on tape by courier with the content metadata delivered on hard copy documents to be manually loaded to the VOD system’s content management system. The manual nature of this current content distribution and management process is not secure, is unreliable, introduces unacceptable risk, is manually intensive, and is a significant cost factor for a broadband system operator,” explained Jack Bryant, president and CEO of Concurrent Computer Corporation. “The combination of Concurrent, Pathfire, and PowerTV has resulted in an integrated and automated asset distribution and management system that we believe will help our customers reduce technical and business risks, improve operational efficiency, and lower costs.”
“The integration demonstrates that Pathfire’s
VOD cContent dDistribution sSystem will fulfill a critical need in the VOD
market. Our system provides an economical and scalable solution for
managing and delivering content,” said Michael J. Eckert, Pathfire’s
CEO. “Our partnership with Concurrent has helped us to gain greater
insight into the needs of customers in order to meet the demands of
the growing VOD marketplace.”
Robert Montgomery, PowerTV’s vice president and
general manager, said, “We have a long history of success developing
open Business Management Tools to allow broadband system operators to
efficiently and cost effectively operate a VOD business. The successful
integration of the products and technologies from Pathfire, PowerTV,
and Concurrent demonstrates our continuing commitment to further improve
business operations for VOD and iTV deployments.” Concurrent Computer Corporation (http://www.ccur.com) is a leading provider of high-performance
computer systems, software and servers. Concurrent Computer Corporation’s
Xstreme Division is a leading supplier in the
emerging digital video server marketplace. This market includes the
broadband/cable, corporate training, education, hospitality, and in-flight
entertainment industries. Operating worldwide, Concurrent provides sales
and support from offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia and
Australia. Concurrent brings over 35 years of real-time
experience to the broadband industry, and in a very short time has become
a leader in broadband VOD. Concurrent is positioned to meet the pent-up
demand for interactive television services – movies-on-demand
and e-commerce over the television. Current VOD and e-commerce trials
and launches include: AOL Time Warner Cable – Oceanic Cable; AOL
Time Warner Cable – Tampa Bay; Beijing Fengtai Cable – China;
Cogeco Cable– Quebec and Ontario, Canada; Comcast – eight
systems with locations to be announced; Cox – Hampton Roads; Cox
– Phoenix; Cox – San Diego; Horizon.com – Singapore;
and Shanghai Telecom – China. At Pathfire (www.pathfire.com) — formerly known as Video
Networks Inc. — our customers are broadcast, cable, Internet and
entertainment companies who understand that delivering content in a
digital format can offer many advantages in terms of cost and efficiency.
Our Complete Media Commerce Network allows customers to manage
distribution of ads, news, movies, syndicated productions, stock footage
and other types of video content. Our highly specialized, market-specific
software application extensions can dramatically improve how our customers
use this content in daily operations. Pathfire serves major broadcast
networks, cable companies, advertising agencies and other leading media
companies. Our customers include ABC NewsOne, NBC News Channel, Charter
Communications, and Insight Media Advertising. PowerTV, Inc. (www.powertv.com),
Cupertino, Calif., is a leading developer of systems software solutions,
applications, and
services for digital interactive cable television. HighTech Public Relations,
Inc. Laurie Sillay Lahr Ketchum Public Relations
About Concurrent
About Pathfire
About PowerTV
For More Information:
Concurrent Computer Corporation
Tammy Snook, President
(407) 667-9355 or tammysnook@hightechpr.netPathfire
Director, Marketing Communications
770.619.0801, ext. 1240 or lsillaylahr@pathfire.comPowerTV, Inc.
Vanessa Lindberg
Tel: 404-879-9263 or vanessa.lindberg@ketchum.com