TC Jacobson & Associates LLC

Internet Development, Streaming Media, DVB Satellite

SkyStream Advisory Board

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. – September 8, 1999 – SkyStream Corporation, a leader in broadcast networking solutions, today announced the formation of an advisory board comprised of industry leaders in the fields of broadcast television, Internet and Digital TV. The advisory board will discuss key broadband issues and provide guidance on SkyStream’s future business and product strategies. The members of the advisory board include:

  • John Abel – Vice President of Corporate Development, Geocast Network Systems, Inc.
  • Jim Butler – Engineering Director, New Business Group, Internet Health Initiative, Intel Corporation
  • Martin Dunsmuir – General Manager, Broadband Systems, RealNetworks, Inc.
  • Thomas C. Jacobson – Independent Internet Consultant, T. C. Jacobson & Associates
  • Dick Johnson – Vice President of Advanced Development, EchoStar
  • Roland N. Noll – Independent Cable TV and Satellite Industry Consultant, R2 Technologies

“Through working with the industry-leading companies of this Advisory Board, SkyStream strengthens its understanding about the needs of content and infrastructure providers in the inevitable convergence of broadcast and broadband technologies,” said Jim Olson, president and CEO of SkyStream Corporation. “This Advisory Board will help SkyStream with its focus on the business and technical strategies of how to build an effective network between the broadcast and Internet worlds, leveraging the strengths of each for better network performance and more importantly the Internet user experience.”

Members of the SkyStream Advisory Board will work together to examine and recommend solutions for the development of broadband communications using broadcast television spectrum and the Internet. The Board will also counsel SkyStream on the development of applicable technology standards and business requirements and products that anticipate and meet marketplace needs. Members of the SkyStream advisory board held their first meeting in early June and will meet semiannually. The next meeting is scheduled for the Fall of 1999.

“EchoStar is committed to providing customers with cutting-edge broadcast video and Internet programming,” said Dick Johnson, vice president of Advanced Development at EchoStar. “By participating on SkyStream’s advisory board, we have a vantage point to see the future of broadcast networking technology and how it can help our customers experience robust programming. We partnered with SkyStream because they are ahead of the curve in both their vision and execution of bringing the worlds of the Internet and broadcast media together.”

“RealNetworks is transforming the Internet into the next mass medium by making real-time, or streaming, Internet broadcasting possible and profitable,” said Martin Dunsmuir, general manager, Broadband Systems at RealNetworks, Inc. “SkyStream’s role, at the convergence point of IP and traditional broadcasting, gives us a unique insight into the role of broadcasting in the broadband marketplace. I’m looking forward to working with the advisory board to further the development of this new market.”

About the Advisory Board

John D. Abel is vice president of Corporate Development for Geocast Network Systems, Inc., a start-up developing data broadcasting networks for Digital Television (DTV) terrestrial and satellite channels. Prior to Geocast, Abel was president and CEO of Datacast LLC, an executive vice president of the National Association of Broadcasters in Washington, DC, a founding Board member of the Advanced Television Test Center, and vice chairman of the Systems Subcommittee of the FCC’s Industry Committee on Advanced Television Service.

Jim Butler is the engineering director for the New Business Group within the Internet Health Initiative at Intel Corporation. He is responsible for the design, development and deployment of new products and services for the health care industry. Butler has 24 years of industry experience in consumer product development, computer animation products and large scale network systems development.

Martin Dunsmuir is the general manager of Broadband Systems at RealNetworks. His principal responsibility is the formulation and development of solutions for broadband delivery of streaming media over cable, DSL, satellite and television. Dunsmuir has been with RealNetworks since its inception and was responsible for the development of the original RealServer and, more recently, was the originator of the RealMedia Architecture, which underpins RealSystem G2. Dunsmuir is an evangelist and industry representative on Internet standards issues.

Tom Jacobson is a founder and independent consultant for T. C. Jacobson & Associates. Most recently he was director of Internet architecture at Loral Orion Network Systems where he guided the development of Orion’s Internet service architecture including the development of DVB-based data broadcast services, IP multicast services. He was also the principal architect of Orion’s highly successful WorldCast service. Previously, he worked on early versions of Unix, founded one of the original NSF Regional networks (MRNet), and co-founded the second largest ISP in France (now UUNET France). He has been involved in research and development projects pertaining to networking since 1971 and the Internet since 1981.

Dick Johnson is vice president of Advanced Development at EchoStar where he is responsible for the network architecture of the DISH Network division. Johnson brings more than 25 years of engineering and management experience in the design, development and manufacture of high production volume communications, and computer and electro-mechanical products. Prior to EchoStar, Johnson was vice president of Chaparral Communications where he was responsible for the development and marketing of all Chaparral’s satellite receivers and consumer electronic products.

Roland N. Noll is a founder and independent consultant for R2 Technologies, a consulting company specifically focused on the developing convergence technology business sector, and is currently working with start-ups as well as Fortune 1000 companies. His primary focus has been in the digital media and emerging broadband communications space. Prior to R2, Noll worked at Discovery Communications, where he served in a wide-range of executive level software and systems engineering, operations management and strategic development capacities. He was also instrumental in the global expansion of the Discovery Channel, the re-launch of the Learning Channel, and the creation of Discovery’s Multimedia Division.

About SkyStream

Based in Mountain View, California, SkyStream provides the industry’s first interoperable networking platform for satellite, cable companies and local television stations. SkyStream’s products are deployed at some of the leading satellite and cable companies in the U.S. and around the world. SkyStream partners include EchoStar, BroadLogic, Harris Corporation, International Datacasting, Nagra, Philips, Scientific-Atlanta and Tektronix. Intel Corporation has also invested in the company. SkyStream’s NPO (Null Packet Optmization) software was awarded “Best Data Product of the Year” for 1998 by Satellite Communications magazine. SkyStream has regional offices in Atlanta, Georgia, and London, England. For more information, please go to www.skystream.com.

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