Philips and Deuromedia unite to give immediate solution for global broadband coverage

Philips Digital Networks and German-based software solution provider, Deuromedia, have created the perfect match by merging Deuromedia's Viewpro content-scheduling software platform with Philips' CleverCastÔ platform for broadband services.

IBC 2000, Amsterdam, 13 September 2000 - Philips Digital Networks announces a co-operation agreement to combine Philips' state-of-the-art IP-DVB Gateway and CleverCast Router technology with Deuromedia's proven management software for content scheduling, to provide a fast and reliable means of 'going global' to network operators and service providers. This new all-in-one solution offers benefits for end-users who wish to gain access to broadband services in remote areas where cable and ADSL do not exist. Businesses with outlets spread throughout a continent are also major potential beneficiaries of satellite free-to-air services.

Philips' CleverCast platform for broadband services integrates seamlessly with Deuromedia's content scheduling software platform to open up a range of new cost-effective applications, such as satellite free-to-air TV, radio on the PC, unicast and multicast file transfer, Web content, and news groups, as well as broadband Internet and intranet. The first complete and easily scalable, end-to-end solution enabling services to be offered on a broadband network with global coverage, is being demonstrated jointly by Philips and Deuromedia at IBC 2000.

Seamless integration occurs at two key points: 1) the network operator (uplink) between the Philips IP-DVB Gateway and the Deuromedia Scheduler, and 2) at the end-user (receiver) end between the Deuromedia server software and the Philips CleverCast Router. This results in a total platform solution that is easily scalable for a different number of users and services.

Users of the CleverCast/Viewpro solution can virtually become global players immediately, thanks to the large coverage of the satellite footprint. In addition to the total platform offering a highly cost-effective way of delivering content to their customers (one-to-many types of services), its cost-effectiveness is extended by Philips' Virtual Technician, which enables all routers deployed in the field to be monitored and maintained remotely from a central site.

Commenting on the co-operation with Deuromedia, manager of the Data Transmission Systems line-of-business at Philips Digital Networks, Han van Driel, says: "CleverCast and Viewpro are the perfect match and offer a truly unique combination with enormous potential for helping operators, providers and other users to move forward into a new business era."

Philips and Deromedia

Dieter Weber, CEO of Deuromedia, further commented: "The IBC is a great opportunity to demonstrate our latest version of the Viewpro Intranet/Extranet application on the Philips DVB CleverCast Router. This shows that Deuromedia's IP multicast platform integrates perfectly with Philips' data broadcast offering to make a true end-to-end solution."

About deuromedia - the viewer company

deuromedia - the viewer company is an international software and solution provider based at Merzig, in the heart of Europe. deuromedia supplies a proven sender-receiver concept for broadband transmission based on the ASTRA satellite infrastructure to enable users to ac-cess digital contents on PC or TV. deuromedia software solutions provide a seamless con-vergence of all digital data channels in combination with an individualised selection of infor-mation by the user. With "the viewer", the product portfolio offers a multimedia user interface, providing the end-user with an instrument to receive and experience TV, radio and Internet contents on PC or TV. deuromedia offers business customers its "viewpro" platform for workstations, the transmission tool "viewmotion" and the management software package "viewmanage", a system facilitating point-to-point or point-to-multipoint data transfers. The solutions offered by deuromedia - the viewer company have applications in the fields of in-fotainment, business TV, corporate TV, videoconferencing, point-of-information presence, e-commerce, teleworking and staff training, database exchanges, software updates/upgrades and distribution.

deuromedia - the viewer company was founded by Dieter Weber in 1996 and currently em-ploys 150 people worldwide in the development and marketing of software solutions. The Munich-based Technologieholding VC acquired an interest in the company in 1998. deu-romedia - the viewer company consists of four main divisions: "deuroconsult S.R.L.", which is responsible for development, "Platform Sales" for the marketing of transmission tools, "Business Development" in Merzig.

About Philips

Philips Digital Networks - a business group of the Philips Consumer Electronics division - is a world-leading provider of advanced digital system solutions for Service and Network providers in broadcasting and video distribution. Philips Digital Networks offers product and service solutions for customers in both the professional side of the distribution chain, as well as for consumers to use in the home. In the consumer domain, Philips Digital Networks is a leading provider of set-top boxes for digital television and Internet delivery, as well as personal video recording. A pioneer in the development of Internet-enabling technologies, Philips Digital Networks is playing a key role in the introduction of MPEG4-based media streaming solutions. The broad professional product portfolio includes a comprehensive range of television cameras, studio and compression equipment, conditional access systems and transmission systems for broadband cable networks to deliver a full array of interactive services. A flexible customer support program and active involvement in the bodies setting tomorrow's entertainment and information delivery standards makes Philips a natural partner for the digital broadcast era.

Editorial note: Product and company names used herein are trademarks or registered trademarks and are owned by the companies mentioned.

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of $33.5 billion (EUR 31.5 billion) in 1999. It is a global leader in color television sets, lighting, electric shavers, color picture tubes for televisions and monitors, and one-chip TV products. Its 232,433 employees in more than 60 countries are active in the areas of lighting, consumer electronics, domestic appliances, components, semiconductors, medical systems, and IT services (Origin). Philips is quoted on the NYSE (symbol: PHG), London, Frankfurt, Amsterdam and other stock exchanges.

News from Philips is located at www.news.philips.com

About deuromedia

deuromedia is removing the barriers between the Internet and television - the international software manufacturer offers a ready-to-market sender and receiver system for broadband transmissions. Deuromedia has adopted an approach that enables the seamless fusion of all types of digital channels. Thanks to products from deuromedia users can customise content for their own individual purposes. In fact deuromedia solutions offer providers of all kinds of data transfer and content the professional platform: point-to-point, point-to-multipoint as well as formats with two-way capability. The Company was established in Merzig, Germany, in 1996 and currently employs 170 staff throughout the world in development, sales and distribution.

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