Ready, Set, Launch. Scientific-Atlanta Customers Agree That Interactivity is Here!
- Cable Operators Spent Two Days in Intensive, One-On-One Meetings With Developers in Scientific-Atlanta's CreativEdge Developer Program, Evaluating And Selecting Interactive Applications for Deployment Starting This Year -
ATLANTA, May 20 /PRNewswire/ -- Interactive digital services took another giant leap forward at Scientific-Atlanta's CreativEdge(TM) Developer's Showcase, held May 5-6 in Atlanta. Cable operators who are offering Explorer(R) 2000 set-top boxes had the opportunity to evaluate and select new interactive digital services from a wide range of top application developers. A variety of applications demonstrated at the showcase, from video-on-demand to Internet access and e-mail, are planned for field launches in calendar year 1999 using the Explorer 2000 set-top.
"All the pieces are in place this year for digital interactive," said Steve Friedman, vice president of sales for Intertainer, one of the exhibiting application developers. "We're at the right place at the right time with the right product, and we expect video-on-demand offerings will pave the way for e-commerce and targeted advertising that will generate additional revenues for operators. For consumers, there will be more choices. We're seamlessly integrating programming with opportunities to purchase products and services."
The comments of attendee John Hildebrand, director of multimedia technology for Cox Communications echoed the sentiments of many MSOs who were present: "The showcase was very impressive. All of the top players were there and demonstrated a wide array of applications ranging from video-on- demand to Internet TV. We are excited about the arrival of these services and the capabilities of the Explorer 2000."
The showcase offered an opportunity to discuss ways of bringing interactive applications to cable set-top boxes this year. Among the common themes discussed were providing new services to transform the home entertainment experience for consumers, providing new revenue streams for broadband technology providers, and how partners could hasten the delivery of digital interactive services to paying subscribers.
"This is the year video-on-demand comes home to consumers, and the Scientific-Atlanta CreativEdge showcase was a positive step in helping operators evaluate and select the right technologies to launch in 1999," said E. Courtney Siegel, Chairman of the Board, President and Chief Executive Officer of Concurrent. "The time we spent with analysts and key decision- makers from top MSOs made this a first-rate experience."
"The attendees at the showcase expressed enthusiasm about bringing interactive TV applications to subscribers," said Paul Dawes, vice president of business development at NCI. "Scientific-Atlanta's Explorer 2000 is a premier example of an interactive set-top box for the North American market."
"Microsoft is interested in working with the leaders in the cable industry such as Scientific-Atlanta to provide a platform and services that enrich the experience for the consumer," said John Canning, NSG Cable Marketing Manager, Microsoft. "This event provided us with a good opportunity to talk with cable operators about the development and deployment of new network services for interactive television."
"The showcase was a wonderful opportunity for our joint customers to discuss both Scientific-Atlanta's developments and for us to demonstrate our solutions to enable video-on-demand," said Yvette Gordon, Director of Interactive Technologies at Seachange. "It was a chance to show our customers what we've built together."
"The conference offered an opportunity to see companies interested in interactive television, the multitude of business uses for interactive applications and the investment Scientific-Atlanta is making to educate the marketplace," said Todd Hansley, Vice President of Sales, VOD Products, nCube/SkyConnect. "Scientific-Atlanta is promoting a deployed platform that developers can work from. Our VOD activities are focused on the digital platform because it offers the bandwidth necessary for an effective business model."
"Developers in Scientific-Atlanta's CreativEdge Program came here with a message: They have applications ready today that will give cable operators immediate advantages over cable's competitors," said Michael P. Harney, corporate vice president and general manager of Digital Subscriber Networks for Scientific-Atlanta. "Because Scientific-Atlanta's digital platform is designed to support interactive applications, our customers can easily launch applications in 1999!"
Many of the largest cable operators in North America attended the event including Adelphia Communications, Charter Communications, Comcast Cable Communications, Cox Communications, Intermedia, Rogers, Time Warner, Videotron and others.
Developers in attendance were ACTV Inc., Concurrent Computer Corporation, IBM, Interactive Channel, Intertainer Inc., Microsoft WebTV, NCI, Peach Networks, PowerTV Inc., Seachange, nCube/SkyConnect, Wink Communications and WorldGate Inc.
Scientific-Atlanta's CreativEdge(TM) Developer Program hosted the showcase to help cable operators plan their interactive deployment strategies. The CreativEdge Program assists third-party developers in creating new interactive services for Scientific-Atlanta's Explorer 2000 set-top and digital network. Participants in the CreativEdge program receive extensive support materials and ongoing certification services to insure reliable operation on Scientific- Atlanta's digital interactive network. Through supporting and certifying application developers, the CreativEdge program facilitates the launch of a wide assortment of digital interactive services for the Explorer 2000 set-top. For more information about the CreativEdge program, visit sciatl.com .
Development of new two-way interactive applications and content is further facilitated by the PowerTV(R) operating system -- the software platform inside the Explorer 2000 set-top. Through PowerTV's Developer Support Program, cable operators, OEMs and application/content developers can begin writing code in C, C++, HTML, JavaScript and PersonalJava. PowerTV also assists developers by freely distributing its application program interface (API) documentation on its Web site at powertv.com .
To date, 17 cable operators in the U.S. and Canada have committed to deploy Scientific-Atlanta's digital interactive system. One hundred systems have been shipped to date, seventy-nine to customer sites and an additional 21 systems to partners and developers. Sixty-four systems have been fully installed at customer sites. Twenty-nine systems have commercially launched to paying customers. Among those systems are some of the major sites in the United States and Canada, including Adelphia Communications in Buffalo, New York and Toms River, New Jersey; Charter Communications in Glendale, California; Cox Communications in San Diego, California; Las Vegas, Nevada and Phoenix, Arizona; Time Warner in Austin, Texas and Tampa, Florida; and Videotron in Montreal.
Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. (NYSE: SFA) (http://www.sciatl.com ) is a leading supplier of broadband communications systems, satellite-based video, voice and data communications networks, and worldwide customer service and support.
"Forward-looking statements," as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, may be included in this news release. A variety of factors could cause Scientific-Atlanta's actual results to differ from the anticipated results expressed in such forward-looking statements. Investors are referred to Scientific-Atlanta's Cautionary Statements (Exhibit 99 to the Company's most recent Form 10-Q), which statements are incorporated into this news release by reference.
Explorer is a registered trademark and CreativEdge is a trademark of Scientific-Atlanta, Inc. PowerTV is a registered trademark of PowerTV, Inc. All other products or brand names are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
Additional Quotes From Developers in the Scientific-Atlanta
CreativEdge Developer's Showcase
"Wink is an "e-commerce-on-tv" product. Although Wink is a cross- platform, interactive technology, our immediate focus is on digital
deployments. We're truly excited about our opportunity on the Explorer
2000. Because of the box's superior graphics capabilities, it makes our
product look great to the consumer. Deploying on the Explorer digital
platform will show our application in a robust, scaled-up environment."
-- Melinda White, Vice President, Cable Sales, Wink Communications
"By creating the first true interactive application for cable operators,
we now begin to expand our role as a key application developer on the
Explorer 2000 set-top. PowerTV's operating system was the foundation and
the most integral part of our software platform for the digital, two-way
set-top industry. We have just taken the next logical step to provide
cable operators with the most appealing interactive application --
SofaMAIL(TM) (an email application) -- for deployment and subsequent MSO
revenue generation."
-- Emmet O'Donnell, Director of Applications Implementation, PowerTV
"Worldgate is already established in the analog world, and our research
has shown, people like Worldgate because it's fast, simple to use, you
don't need a phone, PC or other expensive equipment. All these benefits
will continue into the digital arena except it will be faster and have
better picture clarity and resolution."
-- Joanna Kornhauser, Product Marketing Manager, WorldGate
"IP services are the backbone of the worldwide network. Our application is
the first to use PersonalJava on a set-top, and we're putting the
finishing touches on a deployable version of our application...
E-commerce will be a huge application: The entire annual revenue of
Hollywood is roughly equivalent to one month of retail sales at Wal- Mart.
"IP services are the backbone of a worldwide network. Our application is
the first to use PersonalJava on a set-top. We're putting the finishing
touches on a deployable version of our application, and expect it to be a
huge revenue-generator for MSOs...
"E-commerce will be a huge application. The annual revenue of Hollywood
is roughly equivalent to one month of retail sales at Wal-Mart. Our
application ties these two together, and with that, the shopping
possibilities are endless."
-- Joel McConaughy, Vice President, Product Development, Intertainer
SOURCE Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
CO: Scientific-Atlanta, Inc.
ST: Georgia
IN: TLS CPR MLM
SU:
05/20/99 08:01 EDT prnewswire.com |
