Sun Wins Set-Top Box Software Deal With Leading European Digital Television Technology Provider BetaResearch
Kirch Subsidiary To Deploy Set-Top Boxes Based On Sun Embedded Operating System Technology
PALO ALTO, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Oct. 28, 1998-- Sun Microsystems, Inc. today announced that it has won a deal with BetaResearch, a major European digital television technology provider who plans to implement Sun embedded operating system technology in future products.
This agreement follows Sun's recent news with TCI to include Java(TM) technology in every set-top box it deploys, and its Hitachi set-top box deal (see related press release dated 6/9/98 at www.sun.com). These deals demonstrate Sun's increasing technology presence in the global set-top box and interactive television markets.
BetaResearch, a wholly owned subsidiary of the KirchGroup, is involved in research and development and marketing of digital TV infrastructures and multimedia services worldwide. BetaResearch provides complete end-to-end systems, tailored to its customers' individual needs, including conditional access, decoder technology, network management, program scheduling and subscriber management systems associated with both public and pay audio, video and data broadcasting.
beta's ''d-box'' is a multimedia receiver of digital audio, video and data services that are broadcast into homes via satellite and cable, according to the open standards of the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) Project. The next generation d-box based on Sun's ChorusOS(TM) real-time embedded operating system, will deliver an even higher performance, improved graphics and a wide range of new services to subscribers.
With the initial rollout planned to start at the beginning of 1999, BetaResearch expects the d-box user base will grow to more than 5 million over the next five years.
''We chose Sun's ChorusOS over a range of other embedded operating systems because of its small, efficient memory footprint, its powerful real-time engine for handling multimedia digital broadcast,'' said David Gillies, head of Research and Development at BetaResearch.
''BetaResearch is committed to a strategic initiative around the Java platform in order to better differentiate our services from the competition. By selecting Sun's ChorusOS software, the real-time foundation for the Sun JavaOS(TM) product family, BetaResearch can easily extend the product to take advantage of the Java platform.''
''Sun is excited to be working with BetaResearch, a leader in set-top box development, on its d-box system,'' said Jean-Pierre Baudouin, general manager with Sun's Consumer and Embedded. ''Over the last six months, Sun has been successfully setting its embedded real-time solutions apart in a very fragmented market where the largest installed software is proprietary and 'homegrown.'
''With time-to-market pressures and the move to Java technology accelerating, BetaResearch like many major consumer device suppliers is moving to the Sun(TM) platform over competing products from small niche suppliers and in-house developments efforts.''
Germany's Hollywood
BetaResearch is a company of the KirchGroup, the German media group, which is active in film and television production, distribution and broadcasting on an international scale. The KirchGroup is one of the major suppliers of films, series, classical music and children's programming for television in Europe. In Germany it has interests in the two commercial channels SAT.1 and DF1.
Its pay TV activities include the first digital platform in the German speaking markets, DF1, and stakes in Premiere (Germany) and Teleclub (Switzerland). KirchGroup also has interests in the Spanish commercial broadcaster Telecinco and in Italy's largest television company Mediaset. BetaResearch licenses its technology to Premiere, DF1, Deutsche Telekom AG, other service providers and decoder manufacturers.
The BetaResearch d-box provides access to hundreds of TV and radio channels. Planning to expand the business to other countries, BetaResearch is fast becoming a leading supplier for digital video broadcasting (DVB) technologies.
Sun's Embedded Operating System Product Family
The embedded operating system product family from Sun includes a variety of operating systems designed for network-connected devices -- from switches in telecommunications networks, to thin-client network computers and consumer information appliances. For more information on Sun's embedded software offerings, please visit www.sun.com/javaos/and www.sun.com/chorusos/.
About Sun Microsystems, Inc.
Since its inception in 1982, a singular vision, ''The Network Is The Computer TM,'' has propelled Sun Microsystems, Inc. (Nasdaq:SUNW - news), to its position as a leading provider of high quality hardware, software and services for establishing enterprise-wide intranets and expanding the power of the Internet. With more than $10 billion in annual revenues, Sun can be found in more than 150 countries and on the World Wide Web at sun.com.
Note to Editors: Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, The Network Is The Computer, Java OS, ChorusOS, Java and Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc. in the United States and other countries.
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