Sun Wins Set-Top Box Software Deal With Leading European Digital Television Technology Provider BetaResearch
PALO ALTO, CALIF. (Oct. 28) BUSINESS WIRE -Oct. 28, 1998--
Kirch Subsidiary To Deploy Set-Top Boxes Based On Sun Embedded
Operating System Technology
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), 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.
-0- pw/sf* crd/sf
CONTACT: For Sun Microsystems
Rebecca Baer, 408/863-3275
rebecca.baer@eng.sun.com
Preston Turner, 650/287-4068
preston_turner@yr.com
or
BetaResearch
Dr. Manuel Cubero, 49-89-9956 7090
Manuel_Cubero@KirchGruppe.DE
KEYWORD: CALIFORNIA
INDUSTRY KEYWORD: COMPUTERS/ELECTRONICS COMED TELECOMMUNICATIONS
INTERACTIVE/MULTIMEDIA/INTERNET PRODUCT
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