Intel Internet Media Services Expands Global Distribution Network For Streaming Media

New Broadcast Operations Center Opens in Europe

READING, England, Oct. 10, 2000 -- Intel Internet Media Services announced today that it has expanded its global network for audio and video streaming services into Europe and opened a new state-of-the-art broadcast operations center in England to serve customers throughout the continent.

Intel Internet Media Services' worldwide streaming network enables companies to deliver content such as live concerts, feature films, radio programs, training, and financial briefings over the Internet with higher levels of reliability and quality. Intel Internet Media Services streams audio and video through a network of broadcast operations centers and Internet "edge" servers located close to viewing audiences throughout the world. Intel Corporation launched its Internet Media Services business in May 2000 and recently opened a new fully digital broadcast operations center in the United States.

Intel is investing US$20 million in the European broadcast operations center, which will serve as a hub for delivering media content and customer services throughout Europe. Operations will begin next month with enhanced network connectivity throughout the European region.

"Today's announcement represents an important milestone in the expansion of our network," said Alan Baldwin, vice president and general manager, Intel Internet Media Services. "We see a significant market opportunity for streaming services worldwide, and we're taking advantage of that opportunity by building a highly reliable, global network that provides customers with the best that Intel has to offer."

According to Jupiter Research, the streaming media market is expected to reach US$2.5 billion by 2004.

The addition of the European facility greatly expands Intel's global network while at the same time providing a higher level of local service for the region. The European facility includes state-of-the-art equipment for receiving, encoding, and hosting content providers' programming using digital processing. Intel's network, designed expressly to stream audio and video over the Internet, includes network intelligence technology developed by Intel that analyzes the entire network and streams content from the optimal servers located at the "edge" of the Internet to offer a faster, higher-quality experience. The network is designed to handle today's anticipated traffic, as well as the unexpected "burst" demands.

Intel Internet Media Services today also announced initial European customers including GuinnessWorldRecords.com and Fibro Telecom Interactive. GuinnessWorldRecords.com will offer entertainment content to a global audience across Intel's intelligent network. "By using the Intel Internet Media Services network, we are confident that we can provide quality, reliability and a high performance user experience," said Michael Papamichael, chief technology officer of GuinnessWorldRecords.com.

As a solution provider, Fibro Telecom Interactive will work with Intel Internet Media Services to provide its customers, such as Peugeot, the French Army, NASA, and Christian Dior, with complete solutions to their streaming needs, including content creation, encoding, caching, indexing, Web casting, and audio and video streaming. Claude Hagège, chief executive officer of Fibro Telecom Interactive, said, "Fibro Telecom and Intel have a long history of working together. Intel's development of the Internet Media Services business allows us to offer our customers a turnkey solution into this new future world of communications."

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