INDUSTRY

New Infrastructure Supports Wider Customer Choice with Flexible, Secure and Cost-effective On-demand Distribution to Multitude of Receiving Devices -- Sun Microsystems today announced that Home Box Office, America's most successful television network and a leading global broadcaster with shows such as The Sopranos and Deadwood and Entourage has evolved its digital broadcast architecture exclusively using Sun Microsystems's workflow and storage technologies. Creating a flexible, cost-effective and secure way to reliably deliver its award-winning content via multiple communications channels, HBO is leading its industry in adopting more interactive and viewer-driven business models. HBO has standardized on Sun technology to make a transition from standard-definition (SD) and high-definition (HD) video tape-based environments to a server-based storage and play-out system that enables high speed and 99.999 percent reliability to support its bi-coastal network of 28 SD and four HD channels as well as on-demand distribution. The new fully digital content management and delivery architecture is based on Sun StorEdge enterprise storage and Network Attached Storage (NAS) solutions, Solaris 10 Operating System (OS), Sun Fire servers, and Sun Java technology-based integration with Grass Valley Profile and K2 play-to-air systems from Thomson. Future Entertainment Experience HBO's new infrastructure is shared across play-to-air, Video on Demand (VoD) and mobile distribution, streamlining HBO's program delivery to HBO and Cinemax networks, cable aggregators and mobile devices worldwide. "By working with leading technology companies like Sun and Grass Valley, HBO is now able to distribute its content on today's multitude of receiving devices without having to build separate infrastructures to support each outlet-helping us to rapidly satisfy consumers who increasingly want to control when, where and how they find and view high quality media content," said Charles Cataldo, senior vice president, Broadcast and Studio Operations, HBO and a key member of the Media and Entertainment Advisory Council at Sun. "Sun's enterprise and NAS storage systems allow us to distribute content on a global scale while keeping costs at a minimum; Java allows us to easily communicate between disparate systems for streamlined workflow and automation; and Solaris 10 OS powers the content. Together, these components create a truly exceptional high-quality solution that increases efficiencies and allows for the continuing reliability of our mission-critical distribution." Flexible and Efficient Digital Broadcasting "With 35 years of storage innovation, Sun solutions hold 36 percent of the world's archived data. As proven with HBO, Sun's storage offerings provide an alternative to the traditional tape-based broadcasting solutions," said Mark Canepa, executive vice president, Data Management Group, Sun Microsystems. "Sun was able to deliver the breakthrough performance to meet the needs of HBO's demanding data requirements while providing the workflow, cost structure and agility needed to grow the business. Sun's NAS in particular is providing affordable scalability, allowing HBO to distribute its content to multiple channels at the lowest possible cost." HBO's digital programming repository takes advantage of Sun's scalable and cost-effective enterprise servers, storage solutions and Java technology to meet HBO's demanding throughput, reliability and future growth requirements. HBO standardized on Sun for high-speed origination of its SD network in 2003, achieving 100 percent return on investment in only six months. Recently, HBO expanded the infrastructure to support HD content, deploying two Sun Fire 6800 servers with 192 terabytes (TB) of Sun StorEdge 9990 storage. HBO also deployed a 12 TB Sun StorEdge 5310 NAS storage solution to support a VoD service-streaming video via the company's uplink to cable aggregation systems. In addition, HBO implemented clustered Sun Fire V440 servers and a Sun StorEdge 3510 array to support an Oracle-based scheduling database along with Sun StorEdge QFS software for file management. "Very few, if any, broadcast centers have been able to marry their IT and broadcast systems to eliminate videotape to create a digital media workflow and delivery solution that provides a much better user experience. HBO's longstanding alliance with Sun is helping the company accomplish this and stay ahead of the curve," said Juan Dewar, vice president, Internet Services, Media and Entertainment, Global Industry Sales, Sun Microsystems. "Sun's unique yet comprehensive value proposition, including storage, servers, Java and client services, is providing media companies like HBO with a competitive edge, allowing them to more easily and affordably distribute their unique content to a broader array of constituents, regardless of whether the viewing mechanism is a cell phone, lap top or television screen."