SYSTEMS

Open Source Solaris 10 Operating System and Sun's Industry Standard Servers Enable NBC Olympics to Deliver Extensive Coverage of the Games, Offer Unique Video Intensive Experience -- Sun Microsystems, Inc. has been selected to provide network support and interactive technology to NBCOlympics.com during NBC's coverage of the 2006 Winter Olympics from Torino, Italy, February 10-26. NBCOlympics.com offers a video intensive digital media experience never before offered by an American television network as part of its event coverage. Some key participatory elements such as SMS and e-mail notification are powered by Sun technology. "Every day more people use the Internet to enjoy new types of entertainment, learn new skills, interact with one another, and participate in more business and economic opportunities," said Jonathan Schwartz, president and chief operating officer, Sun Microsystems. "We're proud to help NBC Olympics leverage open source technologies to deliver the excitement of the Games to US viewers and help fans stay close to the action all winter." NBCOlympics.com, America's online home of the Torino Games, will contain complete coverage of the athletes, stories and competitions sure to captivate the attention of America during the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. NBCOlympics.com will provide results, up-to-the-minute TV listings, breaking news, and feature stories. NBCOlympics.com also will closely track the performance of hometown Olympic athletes and cover other stories of local interest through 213 different local "Olympic Zones," local Torino Olympic websites produced in partnership with 213 NBC affiliates. In addition to local Olympic TV listings and programming information, the Olympic Zones will offer a multimedia experience that will include photo slideshows and video from reporters on the ground in Torino. "For each of the past three Olympics, NBCOlympics.com has redefined online event coverage," said Gary Zenkel, President, NBC Olympics. "Through compelling video, up to-the-minute searchable schedules and listings, live results, blogs, athlete profiles, games and much more, we'll take fans closer to the athletes and games than ever before. We are thrilled to have the technology products, support and services from Sun Microsystems to help make this all possible." NBCOlympics.com will be powered by a combination of industry-standard Sun Fire v490 UltraSPARC IV+-based systems and Sun Fire x64 (x86, 64-bit) servers. The servers run the open source Solaris 10 operating system with Sun N1 System Manager to ensure maximum uptime, fault recovery and load management. In the lead-up to and during the Games, Sun Services is providing installation, engineering expertise and support to NBCOlympics.com. Sun data management products will store and manage all the scores, video and other broadcast components on Sun 5310 NAS and Sun 6130 Fibre Channel SAN drives. New Partnership Builds on Participation Age for Sun Sun believes the world is entering a new era -- a Participation Age -- where dramatically lowered barriers to entry, plummeting device prices, and near-universal connectivity are driving a new round of network participation. From blogs to Java technology, SMS messages to Web services, participants are forming communities to drive change, create new businesses, new social services, and new discoveries. This growth in the network economy is fueled by sharing and collaboration among communities interconnected by technology and driven by purpose. Sun also believes that sharing and collaboration in the Participation Age will stimulate innovation to help all participants from across the world grow and prosper. History of NBCOlympics.com NBC began its online coverage of the Olympic Games in 1996 during the Atlanta Olympics. That Internet presence was dramatically increased in 2000 during NBC's Sydney Games coverage and again in Salt Lake in 2002, where the NBC web site became one of the web's most trafficked and critically acclaimed sports Internet sites. In 2004, NBCOlympics.com had more than 13 million unique visitors and received critical praise for its coverage of the Athens Games.