TV Guide Interactive and WorldGate Join Forces to Introduce First Fully Integrated Digital Interactive TV Package Designed for Currently Deployed Set-top Boxes
WorldGate's Full Suite of Interactive TV Applications Combined with TV Guide Interactive Program Guide and Concurrent's Video-On-Demand Services
(EMAILWIRE.COM, April 01, 2002 ) Pasadena, CA and Trevose, PA - TV Guide Interactive, Inc. (a wholly-owned subsidiary of Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc., NASDAQ: GMST), and WorldGate (NASDAQ: WGAT) today announced that they have completed integration efforts for a first-of-its-kind comprehensive interactive cable TV offering that incorporates open platform technology coupled with Concurrent Computer Corporation's (NASDAQ: CCUR) video-on-demand (VOD) system. Through TV Guide Interactive, a premier provider of Interactive Program Guide (IPG) services, and its application protocol interface, the three companies are offering a cost-effective ITV package that operates
without a middleware platform and combines a variety of services. These services include WorldGate's interactive applications, TV Guide's digital interactive program guide and Concurrent's broadband VOD services. The new ITV package is currently entering test laboratories and is expected be available to North American cable operators for commercial deployment beginning summer 2002.
Cable network operators will have the opportunity to deploy a host of today's hottest digital services, offered by the three companies, on Motorola's DCT-2000 class set-top boxes, one of the most widely deployed set-top platform currently in the market. This integrated offering brings an unparalleled suite of interactive TV capabilities to consumers. Subscribers can access WorldGate to send and receive e-mail, chat online,
shop, play games, find information, view their digital pictures, surf the Web, and more. Subscribers will also be able to take advantage of TVGI2001, TV Guide Interactive's new IPG release, which offers new IPG functionality, including Pay-Per-View enhancements, as well as support for third-party applications that are accessed via an integrated enhanced video-on-demand user interface. Finally, Concurrent's MediaHawk® Broadband VOD System will enable subscribers to use their digital set-top box to instantly call up digital movies from a list of major movie titles and control their selected
movie with VCR-like functionality - including fast forward, pause, and rewind.
"This collaboration between cable industry leaders brings together some of the most appealing digital interactive services currently available and packages them together to create an easy-to-deploy system, effectively addressing the interests of viewers. We've chosen to work with WorldGate because of their vast experience in the cable market and their field-proven, high-quality ITV services," said Todd Walker, senior vice president and general manager of TV Guide Interactive. "Together with Concurrent's VOD technology, we believe that this fully featured ITV solution will demonstrate high demand among operators."
WorldGate's president, Gerard Kunkel adds: "We are pleased to be working with the industry's biggest players to produce the premier ITV package designed around the TVGI2001 platform. TV Guide Interactive has clearly established technical and marketing expertise in this space and plays a key role within the digital cable market. Concurrent has also proven the ability to deliver a variety of reliable VOD solutions for operators around the country. With the integration of our applications, we are eliminating many issues that have deterred the deployment of ITV in the U.S. and look
forward to increasing our collaborative footprint through this new partnership."
"Concurrent is dedicated to not only the development of top-notch VOD services, but to enabling the combination of our VOD technology with other ITV applications to further enhance the capabilities of ITV in general," stated Bruce Bradley, Vice President/Product Management, Concurrent. "TV Guide Interactive and WorldGate are two companies that we are working with to actively make these enhancements a reality. We are glad to be a part of the initiative and look forward to working with both companies on an ongoing
basis."
About Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc.
Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc., is a leading global technology and media company focused on consumer entertainment. The Company has three major business sectors: the Technology and Licensing Sector, which is responsible for developing, licensing and protecting the Company's intellectual property and technology; the Company's technology includes the VCR Plus ® system, interactive program guide ("IPG") products and services marketed under the GUIDE Plus ® and TV Guide Interactivesm brands and the electronic book ("Gemstar eBookTM"); the Interactive Platform Sector, which derives recurring income from advertising, interactive services, content sales and
e-commerce on the Company's proprietary platforms, including IPG, tvguide.com, eBook, and skymall.com; and the Media and Services Sector, which operates the TV Guide® magazines, TV Guide Channelsm, TVG Networksm, and other television media properties, provides programming and data services, sells merchandise through the SkyMallTM catalog and operates a media sales group that services all of the Company's media properties.
The IPG products are integrated into various devices, including televisions, VCRs and set-top boxes (cable, satellite, telco, Internet) and can display a multi-day television program guide on the television screen from which the consumer can view, select, tune to or record programs. The Gemstar eBook is a reading device that can store tens of thousands of pages, and permits a user to purchase and receive instant delivery of any book, magazine or newspaper over a standard telephone line.
Over 100 million people in the US use the Company's media properties every week, and its products and services are available in over 60 countries worldwide.
The Company's services, technology and intellectual property are licensed to major technology, media and communication companies in the consumer electronics, Internet, personal computer, satellite, cable television and telco industries. Licensees and customers include Adelphia, AOL Time Warner, AT&T, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Matsushita, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Motorola, Philips, Shaw, Sony, Thomson Multimedia, Zenith and others. The Company has more than 190 issued U.S. patents in the general area of audio-visual technologies with over 4,800 claims, over 320 issued foreign patents, and continues to actively pursue a worldwide intellectual property
program and currently has roughly 350 U.S. and 1,200 foreign patent applications pending.
Except for historical information contained here, the matters discussed in this news release contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including the timely availability and acceptance of new products and services; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the management of growth; and the other risks detailed from time to time in the company's SEC reports, including the most recent reports on Form 10-K, 8-K, and 10-Q, each as it may be amended from time to time. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date of this release and the company undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
Note to Editors: Gemstar, TV Guide, GUIDE Plus , G-GUIDE, TV Guide Interactive, Gemstar eBook, VCR Plus , PlusCode, TVG Network, and SkyMall are trademarks of Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.
About Concurrent
Concurrent Computer Corporation (http://www.ccur.com) is a leading provider of high-performance computer systems, software, and servers. Concurrent Computer Corporation's XSTREME Division is a leading supplier in the emerging digital video server marketplace. This market includes broadband VOD and rich streaming media applications such as corporate training, education, hospitality, and digital video-to-the-home. Concurrent is also a leading provider of high-performance, real-time computer systems, solutions, and software for commercial and government markets. Concurrent's 35-year-old Real-Time business focuses on strategic market areas that include hardware-in-the-loop and man-in-the-loop simulation, data acquisition, industrial systems, and software. Operating worldwide, Concurrent provides sales and support from offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Concurrent brings over 35 years of real-time experience to the broadband VOD and rich streaming media industries and has become a market leader. Today, Concurrent's worldwide broadband VOD and rich streaming media trials and deployments include: AOL Time Warner Cable - 15 markets; Beijing Fengtai Cable - China; Blue Ridge Communications - Pennsylvania; Cogeco Cable - Quebec and Ontario, Canada; Comcast - 9 markets; Cox - 3 markets; Horizon.com - Singapore; Mediacom - one market; NXTV Inc. - 4 hotels; OLYMPUS Optical - Hamburg, Germany; Safari Technologies - 16 educational institutions throughout North America; Shanghai Telecom - China; and VOD Pty Ltd./TransAct - Australia.
Note to Editors: For additional company or product information from Concurrent Computer Corporation, please contact Concurrent Computer Corporation, 4375 River Green Parkway, Duluth, GA 30096. Call toll free in the U.S. and Canada at (877) 978-7363, fax (678) 258-4199. Readers can also access information through the company's Web site at http://www.ccur.com.
Concurrent Computer Corporation and its logo and MediaHawk are registered trademarks of Concurrent Computer Corporation. All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
About WorldGate Communications Inc.
WorldGate Communications, Inc., the world's most widely deployed real-time interactive cable TV service provider, offers the cable industry a full line of Internet based, hi-speed interactive and enhanced television services. WorldGate's CableWare(™), is an open-standards middleware platform designed for current generation and advanced digital converters. It supports interactive applications, VOD, electronic guides, Internet TV and enhanced TV. CableWare's eTV application provides viewers synchronized graphic
overlays to live video and instant access to related programming and advertising Web sites.
WorldGate is deployed or has agreements to deploy its service with more than 60 cable systems in over a dozen countries worldwide, including six of the top eight MSOs in the U.S. WorldGate is a partner with Adelphia Communications Corp., Charter Communications Inc., Comcast Cable Communications Inc., and Cox Communications Inc. in a joint venture called TVGateway(SM) to provide interactive programming and advertising for digital cable. WorldGate is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol WGAT. More information on WorldGate can be accessed at www.wgate.com.
WorldGate, Channel HyperLinking, and Ultra-Thin Client are service marks of WorldGate Service, Inc. CableWare is a trademark of the WorldGate Service,
Inc.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Expressions of future goals and similar expressions including, without limitation, expressions using the terminology "may," "will," "believes," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "predicts," "forecasts," and expressions which otherwise reflect something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timely development and market acceptance of products and technologies and other factors described in the companys' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The actual results may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties. The companies undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward- looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.
Contacts:
Lauren Snyder
Corporate Communications
Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc.
(212) 852-7585
Donielle McGrail
Corporate Communications
WorldGate
(215) 354-5191
Tammy Snook, President
HighTech Public Relations
Concurrent Computer Corporation
(407) 667-9355
without a middleware platform and combines a variety of services. These services include WorldGate's interactive applications, TV Guide's digital interactive program guide and Concurrent's broadband VOD services. The new ITV package is currently entering test laboratories and is expected be available to North American cable operators for commercial deployment beginning summer 2002.
Cable network operators will have the opportunity to deploy a host of today's hottest digital services, offered by the three companies, on Motorola's DCT-2000 class set-top boxes, one of the most widely deployed set-top platform currently in the market. This integrated offering brings an unparalleled suite of interactive TV capabilities to consumers. Subscribers can access WorldGate to send and receive e-mail, chat online,
shop, play games, find information, view their digital pictures, surf the Web, and more. Subscribers will also be able to take advantage of TVGI2001, TV Guide Interactive's new IPG release, which offers new IPG functionality, including Pay-Per-View enhancements, as well as support for third-party applications that are accessed via an integrated enhanced video-on-demand user interface. Finally, Concurrent's MediaHawk® Broadband VOD System will enable subscribers to use their digital set-top box to instantly call up digital movies from a list of major movie titles and control their selected
movie with VCR-like functionality - including fast forward, pause, and rewind.
"This collaboration between cable industry leaders brings together some of the most appealing digital interactive services currently available and packages them together to create an easy-to-deploy system, effectively addressing the interests of viewers. We've chosen to work with WorldGate because of their vast experience in the cable market and their field-proven, high-quality ITV services," said Todd Walker, senior vice president and general manager of TV Guide Interactive. "Together with Concurrent's VOD technology, we believe that this fully featured ITV solution will demonstrate high demand among operators."
WorldGate's president, Gerard Kunkel adds: "We are pleased to be working with the industry's biggest players to produce the premier ITV package designed around the TVGI2001 platform. TV Guide Interactive has clearly established technical and marketing expertise in this space and plays a key role within the digital cable market. Concurrent has also proven the ability to deliver a variety of reliable VOD solutions for operators around the country. With the integration of our applications, we are eliminating many issues that have deterred the deployment of ITV in the U.S. and look
forward to increasing our collaborative footprint through this new partnership."
"Concurrent is dedicated to not only the development of top-notch VOD services, but to enabling the combination of our VOD technology with other ITV applications to further enhance the capabilities of ITV in general," stated Bruce Bradley, Vice President/Product Management, Concurrent. "TV Guide Interactive and WorldGate are two companies that we are working with to actively make these enhancements a reality. We are glad to be a part of the initiative and look forward to working with both companies on an ongoing
basis."
About Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc.
Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc., is a leading global technology and media company focused on consumer entertainment. The Company has three major business sectors: the Technology and Licensing Sector, which is responsible for developing, licensing and protecting the Company's intellectual property and technology; the Company's technology includes the VCR Plus ® system, interactive program guide ("IPG") products and services marketed under the GUIDE Plus ® and TV Guide Interactivesm brands and the electronic book ("Gemstar eBookTM"); the Interactive Platform Sector, which derives recurring income from advertising, interactive services, content sales and
e-commerce on the Company's proprietary platforms, including IPG, tvguide.com, eBook, and skymall.com; and the Media and Services Sector, which operates the TV Guide® magazines, TV Guide Channelsm, TVG Networksm, and other television media properties, provides programming and data services, sells merchandise through the SkyMallTM catalog and operates a media sales group that services all of the Company's media properties.
The IPG products are integrated into various devices, including televisions, VCRs and set-top boxes (cable, satellite, telco, Internet) and can display a multi-day television program guide on the television screen from which the consumer can view, select, tune to or record programs. The Gemstar eBook is a reading device that can store tens of thousands of pages, and permits a user to purchase and receive instant delivery of any book, magazine or newspaper over a standard telephone line.
Over 100 million people in the US use the Company's media properties every week, and its products and services are available in over 60 countries worldwide.
The Company's services, technology and intellectual property are licensed to major technology, media and communication companies in the consumer electronics, Internet, personal computer, satellite, cable television and telco industries. Licensees and customers include Adelphia, AOL Time Warner, AT&T, Cablevision, Charter, Comcast, Cox, Matsushita, Microsoft, Mitsubishi, Motorola, Philips, Shaw, Sony, Thomson Multimedia, Zenith and others. The Company has more than 190 issued U.S. patents in the general area of audio-visual technologies with over 4,800 claims, over 320 issued foreign patents, and continues to actively pursue a worldwide intellectual property
program and currently has roughly 350 U.S. and 1,200 foreign patent applications pending.
Except for historical information contained here, the matters discussed in this news release contain forward-looking statements that involve risks and uncertainties, including the timely availability and acceptance of new products and services; the impact of competitive products and pricing; the management of growth; and the other risks detailed from time to time in the company's SEC reports, including the most recent reports on Form 10-K, 8-K, and 10-Q, each as it may be amended from time to time. The forward-looking statements included in this release are made only as of the date of this release and the company undertakes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
Note to Editors: Gemstar, TV Guide, GUIDE Plus , G-GUIDE, TV Guide Interactive, Gemstar eBook, VCR Plus , PlusCode, TVG Network, and SkyMall are trademarks of Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc. Other product names used herein are for identification purposes only and may be trademarks of their respective companies.
About Concurrent
Concurrent Computer Corporation (http://www.ccur.com) is a leading provider of high-performance computer systems, software, and servers. Concurrent Computer Corporation's XSTREME Division is a leading supplier in the emerging digital video server marketplace. This market includes broadband VOD and rich streaming media applications such as corporate training, education, hospitality, and digital video-to-the-home. Concurrent is also a leading provider of high-performance, real-time computer systems, solutions, and software for commercial and government markets. Concurrent's 35-year-old Real-Time business focuses on strategic market areas that include hardware-in-the-loop and man-in-the-loop simulation, data acquisition, industrial systems, and software. Operating worldwide, Concurrent provides sales and support from offices throughout North America, Europe, Asia, and Australia.
Concurrent brings over 35 years of real-time experience to the broadband VOD and rich streaming media industries and has become a market leader. Today, Concurrent's worldwide broadband VOD and rich streaming media trials and deployments include: AOL Time Warner Cable - 15 markets; Beijing Fengtai Cable - China; Blue Ridge Communications - Pennsylvania; Cogeco Cable - Quebec and Ontario, Canada; Comcast - 9 markets; Cox - 3 markets; Horizon.com - Singapore; Mediacom - one market; NXTV Inc. - 4 hotels; OLYMPUS Optical - Hamburg, Germany; Safari Technologies - 16 educational institutions throughout North America; Shanghai Telecom - China; and VOD Pty Ltd./TransAct - Australia.
Note to Editors: For additional company or product information from Concurrent Computer Corporation, please contact Concurrent Computer Corporation, 4375 River Green Parkway, Duluth, GA 30096. Call toll free in the U.S. and Canada at (877) 978-7363, fax (678) 258-4199. Readers can also access information through the company's Web site at http://www.ccur.com.
Concurrent Computer Corporation and its logo and MediaHawk are registered trademarks of Concurrent Computer Corporation. All other products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective owners.
About WorldGate Communications Inc.
WorldGate Communications, Inc., the world's most widely deployed real-time interactive cable TV service provider, offers the cable industry a full line of Internet based, hi-speed interactive and enhanced television services. WorldGate's CableWare(™), is an open-standards middleware platform designed for current generation and advanced digital converters. It supports interactive applications, VOD, electronic guides, Internet TV and enhanced TV. CableWare's eTV application provides viewers synchronized graphic
overlays to live video and instant access to related programming and advertising Web sites.
WorldGate is deployed or has agreements to deploy its service with more than 60 cable systems in over a dozen countries worldwide, including six of the top eight MSOs in the U.S. WorldGate is a partner with Adelphia Communications Corp., Charter Communications Inc., Comcast Cable Communications Inc., and Cox Communications Inc. in a joint venture called TVGateway(SM) to provide interactive programming and advertising for digital cable. WorldGate is traded on NASDAQ under the symbol WGAT. More information on WorldGate can be accessed at www.wgate.com.
WorldGate, Channel HyperLinking, and Ultra-Thin Client are service marks of WorldGate Service, Inc. CableWare is a trademark of the WorldGate Service,
Inc.
This press release may contain forward-looking statements that are made pursuant to the safe-harbor provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Expressions of future goals and similar expressions including, without limitation, expressions using the terminology "may," "will," "believes," "plans," "expects," "anticipates," "predicts," "forecasts," and expressions which otherwise reflect something other than historical fact are intended to identify forward-looking statements. These
forward-looking statements involve a number of risks and uncertainties, including the timely development and market acceptance of products and technologies and other factors described in the companys' filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The actual results may differ materially from any forward-looking statements due to such risks and uncertainties. The companies undertake no obligation to revise or update any forward- looking statements in order to reflect events or circumstances that may arise after the date of this release.
Contacts:
Lauren Snyder
Corporate Communications
Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc.
(212) 852-7585
Donielle McGrail
Corporate Communications
WorldGate
(215) 354-5191
Tammy Snook, President
HighTech Public Relations
Concurrent Computer Corporation
(407) 667-9355
Contact Information:
Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc.
Joseph Nchor
Tel:
Email us
This is a press release. Press release distribution and press release services by EmailWire.Com: http://www.emailwire.com/us-press-release-distribution.php.
Gemstar-TV Guide International, Inc.
Joseph Nchor
Tel:
Email us
This is a press release. Press release distribution and press release services by EmailWire.Com: http://www.emailwire.com/us-press-release-distribution.php.
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