http://www.sgi.com/Headlines/1995/May/IDS.html (Einblicke ins Internet, 10/1995)

Interactive Digital Solutions Unveils Interactive Community Software

Flagship Product Delivers the First Open Environment For Providing New Levels of Interactivity and Real Solutions

MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. (May 8, 1995) -- Interactive Digital Solutions, a joint venture company of AT&T Network Systems and Silicon Graphics, Inc., today introduced Interactive Community¬Ā Software, the first open software environment that allows customers to design and deliver compelling interactive multimedia services over broadband and private networks. This announcement follows Time Warner Entertainment's agreement to become an equity partner in Interactive Digital Solutions.

"With this product introduction, Interactive Digital Solutions allows its customers to create the next generation of powerful services and feature-rich experiences for consumers," said Ed Birss, president of Interactive Digital Solutions. "Using the successful Full Service Network model, we are providing the industry with open, interactive products that are scalable, flexible and deliver unprecedented levels of performance."

For network operators, telephone companies, cable companies and other businesses around the world, Interactive Community's open architecture provides the software foundation for complete interactive services. The new environment will also enable hardware and software companies and systems integrators to develop interactive applications, content, back-end services, system and network services and tools for authoring and development.

Interactive Community Provides Software Foundation for Interactive Services

The distributed, object-based architecture will support a wide range of end-user devices, applications, databases, servers and networks and provide comprehensive, interactive services over broadband and private networks. By adopting a truly open, modular architecture with open APIs (applications programming interfaces) and cross-platform flexibility, Interactive Digital Solution's customers can scale up to very large deployments, while achieving exceptional levels of performance. Interactive Community software also incorporates industry standard object services for interfaces, naming and authentication.

Unity-The First Interactive Community Software Port

The first port of Interactive Community Software, Interactive Digital Solutions' Unity configurations are targeted at authoring, production and distribution. The Unity configurations bundle Interactive Community Software with set-top terminals, broadband modulation equipment, an ATM switch and Silicon Graphics' systems. These systems will provide network operators and content developers with experience in creating services and content for deployment. The Unity configurations consist of the following: Unity 1, Unity 4 and Unity 8.

The Unity 1 configuration provides individuals and small teams with an affordable and flexible platform for creating high-quality interactive content for all media types. This configuration includes an integrated authoring tool environment, programming tools, a set-top device as well as a powerful graphics workstation.

Targeted at film/television studios, game developers, CD-ROM title producers, large print publishers, and independent production studios,the Unity 4 configuration provides a robust, flexible and collaborative environment for creating and developing interactive media. The configuration includes a server, three workstations, software tools and a fully interactive, intuitive user interface.

The Unity 8 configuration provides both developers and network operators with a low-cost, comprehensive interactive solution thatallows them to gain experience in every aspect of providing interactive content and services. This configuration combines a fully operational server and set-top environment with a complete switched RF network. Unity 8 also includes some content from Time Warner's Full Service Network.

AT&T Network Systems will offer Interactive Community Software as part of an end-to-end interactive services delivery system. AT&T Network Systems will also serve as the primary sales channel for Interactive Community Software and Unity configurations to telephone and cable TV companies. Silicon Graphics will act as a sales channel to other businesses worldwide.

Interactive Community Software and Unity Configurations will be generally available by June 30 and pricing is available immediately through AT&T Network Systems and Silicon Graphics' worldwide sales force.

Interactive Digital Solutions also has announced its involvement in the following interactive television deployments and trials:

Time Warner Cable's Full Service Network interactive television trial in Orlando, FL, the world's first trial to deliver fully functional, truly interactive applications to cable television subscribers.

Nippon Telegraph and Telephone (NTT) plans to install Interactive Digital Solution's Interactive Community Software in 1995 to provide trial interactive multimedia services to consumers in Urayasu, Japan. NTT, Silicon Graphics and Interactive Digital Solutions are working jointly on the development of interactive multimedia applications and digital information technologies.

Cablevision Systems' interactive services delivery systems, which will provide enhanced pay-per-view and video-on-demand services, is slated for deployment through the second half of 1995. Interactive Digital Solution's software will provide Cablevision subscribers with immediate access to multiple video streams stored on Silicon Graphics' powerful Challenge symmetric multiprocessing media servers.

Interactive Digital Solutions is a joint venture of AT&T Network Systems and Silicon Graphics. Formed in June 1994, Interactive Digital Solutions will develop and deliver fully integrated, multimedia software environments for telephone company networks, cable TV systems, content providers and other businesses around the world. This interactive multimedia environment will be integrated with hardware from open systems suppliers to create products that deliver interactive services.

Silicon Graphics is a registered trademark of Silicon Graphics, Inc. Challenge is a trademark of Silicon Graphics. Interactive Digital Solutions, Interactive Community and Unity are trademarks of Interactive Digital Solutions. Full Service Network is a trademark of Time Warner. AT&T is a registered trademark of AT&T Corporation. All other trademarks and registered trademarks are the rights of their respective owners.

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