Arepa and Intertainer Become First Members of Broadband Content Development Program
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- December 1, 1998 -- Cisco Systems, Inc., the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet, today announced the "Built for Broadband" program designed to accelerate the availability of new media and content services for delivery on broadband networks. Cisco also announced that Arepa, Inc. and Intertainer, Inc. are the first companies to join the program.
"With the Built for Broadband program, Cisco will help accelerate the availability of advanced information and entertainment services that fully utilize the power of new world broadband infrastructures," said Kevin Kennedy, senior vice president of Cisco's Service Provider Line of Business. "Broadband Internet networks offer content developers and on-line publishers a platform to deliver an entirely new generation of consumer services with greater interactivity and media rich audio/visual experiences. These services are critical to accelerating the mass-market adoption of broadband offerings."
Cisco's Built for Broadband program will help ensure the availability of a variety of ready-to-deploy content for broadband service providers. By facilitating the development of broadband applications that take advantage of advanced network features, the program will enhance network scalability and bandwidth efficiency. Examples of advanced network features include Internet Protocol (IP) multicast, quality-of-service (QoS), support for Directory Enabled Networks (DEN) and network metering and billing capabilities.
The Built for Broadband program will help broadband service providers to efficiently deploy services while optimizing the return on broadband network investments. Cisco will also give members access to Cisco equipment and expertise in testing and network tuning to help them develop network traffic models that they can use to plan and deploy broadband content and applications.
"Intertainer is delighted to join the Built for Broadband program. Cisco is providing a forum that will drive more efficient delivery and deployment of broadband content. We look forward to this program accelerating availability of Intertainer's interactive, entertainment-on-demand service," said Jonathan Taplin, founder and co-chairman of Intertainer, Inc.
"Cisco is leading the way in broadband infrastructure, and we are extremely pleased to be able to work with them to provide compelling, broadband-optimized content for high-speed interactive service providers," added Ric Fulop, president of Arepa, Inc.
Other components of Cisco's Built for Broadband program include program meetings to discuss issues facing content and application providers, guidelines for successful broadband content and application development and a program Web site that identifies broadband applications that are ready for deployment by broadband service providers.
Broadband content providers who are interested in Cisco's Built for Broadband program can send e-mail to broadband@cisco.com.
About Arepa
Arepa recently completed development of the first broadband software platform enabling on-line delivery of high-bandwidth content that, to date, has been restricted to CD-ROM distribution. Arepa's platform provides cable modem and xDSL subscribers click 'n' play access to media-rich content and software, eliminating the need to download or install files.About Intertainer
Intertainer, Inc., the leading provider of home entertainment services on demand, is defining the convergence of entertainment and technology. Intertainer's interactive entertainment and e-commerce provide customers with a personal gateway to thousands of hours of diverse movies, music, TV, shopping and information programming direct to the PC or TV.Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems, Inc. (NASDAQ:CSCO) is the worldwide leader in networking for the Internet.Cisco, Cisco Systems and the Cisco Systems logo are registered trademarks of Cisco Systems, Inc. in the U.S. and certain other countries. All other trademarks mentioned in this document are the property of their respective owners.
