Helius Innovates New Router Technology

On the fly IP multicast encapsulation for DVB video streams.

Lindon, Utah(17 Oct 2001)

Helius, Inc., the premier technology developer for satellite data solutions, today announced that it has once again raised the bar by innovating a product for Business Television (BTV) users. ENDcapsulator TM), an "On the Fly" IP multicast encapsulation product that encodes DVB streams into IP multicast streams for distribution on any TCP/IP LAN.

Until now, satellite IP multicasting has seemed problematic and potentially
expensive. IS managers and financial officers alike have been hesitant to
integrate IP multicasting onto their networks because of infrastructure
build-out costs and bandwidth concerns. ENDcapsulator directly addresses
these concerns by significantly reducing the upfront costs and simplifying
the BTV to TCP/IP methodology. Currently, data is encapsulated before it is
sent to the satellite uplink. With the Helius "On the Fly" IP multicast
encapsulation there is no need to encode DVB MPEG stream in IP multicast.
DVB MPEG feeds are received in their native format and then converted to IP
multicast in the Helius Satellite Router for distribution on any IP network. In effect, this innovation benefits the customer in four ways:

First, it simplifies the infrastructure build-out of multicasting for BTV
users. The only additional installation needed on an existing DVB satellite
network is a Helius Router with ENDcapsulator installed.

Second, ENDcapsulator frees the customer from the costs of a dedicated IP
encoder at the uplink. Encoder products can cost anywhere from $12,000 to
$24,000 for a single encoder platform. With the Helius "On the Fly"
technology installed on the Helius Router, the customer escapes the costs of the IP encoder, alleviating associated expenses.

Third, ENDcapsulator unties customers from sending data multiple times for
multiple viewers. Whether the stream is sent in a DVB TV format or is IP
encoded, the Helius technology transforms the data at the end of the
transmission into a readable format for both BTV and IP subscribers.

Fourth, with ENDcapsulator, you can transfer to selected clients or to an
entire group -- you have complete control of the migration. Because the IP
multicast conversion is done at the customer's site, the IS department has
complete control of who receives the data and in what format.

"We are continuing to do what the satellite data distribution industry has
come to expect from us," said Myron Mosbarger, President and CEO of Helius.
"We are listening to the needs of the industry and innovating solutions to
simplify migration into multicasting. Our 'On the Fly' encapsulation
technology is a perfect example of that."

ENDcapsulator is targeted to benefit companies with individual office
locations and remote office sites. Training material can be transferred to
these sites via satellite, live conferences can be held through a satellite
link and so on.

This new technology is now available from Helius and can be installed on
all new Helius Routers.

About Helius
Helius Inc. develops technologies for broadband satellite applications such
as IP multicasting, content distribution and interactive Internet. Helius
has worked with leading companies like Philips, Fujitsu, Motorola and
Telesat Canada to improve the usability and management of satellite for
large-scale deployment. Founded in 1995, Helius is based in Lindon, Utah,
and is a holding under the Ray Noorda/Canopy Group Investment Company. For
more information visit http://www.helius.com or call 801-764-9020.