BigBand Announces Converged Video Delivery Platform

Converged Video Exchange (CVEx™) offers a unified approach to delivering video services across networks, devices and screens

BigBand Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: BBND), a leader in digital video networking, today announced the Converged Video Exchange (CVEx™), an intelligent software control plane that provides a unified means to deliver and manage linear and non-linear video services across the network edge, to traditional MPEG set-top boxes (STBs) and next-generation IP devices. CVEx is designed to meet service providers’ need for a converged video delivery solution that brings increased efficiency of spectrum across their applications today with a graceful migration path to tomorrow’s converged network.

CVEx will be the first platform capable of removing the boundaries between disparate video service types by dynamically controlling the allocation of all RF and IP video services within a single bandwidth pool, and providing a holistic view into service usage and resource utilization. The software is designed to offer a single control plane as operators move toward eliminating the dedicated bandwidth silos for individual services such as Video on Demand (VOD), Switched Digital Video (SDV) and IPTV, while simultaneously improving spectrum utilization. CVEx is built to support many industry standard protocols, offers interfaces for third party applications and is designed to integrate with CMTS architecture.

In a converged video environment, deploying a unified control plane will result in high transaction rates with fast response times required for both multicast and unicast session requests. Performance, reliability and redundancy will become increasingly important as operators add services and adopt network-based set-top box guides. BigBand Networks is well positioned to provide CVEx, based on its experience as the industry leader in delivering fully redundant session managers capable of very high session transaction rates for SDV. BigBand solutions currently execute billions of real-time transactions per year across more than 24 million households passed.

“Transitioning to next-generation networks capable of seamless video delivery to multiple networks opens up tremendous complexity,” said David W. Heard, Chief Operating Officer of BigBand Networks. “By unifying the video through our intelligent software control plane, CVEx can help transform today’s architecture into a true converged video solution delivered to any device so that in the future, it won’t matter if it is wired or wireless, legacy or next-generation IP. Our job is to arm our customers with a more simplified and nimble video delivery solution that consistently delivers a quality video experience to multiple devices, anywhere.”

Market need for a converged video delivery approach

Operators are looking to evolve their networks for quick and seamless delivery of both existing and differentiated services to multiple screens with high performance and reliability. CVEx will create a video unification strategy for multicast and unicast services that support converged video delivery.

The CVEx platform will bring the following new capabilities:
A common interface and single means to rapidly deploy and ensure a quality video service experience across traditional MPEG set-top boxes and next-generation IP devices including PCs, TVs and ultimately, to mobile devices;
Allows for bandwidth to be pooled and reallocated on an as-needed basis; and
Provides subscriber and video service measurement tools that cross multiple data planes with holistic views of program and service behaviors, network resource usage and “what if” scenario planning.

This intelligent software platform provides a single context to simultaneously manage video services – whether broadcast, multicast or unicast. BigBand believes that the platform’s flexibility will support future applications and offer service providers a vehicle to quickly introduce new services such as the delivery of traditional video services to PCs and devices. The company believes this unified approach to video delivery will help transition today’s cable infrastructure into a single converged network.

The initial implementation of the CVEx platform will include application sharing between RF applications with subsequent functionality added as the industry further evolves toward IP.

About BigBand Networks

BigBand Networks, Inc. (NASDAQ: BBND) provides broadband service providers with innovative network solutions designed to make it easier to move, manage and monetize video. These solutions are based on BigBand’s video-networking platforms that are built to enable efficient and reliable delivery across a wide range of services, including digital TV, high definition TV, advanced advertising, video-on-demand and interactive TV. BigBand Networks’ customers include more than 200 service providers — including seven of the ten largest service providers in the U.S. — and leading cable and telco service providers in North America, Asia, Europe and Latin America. BigBand Networks is based in Redwood City, Calif., with offices worldwide. For additional information about the company, please call +1.650.995.5000, email info {at} bigbandnet(.)com or visit www.bigbandnet.com.

BigBand Networks’ brand and product names, including Converged Video Exchange (CVEx), are service marks, trademarks or registered trademarks of BigBand Networks, Inc. in the United States and other countries. All other marks are the property of their respective owners.

This release contains “forward-looking statements” as defined under the U.S. Federal Securities Laws, including the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995 and is subject to the safe harbors created by such laws. Forward-looking statements may relate to, but are not limited to the functionality, programming potential and other potential benefits to be derived by our customers from the use of BigBand’s CVEx solution, forward-looking statements are based on current expectations that involve a number of uncertainties and risks that may cause actual events or results to differ materially. Factors that could cause actual events or results to differ materially include, among others, the following: rapid technological change that can adversely affect the demand for BigBand’s products, design flaws in BigBand’s CVEx, development delays or flaws, changed research and development priorities that affect the actual functionality delivered future releases of the CVEx, shifts in customer demand, shifts in strategic relationships, delays in BigBand’s ability to deliver or decisions to discontinue its products and services, or announcements by competitors. These and other risks may be detailed from time to time in BigBand’s periodic reports filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission, copies of which may be obtained from www.sec.gov. BigBand Networks is under no obligation to (and expressly disclaims any such obligation to) update or alter its forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise. Information contained in our website is not incorporated by reference in, or made part of this press release.

Contacts

Press:
JLM Partners
Stacy O. Mitchell, +1 206-381-3600
stacy {at} jlmpartners(.)com