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INTERTAINER LAUNCHES DEMAND E.S.P.™ TO PROVIDE OPERATORS AND
CONTENT OWNERS WITH A COMPREHENSIVE TOOL SET TO FACILITATE VOD
Intertainer Secures Canada's Aliant Telecom As Its First Demand E.S.P. Client CULVER CITY, Calif., March 6, 2002 - Furthering its mission to pioneer the video on demand space, Intertainer has launched Demand E.S.P™, the first comprehensive on-demand entertainment services platform for cable operators, broadband providers and content owners. The patent-pending Demand E.S.P. platform provides the necessary tools to build an end-to-end VOD system, easily enabling any company interested in creating its own VOD service to fully manage, program, distribute and track on-demand content. Intertainer's Demand E.S.P. consists of seven modules: Asset Management and Production, Programming and Scheduling, Distribution Management, Usage Reporting, Royalty Management, IP VOD Services and Professional Services. Cable operators, broadband providers and content owners can pick and choose the modules that best suit their needs to create a completely customized, easy-to-implement VOD service. Aliant Telecom, Atlantic Canada's largest telecommunications company, will be Intertainer's first Demand E.S.P. client. Aliant Telecom will use all seven modules of the platform to build a revenue-generating VOD service, providing premium content to its almost 70,000 DSL-based broadband PC subscribers in Canada's Atlantic region. Aliant Telecom currently provides all of its broadband PC subscribers with approximately 1.5mbps of bandwidth, making VOD a viable revenue stream across its entire customer base. Intertainer's Demand E.S.P. platform will be integrated into Aliant Telecom's network, allowing the operator to handle such functions as programming and scheduling, providing customers with a seamless VOD service that prominently features the Aliant Telecom brand. Aliant Telecom's premium VOD service will be provided as an enhanced entertainment addition to its current free VOD offering, which gives users access to a wide range of short-form programming, including updates on news, weather and sports, as well as music videos and movie previews. Aliant Telecom's premium VOD service is scheduled for a soft launch in the second quarter of this year. As part of the agreement, Intertainer will work closely with Aliant Telecom to secure licensing agreements for feature film, television and music programming from a wide variety of content providers. "We've been perfecting this tool set for years on both the cable and broadband side of the business and believe we can offer a platform, as well as an unprecedented level of experience, to help companies in the U.S. and abroad launch their own VOD services," said Intertainer CEO Jonathan Taplin. "Clearly, there's a lot of movement in VOD today that has been spurred largely by our leadership in the category. It's time for cable operators, broadband service providers and content owners to seize the momentum and brand their own VOD services." "Giving our customers a premium VOD service is a key component of our broadband entertainment strategy," said Chris Keevil, President, Aliant Telecom Broadband Services. "Partnering with Intertainer for our VOD initiative provides a number of advantages - they have years of experience, a modular, turn-key solution and most importantly, a technology platform that the content industry trusts." About Intertainer A pioneer in the video on demand space, Intertainer provides three major services: A broadband entertainment on demand service, available at www.intertainer.tv, offering U.S. subscribers instant access to the largest selection of premium movies, music and television programming; Industry leading video on demand content aggregation for cable operators; and Demand E.S.P™, a comprehensive platform of software and professional services enabling cable operators, broadband providers and content owners to create and manage their own VOD services. Intertainer features content from unprecedented partner relationships including Universal Pictures, Warner Bros., DreamWorks SKG, MGM, A&E Networks, NBC, Discovery, ESPN, Warner Music, EMI Music and many others. Strategic partners include Thomson, Comcast, Intel, Microsoft, NBC, Qwest and Sony. About Aliant Aliant Telecom is a wholly owned subsidiary of Aliant Inc. (TSE:AIT). The Aliant group of advanced technology companies and its staff of over 10,000 professionals delivers full service, integrated solutions through its core lines of business: wireline and wireless telecommunications, information technology, remote communications, and Internet-based business solutions. From its base in Canada, Aliant serves consumer and business customers worldwide. For more information, visit Aliant at www.aliant.ca. # # # Contact: |
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