EchoStar Develops Products and Services for Cable Industry
ENGLEWOOD, Colo., May 14, 2008 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- EchoStar Technologies L.L.C., a subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ:SATS), today announced its entry into the cable industry with the introduction of CableLabs Certified(R) DOCSIS(R) 2.0 SlingModem at CableNET(R) in New Orleans, La. Earlier this year, EchoStar Corporation(TM) spun-off from DISH Network Corporation (NASDAQ:DISH), retaining its set-top box business and certain infrastructure assets. EchoStar purchased Sling Media last fall and is now pursuing OEM relationships with cable operators worldwide.
"The introduction of the SlingModem demonstrates our operator-agnostic philosophy, as well as our dedication to the cable industry," said Sling Media CEO Blake Krikorian.
"We are firmly committed to becoming the vendor of choice in the cable industry, leveraging decades of systems and manufacturing excellence," said Mark Jackson, president of EchoStar Technologies. "We are excited to announce our first cable-ready product at the annual Cable Show, where we can meet face-to-face with industry veterans looking for innovative solutions that will reduce churn and increase average revenue per user."
SlingModem is one of Sling Media's newest place-shifting devices, combining a DOCSIS 2.0-certified cable modem with the award-winning and innovative features of the Slingbox(TM). Cable subscribers can use the device as a traditional DOCSIS cable modem that includes the added benefit of built-in Slingbox functionality. By connecting SlingModem directly to a coax cable input or set-top box, subscribers can receive live or recorded television on any Internet-connected device. SlingModem is easily installed through a single coaxial cable, eliminating the need for additional home networking connections.
EchoStar enters the cable industry with a strong consumer electronics background in innovative and intuitive products, including state-of-the-art, award-winning DVR set-top boxes and value-added features such as Sling Media's placeshifting technology. EchoStar's set-top box veterans have more than 35 years of experience in engineering, manufacturing, product development, and end-to-end systems.
SlingModem is the first product from EchoStar and will be sold to cable operators. EchoStar is working on a variety of other products and services for cable operators to be introduced later this year.
The Cable Show is an annual convention for members of the cable and telecommunications industry to gather for networking, training, and discovery of new products. The Cable Show, sponsored by the National Cable and Telecommunications Association (NCTA), takes place May 18-20, 2008 in New Orleans.
About EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
As an operating entity of the publicly traded EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ:SATS), EchoStar Technologies L.L.C. spans 25 years of delivering innovations in TV entertainment, products, and end-to-end systems. EchoStar services satellite, IPTV, cable, terrestrial, and consumer electronics markets worldwide by combining engineering, supply chain, manufacturing, and service into one company. With over 1,600 professional employees worldwide, EchoStar is focused, dedicated, and ready to service our customers in creative and cooperative development efforts. Through extensive experience with set-top boxes and end-to-end systems, EchoStar is able to provide more competitive business strategies, practices, and reduced product and operational costs.
EchoStar is headquartered in Englewood, Colorado, with operations in Foster City, California; Denver, Colorado; Atlanta, Georgia; Steeton, UK; Almelo, Holland; and Kharkov, Ukraine. Visit www.echostar.com for additional information.
About Sling Media
Sling Media, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of EchoStar Corporation (NASDAQ:SATS), is a leading digital lifestyle company, offering consumer services and products that are a natural extension of today's digital way of life. Sling Media's product family includes the internationally acclaimed, Emmy award-winning Slingbox(TM) that allows consumers to watch and control their living room television shows at any time, from any location, using PCs, Macs, PDAs, and smartphones. For more information on Sling Media or the Slingbox, visit www.slingmedia.com.
DOCSIS, CableLabs and CableNET are trademarks of Cable Television Laboratories, Inc.
SOURCE: EchoStar Technologies L.L.C.
Sling Media, Inc. Brian Jaquet, 650-293-8022 (Office) 415-235-4844 (Mobile) jaquet@slingmedia.com
Copyright Business Wire 2008
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