PRESS RELEASE
FOR MORE INFORMATION:
Sun Microsystems Computer Company
Penny Johnson (415) 336-6180
Renee Austin Dorrell (415) 904-7000, ext. 225
Mary Lindsay (408) 984-7242
SMCC and Starlight Networks Introduce First Enterprise UNIX
Video Server
NEW YORK - OCTOBER 4, 1994 - Sun Microsystems
Computer Company (SMCC) and Starlight Networks are taking real-world
video networking to new heights with the introduction today of the first
corporate video server on UNIX(r) systems. The StarWorks(r) product for
the Solaris(r) video server combines Starlight's industry-leading StarWorks
video networking software with the best-selling Sun(r) SPARC(r) servers
running the Solaris operating environment. The result is the world's most
powerful and affordable corporate video server with the storage and performance
to deliver video to hundreds of users in the enterprise for the first time.
This announcement is being made at UNIX Expo in New York City.
The StarWorks for Solaris video server has the power to support video-on-demand
service from a standard enterprise server platform and co-reside with other
network service like NFS®, and applications like large databases --
such as those from Oracle, Sybase, Informix, and Ingres. By comparison,
an 80486-based EISA server running StarWorks can be configured only as a
dedicated video server. In addition, the multiprocessor SPARC servers can
support much larger numbers of simultaneous users and hundreds of hours
of video storage by simply adding additional processors or memory capacity.
"The larger, more sophisticated multimedia applications need the horsepower
that platforms like Sun provide," said Al Lill, Vice President, Gartner
Group. "This announcement opens up an entire new class of networked
applications. StarWorks has already been proven as an effective video server
software solution on one platform and is now delivering a strong scalable
solution in conjunction with Sun. The StarWorks for Solaris video server
will dramatically improve price/performance ratios and make video server
applications feasible for a greater number of users."
"Many computer companies tout their plans for the video server market,
but most of these address video-on-demand services in the home," said
J. Philip Sampler, president of SMCC. "In reality, these services are
too expensive and experimental for the home market today. However, the business
market is ready now and so are we. Our work with Starlight is the first
step in providing the video services needed for the enterprise."
"This announcement further strengthens our position as the leading
supplier of open, cross-platform video server/networking solutions, and
gives StarWorks users a broader choice of standard server and client platforms
for supporting their digital video application needs. The SPARC platform
provides an excellent advanced development platform to support such leading-edge
technologies as ATM, application development tools such as Sybase's GAIN
Momentum, and collaborative applications such as videoconferencing,"said Jim Long, president of Starlight Networks. StarWorks video networking
software has supported video on 80486-based EISA servers since it was introduced
in 1992. StarWorks for Solaris also runs on Sun workstation clients and
includes Starlight's StarWorks Interface to Movie (SWIM), enabling developers
to create video applications for the Solaris platform. The StarWorks for
Solaris video server system fully interopertes with all other client platforms
supported by StarWorks: Microsoft® Windows and DOS on PCs, Apple®Macintosh®, and SPARC.
Availability
Availability of the Sun/Starlight video server system is currently planned
for November 1994. The initial version will support uniprocessor configurations,
with multiprocessor versions planned for the spring of 1995.
StarWorks for Solaris will be co-marketed by Sun Microsystems and Starlight
Networks, and will be sold by authorized Starlight Networks resellers qualified
to support Solaris products. StarWorks for Solaris will initially be available
in North America, Japan, and Europe.
Sun Microsystems Computer Company (SMCC), the world's top supplier of open
network computing solutions, is part of Sun Microsystems, Inc. Built on
Sun's legacy of "The Network is the Computer(tm)," SMCC's SPARC®/Solaris®workstation and server family leads the UNIX market. The company has its
headquarters in Mountain View, Calif.
Starlight Networks develops video networking software to manage video traffic
on enterprise networks. Starlight's StarWorks and StarWare(tm) video networking
server software products provide video storage management and video session
and stream management functions to ensure reliable delivery of video to
the desktop over today's local area networks. StarWorks' open systems approach
supports the delivery of video across multiple server and client platforms.
StarWorks supports all of the popular video formats and network operating
systems on PCs and Macintosh systems, as well as SMCC's SPARC/Solaris 2.x
systems. StarWare is a Novell NetWare-based video networking software solution.
Sun, the Sun logo, Sun Microsystems, The Network is the Computer, NFS and
Solaris are trademarks or registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems, Inc.
All SPARC trademarks, including the SCD Compliant logo, are trademarks or
registered trademarks of SPARC International, Inc., licensed exclusively
to Sun Microsystems, Inc. Products bearing SPARC trademarks are based on
an architecture developed by Sun Microsystems, Inc. UNIX is a registered
trademark in the United States and other countries, exclusively licensed
through X/Open Company, Ltd.
StarWorks is a registered trademark and StarWare is a trademark of Starlight
Networks, Inc. All other product or service names mentioned herein are trademarks
of their respective owners.
Press announcements and other information about Sun Microsystems are available
on the Internet via the World Wide Web.
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