FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, April 12, 2005

Widevine® Deploys Industry-First Cypher Franchise™ to Extend Content Security to Smaller Operators

Offers Innovative Business Model for Acquiring Premium Content and Additional Flexibility

Seattle, WA, April 12, 2005 –Widevine® Technologies, the most widely deployed provider of content security solutions to the video over IP market worldwide, today announced three milestone deployments of Cypher Franchise™, the first content security franchise solution in the industry. Cypher Franchise now enables ChungHwa Telecom, Taiwan and Arvig Communications, Detroit Lakes, MN to extend the conditional access and digital rights management capabilities of their Cypher system to smaller downstream operators. For the first time, smaller operators can now affordably acquire content security for their IP video networks, and acquire the critical digital content licenses required to compete in their markets.

“Cypher Franchise lowers the head-end expenditure for smaller operators so they can acquire content security and it opens the door for premium content acquisition not previously available to these operators,” said Brian Baker, CEO of Widevine Technologies. “Larger operators, who have standardized on Widevine Cypher, now have a new business model for extending the security to other operators downstream so they can encrypt content locally.”

With the greatest number of integrations to middleware, VOD server and set top box vendors in the industry, Widevine offers an operator the freedom to choose from a variety of solutions for their video distribution network. Cypher Franchise now extends that flexibility to franchise operators who may have their own unique requirements.

“Our customers have chosen Widevine Cypher® for its superior content security and integration flexibility,” stated Matt Cannard, Widevine Technologies’ Director of Marketing. “Now, with Cypher Franchise, they can affordably extend the benefit to franchise operators.”

ChungHwa utilizes Cypher Franchise to extend their Cypher content security system to multiple separate business units throughout China. They also share Orca and Alcatel middleware to the remote locations, which are integrated into their Cypher system for delivering DRM. Widevine Cypher is also integrated with OVS Video Server, and offers downloadable virtual smart cards for all of their Pace, Foxxconn and Hwacom SetaBox set top boxes.

Communications extends its Cypher content security system to Melrose Telecom, Albany Mutual, CTC, and Ottercom. Widevine Cypher integrates with Tut Systems middleware, which is used at each affiliate. The companies also share the same Cypher Broadcast server for CAS. In addition, Cypher integrates with Tut System’s Astria broadcast encoding platform and supplies downloadable virtual smart cards for the Thomson’s ip900 and Pace DB220 STBs.

Come visit Widevine Technologies at our partners’ booths during the NAB Show in Las Vegas the week of April 18th: Hewlett Packard, booth # SL1961; SeaChange International, booth # SU6557 and Microsoft Corporation, booth #SL322.

About Widevine Technologies, Inc.
Widevine is the most widely deployed provider of content security solutions to the video over IP market worldwide. Widevine enables telco, cable and satellite operators to generate new revenue opportunities through the secure distribution of their IP content. Widevine Cypher® is a comprehensive conditional access (CAS) and digital rights management (DRM) solution. Utilizing a combination of hardware and software-based encryption, Cypher persistently encrypts both digital broadcast and VOD content, regardless of video infrastructure, network protocols or compression technologies. An innovator in the industry, Widevine invented the downloadable virtual smart card which today protects more IP set top boxes in the industry than any other vendor. Widevine Virtual SmartCards quickly and affordably enable operators to combat piracy on STBs, PVRs and other devices within the home. Widevine Secured operators are guaranteed to encrypt studio and broadcaster content, across any video distribution network and on any Widevine Secured device in the home.

Widevine is a private held corporation headquartered in Seattle, WA and funded by Constellation Ventures, VantagePoint Venture Partners, PaceSetter Capital Group, and Charter Ventures.

For more information see Widevine Technologies at www.widevine.com.

Media Contact:
Eric Moser
Ruder Finn Chicago (for Widevine Technologies)
Tel: +1 312 329 3908
mosere@ruderfinn.com

All trade names, trademarks, and/or service marks appearing herein are owned by their respective holders.