iStreamPlanet, Switch Communications, Intel, Arista Networks and Juniper Networks partner for key piece of delivery for NBCOlympics.com

LAS VEGAS, Feb. 9, 2010 - iStreamPlanet announced today that it has partnered with Switch Communications, Intel, Arista Networks and Juniper Networks to create a fully redundant, cloud based content origination service that is hosting all video and high resolution photo content on NBCOlympics.com through the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games. iStreamPlanet was hired by Microsoft and NBC to design and deploy the system to manage the IP and Satellite transit, content acquisition , as well as encoding services for both live and on-demand video from the event. All of the encoding is being done in IIS Smooth Streaming out of iStreamPlanet’s facilities in Las Vegas, Nevada.

“With hundreds and hundreds of highlights and more than 1,000 hours of HD-quality video content delivered in 17 days, NBCOlympics.com depends on a fast, efficient, and utterly stable delivery system,” says Perkins Miller, Senior Vice President, Digital Media, NBC Sports & Olympics. “Olympic fans know that NBCOlympics.com is the only destination for every moment of the Vancouver Olympic Winter Games and we couldn’t do it without partners like iStreamPlanet, Switch, Intel, Arista and Juniper.”

The heart of the solution from iStreamPlanet is the Video Workflow Automation Service that provides the ability to acquire content, route video, provision and start/stop encoders, failover and redundancy and resource management in addition to ability to create, start, stop and shutdown all publishing points on both primary and secondary origin groups and manage live-to-video on-demand workflow. Additionally the Origin Telemetry provides a real-time performance monitoring, maintenance and health-checks of the all Origin resources for optimized and scalable Origin services.

"When we were hired by Microsoft and NBC to provide these services for NBCOlympics.com’s presentation of the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games, we needed to find an infrastructure provider that could support 30 concurrent live feeds and over 800 hours of on-demand content in a scalable and highly reliable manner. The SuperNAP facility of Switch Communications was the only place we found to host the origination servers, storage and network equipment to meet those demanding service requirements." said Mio Babic, CEO iStreamPlanet. With over 400,000 square feet of space and being connected to 27 carriers, Switch's SuperNAP is the most modern and secure location with the absolute highest level of redundant connectivity in the world.

"We are so proud to be partnered with iStreamPlanet, Intel, Arista Networks and Juniper Networks on the NBCOlympics.com’s online presentation of the 2010 Vancouver Olympics." said Rob Roy, CEO Switch Communications. "There is no doubt that we have built something here we can all be proud of and that will serve as a benchmark on how to build services in the cloud."

To provide this level of real-time serving capacity at the performance levels expected by viewers, iStreamPlanet and Switch chose the Intel® Xeon® processor 5500 series coupled with Intel® Ethernet controllers. “This is a terrific example of how Intel’s efforts at optimization beyond the processor are enabling our partners to deliver innovation on cloud services. The state-of-the-art server technologies chosen by iStreamPlanet and Switch will enable the best experience for Olympics viewers world-wide” said Jason Waxman, General Manager, High Density Computing Division at Intel.

Arista Networks provided the Ethernet network to interconnect the streaming servers which require high-performance 1/10Gb switching with very large packet buffering. This is perfectly suited to supporting high-bandwidth video streaming and storage interconnection while maintaining the highest levels of system availability with both device and system level resiliency designed into the iStreamPlanet infrastructure. As reliability and resilience is important Arista EOS with In-Service Software Upgrades and Stateful Fault Repair proved invaluable in maintaining service level agreements and overall uptime.

Juniper Networks provided their latest in routing and firewall technologies.

About Arista Networks

Arista Networks was founded to deliver cloud networking solutions for large datacenter and computing environments. Arista offers best-of-breed 10 Gigabit Ethernet switches that redefine scalability, robustness, and price-performance. At the core of Arista's platform is the Extensible Operating System (EOS), a pioneering new software architecture with self-healing and live in-service software upgrade capabilities. Arista's team is comprised of experienced management and engineering talent from leading networking companies. Arista markets its products worldwide through distribution partners, systems integrators and resellers with a strong dedication to partner and customer success. For more information, please visit https://www.arista.com or contact Arista at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or 650-462-5000.

About iStreamPlanet

iStreamPlanet® develops and provides digital media strategy, managed webcasting services, and Rich Internet Applications. The company successfully integrates managed services and SaaS-based digital media applications that cover all aspects of a media delivery, enabling enterprises and other content owners to distribute and monetize their digital media across multiple platforms. iStreamPlanet’s team of digital media and broadcast experts has managed and enabled the deployment of more than 1,000 large live events viewed online by millions, including the Presidential Inauguration and the Michael Jackson Memorial. The world’s top business leaders (American Express, AT&T, Caterpillar, Microsoft), trendiest music festivals (Bonnaroo, Coachella, SXSW), most popular sporting events (Masters Golf Tournament, Championships at Wimbledon, Sunday Night Football) and major broadcasters (CBS Television, Cablevision, Fox International, NBC) rely on iStreamPlanet’s digital media solutions. Through its partnership with Smart City, iStreamPlanet also supports over 60 of the largest U.S. convention centers and event facilities. Founded in 2000, the privately held company is headquartered in Las Vegas with offices in Orlando, Florida; Scottsdale, Arizona; and Washington, D.C. More information is available by calling 702-492-5900 or visiting http://www.istreamplanet.com.

Media Contacts:

Arista Networks
Mari Mineta Clapp
(408) 398-6433
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iStreamPlanet
Randy Levine
(702) 492-5915
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