This white paper is designed to illustrate how Helius solutions enable the delivery of On-Demand information access.

Intended Audience

This white paper is applicable to organizations that have a have a business reason to offer employees, customers and partners on-demand access to information. The Helius solutions can be deployed for single location organizations and provide tremendous value. However,
the scope and focus of this white paper is on the organizations with multiple locations.
Application

Access to information is critical to success in today’s business environment. Traditional solutions have provided employees with reasonable access to static data for business analysis. Successful companies are realizing that this access to information must grow to include employees, business partners and most importantly customers. Further, this information must be as close to up-to-the-minute as is possible.

Delivering this information to geographically distributed organizations is a daunting task and one that can cause significant increases in cost and frustrations. Many organizations are turning to VHS, CD and DVD media to deliver this information to their locations around the
world. This puts their valuable content at risk of being late, lost or simply not implemented. This white paper focuses on four key applications that would benefit from on-demand access to information. These applications are entertainment, reference materials, advertising and education.

Helius Integrated Technology Architecture

In order to deliver content for on-demand access, Helius integrates a number of technologies. The following diagram illustrates all of the components at work. The foundation of all Helius appliances is the Helius Media Core. This software module encapsulates all traffic into IP packets prior to multicast- ing or broadcasting to remote locations. In its simplest form, all traffic is sent in one direction, from the transmitting location to the receiver locations. More complex implementations require two-way communications with terrestrial return. Helius’ patented (US 6,205,473 B1) method and system for asymmetric satellite communications for local area networks (LANs) solves this complex technical challenge.

Prior to delivery to the remote locations, content is encoded in IP packets, scheduled for appropriate distribution locations, and encrypted.

Infrastructure For On-Demand Applications

The delivery of information for on-demand access leverages Internet Protocol (IP) networking technologies in use today. As a result, organiza- tions often have the networking infrastructure in place prior to implementing an on-demand initiative. Utilizing the simple, secure, and reliable Helius Integrated Technology Architectures, businesses are capable of delivering content for on-demand access to employees, customers, and business partners.

Content can be transmitted from a live broadcast or from pre-recorded media such as VHS, DVD, or CD. Organizations typically broadcast at a studio within the Network Operations Center (NOC) at a provider’s facility or at an outsourced content provider’s facility. Some enterprises house their own studio and multicast the live video stream across their private WAN to the co-located 3rd party IP to DVB gateway and modulator for delivery via satellite. For pre-recorded content or multimedia training applications, customers often create content using internal application server resources and, upon completion, copy the content to the Helius appliance for storage.

At the receiving endpoints, end-users have the ability to view the content live or on-demand. All Helius receiver appliances include interfaces for satellite termination, television, video display, and 10/100 Ethernet. Users can control what is being viewed via a personal computer running Helius StreamRiderTM or infrared remote control accessing a Helius Video ApplianceTM. Similar to a satellite television service, an easy to use menu is provided so that the end users can select the content for viewing on-demand. For kiosk access, a “touch screen” interface is used rather than a remote control.

On-Demand Opportunities

On-Demand Entertainment

The entertainment industry is a primary business driver for on-demand applications. Everyday, overnight guests check-in to hotels that offer on-demand access to the latest Pay-Per-View movies. Unlike legacy Pay-Per-View systems that require the viewer to wait until a specified time to view the movie from the beginning, hotel guests choose the exact moment in which the movie begins. Some systems include the ability to pause, rewind, fast-forward, and stop the movie akin to operating a VCR or DVD player.

There are a number of other applications that benefit from accessing digital content On-Demand. Restaurants and bars commonly show music videos, classic sporting events, live sports telecasts, and popular music for after-hours dancing. Retailers entertain customers with in-store music that is in the local language and fits the local geography’s musical preferences. Movie theatres deliver the latest movies and upcoming movie previews to audiences daily.

On-Demand Reference Materials

Providing on-demand access to digitized reference material is an excellent customer service. At neighborhood malls, tools such as touch- screen kiosks provide customers with directions to retail stores of interest and details on product offerings. Vendors can leverage these kiosks to deliver advertisements and announcements of upcoming sales.

There are a number of other customer benefits associated from on-demand access to reference materials. Mechanics are able to service cars more quickly due to their ability to access the most updated parts and reference materials with a “click” of the mouse. Customers looking to make improvements to their homes get “pointers” on best-practices from user-friendly kiosks while shopping at the local home improvement store. Libraries provide visitors with on-demand access to the current inventory of popular books.

On-Demand Advertising Campaigns

Retailers can use on-demand access to digital content to provide customers with highly targeted and specific product information. Within the retail storefront, customers are immersed in product advertisements, attractive images, and in-store audio announcements. Rather than dealing with manually swapping out VHS tapes or DVDs, store personnel can simply schedule the MPEG files to run at a specific time.

There are a number of other applications for on-demand advertising campaigns. Roadside digital signage in major metropolitan areas is constantly changing and could be more precisely targeted based on time of day and audience using the control that on-demand access to digital content provides. Throughout casino resorts, guests are constantly reminded of the services and entertainment available throughout the resort. In fact, LCD monitors are placed in elevators, walkways, and shopping areas. All of this content can be easily managed using on-demand technology. Digital advertisements are more commonly displayed at gas station pumps throughout the United States. Petroleum companies can generate additional revenue dollars by selling advertising time to key vendors.

On-Demand Interactive Distance Learning

Geographically distributed enterprises can reduce costs and improve results by deploying an on-demand interactive distance learning infrastructure. Traditional classroom training methods (travel to a centralized site) are too costly and take too long given today’s business climate. Field sales representatives get the benefit of up-to-date product information and sales training without sacrificing valuable time in front of the customer. This same infrastructure is easily extended to business partners. For example, product companies can train partners on a new product prior to the product launch, maximizing the company’s probability for a successful entry into the market.

Two other applications for on-demand interactive distance learning include online college curriculum and technical certifications. Many colleges provide students with the option of taking a class online. Colleges can deliver and manage the content more simply by implementing an on-demand interactive distance learning infrastructure. Industry recognized technical certifications can be delivered using this architecture as well. It is not uncommon for companies to hold-back on technical development of its engineers due the company’s inability to take them away from revenue generating activities. On-demand interactive distance learning solves this business problem.

Solution Components

Four critical Helius technologies work together to deliver on-demand digital content access: Helius MediaStreamTM Encoder, MediaStreamTM Server PRO, Helius MediaWriteTM, and Helius MediaLockTM.

The MediaStream EncoderTM enables the multicast distribution of live or pre-recorded source video. This product is designed to capture the incoming video stream (from DVD, VCR, Video Camera etc), convert it to MPEG-1 or MPEG-2 format and deliver it out across the LAN/WAN where it can be viewed at the desktop. The Helius MediaStreamTM Encoder is a hardware decoder using Helius technology to improve function- ality and performance. The Helius IP Encoder can be used stand alone as an MPEG multicast tool for a single network, or in conjunction with a Helius MediaGateTM Router 2500-S or Helius Media MediaGateTM Router 2500-T to broadcast the material over multiple networks.

Helius MediaStreamTM Server PRO enables organizations to serve up multiple streams of content and users can watch the content from their desktop using the Helius StreamRiderTM or other viewing products.

Helius MediaWriteTM is a simple, secure and reliable multicast, content distribution software product designed to deliver files of any size to any number of remote sites via satellite or terrestrial networks. MediaWrite gives customers the ability to schedule delivery and control access to the files using a browser based management tool. There are two components to the MediaWrite system, the Server and Receiver. The Server side functions include scheduling, compression and multiplexing. The combination of Server and Receiver gives the customer a complete solution which includes file validation, delivery confirmation, transport security, file access security, logging and tracking. The server and receiver software modules make On-Demand access to corporate training content and presentations possible. Often times product trainings, sales trainings, and technical trainings that are not time critical can be taken at the end user’s convenience (on-demand).

Helius MediaLockTM secures the data transmissions ensuring confidentiality; file integrity, and receiver-side authorization. MediaLock integrates with Helius MediaWriteTM technology to give system administrators the ability to quickly select any combination of recipients and grant access to specific broadcasts. The software offers 768-bit encryption and incorporates 3DES data encryption standards. MediaLock is designed for use with IP and satellite networks and provides administrators with a remote management interface.

Technical Benefits

Helius recognizes that IT executives want to minimize network disruption associated with the implementation of any IT-enabled initiative. All Helius products are architected to fit into any Internet Protocol (IP) enabled network infrastructure. Built from the ground up using Intel® x86-based hardware and open source software, Helius’ server and receiver appliances deliver interactive distance learning applications in a simple, secure, and reliable fashion. There are a number of technical benefits resulting from the implementation of a “Helius Powered” content delivery infrastructure.

• Packaged as an “appliance” solution for simple deployment and future software / hardware upgrades
• Simple configuration and management interface
• Reliable technology based on industry standards
• Secure transmission of all communications
• Access to live or on-demand content
• View content the way you like via personal computer, television, or video display
• Leverage existing network infrastructure and content assets
• Minimize load on network through scheduling of content delivery
• Deliver video, audio, multimedia, and data using the same network
• Connect televisions, video cameras, DVD players, VCRs, plasma screens, and Ethernet devices directly into Helius servers and receivers
• Support for local storage of content for on-demand viewing

Support for “two-way” communication via a terrestrial return utilizing Helius’ patented technology.

Summary

The Helius on-demand solution removes many barriers to deploying important business solutions. Gone are the days when companies must take critical “revenue generating” resources out of the field for product training. Gone are the days when retail advertising campaigns are ineffective due to the time it takes to get new content out to the stores. Gone are the days when channel partners lack the critical information and training required to sell new products being introduced. Gone are the days when car mechanics lack access to up-to-date reference materials. Gone are the days when a hotel guest cannot choose the exact time to start a Pay-Per-View movie.

Distributed organizations will see measurable benefits as a result of an on-demand infrastructure. Given the speed of business today, constant communications and training are paramount for success. Fortunately, implementing an infrastructure capable of delivering digital content for on-demand access will not only make a company more competitive, but it will save the company money in operating expenses and lost productivity.

Helius is dedicated to developing products that enable the simple, secure and reliable integration of satellite and terrestrial LAN/WAN networks. This integration provides customers a comprehensive enterprise-wide data broadcast infrastructure. With this infrastructure they can deliver corporate broadcasts, distance learning and training programs.

The Helius portfolio of solutions includes IP-based transmission, reception, conversion and distribution technologies. These solutions deliver video, voice, application and file data across WANs, LANs and distributed desktops.