NOVEMBER 8, 2006 - Espial® IPTV, the leading provider of IPTV middleware and applications, today announced the successful completion of an IPTV pilot deployment at UPC Sweden. UPC and its partners integrated and deployed Espial’s Evo® IPTV Service Platform, including the newly launched Evo® Server, in less than four months from project initiation to commercial launch. UPC Sweden was recently integrated into Com Hem, the leading Swedish provider of Triple Play services with 1.7 million customers covering all of Sweden.

UPC selected Espial’s Evo Server, which was commercially launched at TelcoTV in Dallas this week, and Espial’s market-leading Evo Client, recently named the #1 IPTV client middleware by market research firm ABI. UPC’s DSL-based IPTV deployment was designed to ensure a similar user experience to cable TV. In addition to Espial’s Evo Client and Evo Server products, UPC and its partners used the open and modular toolkits of the Evo Future-Proof Framework™ (FPF) to significantly reduce the cost, complexity, and time of the deployment. Other ecosystem partners include set-top boxes from Tilgin, encoders from Tandberg, VOD servers from Kasenna, and a proprietary DRM system. System integration with ecosystem components and back-office billing and OSS was completed by local Swedish integrator Kentor in less than four months. UPC used the Service Creation Environment of the Evo FPF to create user-interface SkinTones™ customized and localized to Swedish look and feel, language, and programming data.

“We were amazed by the fast performance and overall quality of experience of the Evo IPTV platform compared to the other middleware solutions we evaluated,” said Ulf Johansson, former CEO of UPC Sweden, today vice President of Com Hem. “Further, we were very impressed by the flexibility of Espial’s Service Creation Environment which allowed us to mimic our cable TV service.”

Espial’s products are being deployed to over 500,000 IPTV subscribers and the company was recently named the #1 IPTV client middleware vendor by market research firm ABI (http://biz.yahoo.com/bw/061009/20061009005620.html?.v=1). With key customers such as NTT, Belgacom, OnCommand, LodgeNet, and partners including Siemens/Myrio, Motorola, Sumitomo, Tilgin, Amino, Dasan, Thomson, and Philips, Espial’s leadership in IPTV and consumer services spans over nine years. Over 2.5 million consumers have already experienced Espial technology, from hotel interactive TV and VOD services through OnCommand and LodgeNet, to interactive interfaces in BMW vehicles and Hitachi TVs, to leading deployments with Telcos in the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

“The UPC deployment demonstrates the strength and maturity of our IPTV middleware and applications,” said Jaison Dolvane, Espial CEO, “And it shows that our new Evo Server offering has already been tested and validated by leading operators.”

Espial’s Evo® IPTV Service Platform is in high demand by carriers rolling out IPTV services. Evo’s modularity, turbo-fast performance, and openness have attracted service provider customers across the globe and driven Espial’s IPTV revenue growth to 100% annually over the past three years. Evo is the only IPTV platform available that allows operators to purchase best-of-breed components separately or as part of a pre-integrated client-server middleware solution.

ABOUT ESPIAL IPTV

Espial provides IPTV middleware and applications that are modular, fully skinnable, turbo-fast, and truly open. Espial’s Evo® IPTV Service Platform, which can be purchased as best-of-breed components or as part of a pre-integrated client-server solution, includes Evo® Client, Evo® Server, Evo Future-Proof Framework™ (FPF), and applications such as SkinTones®, Electronic Program Guide, Video on Demand, Content Portal, Games, Triple Play, and Web Browser. Espial products have been integrated with or deployed by more than 100 vendors and operators including Siemens, Motorola, Sumitomo Electric Networks, Amino, Thomson, Philips, Tilgin, LodgeNet, OnCommand and S-Net Systems.

About Com Hem

Com Hem is the leading Swedish provider of Triple Play services -- TV, broadband and telephony. UPC Sweden was integrated into Com Hem in June 2006, which gives the company 1.7 million customers covering all of Sweden. This is equivalent to one third of all Swedish households. The connected households have access to high-quality broadband services, price-worthy services for fixed telephony, and a leading TV selection. Com Hem also offers interactive services to simplify operations, communication and maintenance for property owners. The company has 650 employees with offices in Stockholm. Com Hem is owned by The Carlyle Group and Providence Equity.

Media Contact:
Espial IPTV
Meredith Dundas
Marketing Communications Manager
+1-613-769-8466