New Skies and Kingston inmedia announce strategic relationship
1 August 2002

GERRARDS CROSS, England, August 1, 2002 – Kingston inmedia, the satellite-centric broadband solutions provider of Kingston Communications (KCOM.L), and New Skies Satellites, (AEX, NYSE: NSK) the global satellite communications company, have signed an agreement to co-operate closely in offering a highly competitive range of communications services using New Skies’ global satellite network and Kingston inmedia’s fully integrated media facility at Gerrards Cross, just northwest of London.

Under the terms of the new agreement, Kingston inmedia and New Skies will expand the range of satellite communications services offered to customers throughout Europe, the Americas, India, the Middle East and Africa. Specifically:

  • New Skies and its customers will have access to Kingston inmedia’s state-of-the-art digital media facility, which includes satellite earth stations, a secure data centre for colocating equipment, three fully equipped broadcast studios, and advanced digital playout suites.
  • Kingston inmedia and its customers will have access to New Skies’ global satellite network, which consists of six geosynchronous spacecraft and offers connectivity virtually anywhere in the world.
  • Kingston inmedia will add telemetry, tracking and control (TT&C) and carrier services monitoring (CSM) for New Skies’ newly-launched NSS-7 satellite to those services already being performed for the NSS-703 and 806 satellites.
  • New Skies’ communications hardware will be consolidated at a single, secure location within Kingston inmedia’s facility, along with co-location space for customer equipment.

    “This agreement is a logical step in our long-standing business relationship,” said Nick Thompson, chief executive officer of Kingston inmedia. “We are very excited to be able to offer our customers added value through a formidable range of multimedia satellite services.”

    Dan Goldberg, New Skies’ chief executive officer, said, “We have chosen to partner with Kingston inmedia because of the excellent reputation they have built up over their many years of operation. Drawing on the core strengths of each company and further integrating the services and technical expertise of each will bring economies of scale that will allow New Skies Satellites and Kingston inmedia to offer highly competitive satellite communications services.”

    Together, Kingston inmedia and New Skies currently serve approximately 50 video and IP customers. Occasional-use and full-time video customers include using the New Skies satellite system for customers including The Racing Network International (TRNI) and SSVC. Customers for New Skies’ internet backbone connectivity service, IPsys®, are some of the world’s most successful ISPs: Satyam, Gulfsat, Data Access, Primus, Logitech, Siti Cable, BSES, Cybernet, Comet-Simbanet and Ethiopia Telecom. This latest agreement will permit additional growth in the range and volume of both video and internet services.

    About New Skies Satellites
    New Skies Satellites (AEX, NYSE: NSK) is one of only four fixed satellite communications companies with truly global satellite coverage, offering video, voice, data and internet communications services to a range of telecommunications carriers, broadcasters, large corporations and internet service providers around the world. New Skies has six satellites in geosynchronous orbit and ground facilities around the world. The company also has two spacecraft under construction, which are planned to serve the Americas and Asia from two new orbital locations. In line with its growth strategy, the company has secured certain rights to make use of additional orbital positions, including four serving the Americas. New Skies is headquartered in The Hague, The Netherlands, and has offices in London, Johannesburg, New Delhi, Săo Paulo, Singapore, Sydney and Washington, D.C. Additional information is available at: www.newskies.com.


    About Kingston inmedia
    Kingston inmedia is a leading provider of global satellite-centric broadband applications, offering consultancy, products and services that enable organisations in the enterprise, broadcast and internet/carrier sectors to create, manipulate, store and distribute multi-media solutions. A strong commitment to investment in technology and facilities supports Kingston inmedia’s team of experts, placing the company in a unique position to offer end-to-end solutions for content owners, programme makers, broadcasters, corporations, carriers and internet service providers.

    Headquartered in Gerrards Cross, Kingston inmedia serves a growing list of international customers such as BBC, CNBC, Energis, ESPN Classic Sport, ITN, Lucent, P&O, Reuters and Xerox.

    Kingston inmedia is an operating division of Kingston Communications. For more information visit: http://www.kingstoninmedia.com.


    For media information:
    Gay Bell/ Sarah Pocock
    Platform PR
    +44 (0) 20 8964 9149
    gay@platformpr.com

    Elizabeth Hess
    New Skies Satellites
    +31 70 306 4133
    ehess@newskies.com



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