TEMPE, Ariz., Oct. 23 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Limelight Networks
(Nasdaq: LLNW), the leading content delivery network (CDN) for digital media,
today introduced LimelightHD, a service for the delivery of high-definition
(HD) media and digital content over the Internet. LimelightHD allows media
and entertainment companies, global consumer brands, game publishers, and
social media sites to deliver HD-quality movies, TV shows, video clips and
games directly to their users' Internet-connected televisions, game consoles,
and PCs. Leading Internet TV service Brightcove, and key media entities,
including Fox Interactive Media, MSN Video and Rajshri.com, India's leading
broadband video portal, are among those who announced they will offer HD
content via the LimelightHD service. Media technology leaders supporting the
LimelightHD initiative include Adobe Systems, Incorporated, Microsoft
Corporation, Move Networks and Veoh Networks. LimelightHD will be available
immediately on over 700 broadband access networks worldwide.
LimelightHD is designed to meet the rising demand for high-definition
content delivered via the Internet, to television set-top boxes, media
players, game consoles, and PCs. Consumers are broadly embracing HD-quality
programming, with Forrester Research predicting that the majority of U.S.
households will have an HD television by 2010.(1) A recent report by
eMarketer noted that by 2011, there will be 200 million Internet users in the
United States and 183 million online video viewers.(2) As broadcast HD
becomes commonplace, consumer demand for Internet HD will grow rapidly,
prompting leading media and online companies to expand their Internet
programming strategies and begin introducing online HD offerings this year.
The LimelightHD service is specifically designed to provide end-users with
a high-fidelity, high-definition media experience by bypassing the
often-congested public Internet and delivering content directly to "last-mile"
broadband access networks. At the heart of LimelightHD is Limelight's
advanced global CDN architecture, consisting of thousands of high-performance
content servers distributed worldwide, connected directly to leading broadband
access networks, interconnected via a high-speed, dedicated optical network,
and built to store and deliver entire content libraries. This global
footprint reduces network latency and ensures that every title in every HD
content library -- whether the most popular title or the least popular -- will
be consistently available to every user, on demand.
LimelightHD will deliver video content of 720p and 1080p resolution
supporting popular Internet formats and players including Adobe(R) Flash(R)
Player software, Microsoft Windows Media(R), Microsoft Silverlight and Move
Media Player(R).
"At Fox Interactive, the delivery of premium HD content on Fox on Demand
is a critical element in accelerating the market," said Ron Berryman, Senior
Vice President and General Manager, Fox Interactive Media. "Limelight's
approach to HD content delivery -- fast, reliable and scalable -- will ensure
that consumers can enjoy the programming they want to see, on multiple devices
and formats."
"With the introduction of Brightcove Show and the integration of
LimelightHD, we give thousands of our Internet TV customers the ability to
provide full-screen, broadcast-quality video experiences directly to consumers
from their websites," said Jeremy Allaire, Chairman and Chief Executive
Officer of Brightcove. "Limelight is an ideal partner for Brightcove as we
extend our Internet TV platform and ad product solutions for media owners who
want to deliver long-form, HD-quality video content on the open Internet."
"As India's #1 broadband video portal, serving a South Asian audience
worldwide, it is our constant endeavor to offer entertainment-hungry consumers
premium Indian programming of the highest quality," said Rajjat A. Barjatya,
Managing Director, Rajshri.com. "By leveraging Limelight's rock-solid HD
delivery network, we will soon be able to offer our audience an unmatched
online experience: HD-quality streams and downloads of India's finest films,
TV shows, music videos and original made-for-online video programming."
"Industry enthusiasm for HD content is evident with major TV broadcasters
and leading content publishers supporting the standard," said Mark Randall,
Chief Strategist of Dynamic Media for Adobe. "As a pioneer in the delivery of
seamless Web video experiences, Adobe is dedicated to ensuring viewers can
watch the highest quality content -- via Flash Player compatible video. We
are pleased to collaborate with Limelight and provide the next wave of
innovation with HD media and digital content over the Internet."
"Microsoft Silverlight was designed from the outset to deliver an
unrivaled HD experience. The efficient and highly scalable delivery
capability for Silverlight-based applications and content positions
LimelightHD extremely well for the growth of HD," said Sean Alexander,
Director of Microsoft Silverlight. "We're delighted to be working with
LimelightHD to deliver ever richer user experiences."
"The Internet has had inherent limitations for companies trying to
distribute the massive files associated with HD content, and content providers
have struggled to find different ways to monetize their HD content on-line,"
said David Hatfield, SVP of Global Products, Marketing and Sales at Limelight
Networks. "LimelightHD is optimized to address these issues and deliver
extensive libraries of rich media -- from a newly discovered indie movie to
the most popular hit TV show -- with better clarity and speed than consumers
experience with their existing broadband Internet connections. With
LimelightHD, high-quality programming on the Internet is possible today, and
we're looking forward to working with our customers and partners to continue
to transform the digital media experience."
About Limelight Networks
Limelight Networks is a high-performance content delivery network for
digital media, providing massively scalable, global delivery solutions for
on-demand and live Internet distribution of video, music, games, software and
social media. Limelight Networks' infrastructure is optimized for the large
object sizes, large content libraries, and large audiences associated with
compelling rich media content. Limelight is the content delivery network of
choice for over 1,000 companies, including many of the world's top Internet,
media and entertainment companies, including Microsoft Xbox LIVE, Sony
Playstation 3, Akimbo, Amazon Unbox(TM), Belo Interactive, Brightcove,
"BuyMusic" @ Buy.com, DreamWorks, LLC, Facebook, FOXNews.com, IFILM, ITV Play,
MSNBC.com, NC Interactive and Valve. For more information, visit
http://www.llnw.com.
The names of actual companies and products mentioned herein may be the
trademarks of their respective owners.
Safe Harbor Act Disclaimer: All forward-looking statements contained in
this release are made within the meaning of and pursuant to the safe harbor
provisions of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995.
Forward-looking statements are statements other than statements of historical
facts, including but not limited to statements concerning the availability of
LimelightHD on broadband access networks worldwide, growth in consumer demand
for Internet HD, Limelight Networks' ability to transform the digital media
experience, and other statements concerning the plans, intentions,
expectations, projections, hopes, beliefs, objectives, goals and strategies of
management. Forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future
performance or events and are subject to a number of known and unknown risks,
uncertainties and other factors that could cause actual results to differ
materially from those expressed, projected or implied by such forward-looking
statements. Accordingly, there can be no assurance that the results
expressed, projected or implied by any forward-looking statements will be
achieved, and readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on any
forward-looking statements. The forward-looking statements in this press
release speak only as of the date hereof and are based on the current plans,
goals, objectives, strategies, intentions, expectations and assumptions of,
and the information currently available to, management. The Company assumes
no duty or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements for
any reason, whether as the result of changes in expectations, new information,
future events, conditions or circumstances or otherwise.
(1) Forrester Research, "Benchmark 2007: The Five-Year Forecast for
Devices and Access," September 20, 2007 (2) eMarketer, "On-Line
Video: Making Content Pay," August 2007
SOURCE Limelight Networks
Contact: Kristen Leon of Waggener Edstrom Worldwide, +1-415-547-7027, kristenl@waggeneredstrom.com, for Limelight Networks