HELIUS USHERS IN NEXT-GENERATION INTERNET ACCESS WITH CUSTOMER PREMISE SATELLITE INTERFACE (CPSI)

OREM, Utah – Sept. 7, 1999 – Data-via-satellite has now become more intuitive and less intimidating for customers as well as easier to maintain by systems integrators with a new Customer Premise Satellite Interface (CPSI) announced today by Helius Inc. With this simplified and service-oriented strategy, Helius gives original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) a distinct competitive advantage when designing Internet access and applications for large-scale deployment. With early adoption from companies such as Motorola Computer Group, a division of Motorola Inc. (NYSE:MOT), Fujitsu and Mitsubishi Electric, satellite solutions for Internet applications are quickly gaining momentum.

"The satellite industry is beginning to remove its intricacies by adopting service features. As this occurs, satellite will be more available for large-scale business and consumer Internet applications," predicts Patti Reali, remote and Internet access telecommunications analyst for Dataquest, a division of GartnerGroup. "Satellite delivers incredible results for large data transfer applications such as IP multicast, multimedia streaming and webcasting."

Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) is a term used in the telecommunications industry to refer to equipment that delivers telecommunications services and is at the customer’s site. (For example, a telephone is customer premise equipment.) Helius Customer Premise Satellite Interface (CPSI) describes the interface at the customer’s site that delivers satellite-based services. Until now, this interface was complicated for customers to use and difficult to manage on a large scale. With Helius’ combination of proven technology and new service features, customers have a simple and reliable device that is easily maintained, making it an attractive Internet access solution for OEM products.

"Customers want worry-free satellite technology," explains Myron Mosbarger, president and chief executive officer of Helius. "We remove the mystique of data-via-satellite by offering a reliable, ‘down-to-earth’ solution: the Customer Premise Satellite Interface. This new, easy-to-use tool will be deployed by OEMs to manage systems remotely."

By specializing in connecting satellite services to customers, Helius has developed unique technologies for its Customer Premise Satellite Interface. Helius Optimized™ technology features Advanced Packet Filtering™ for maximum throughput as well as Dynamic Service Multiplexer™ for optimal network load-balancing. An additional feature, the Virtual Technician (SM) service, provides built-in remote maintenance and support. Helius’ Customer Premise Satellite Interface is compatible with all network operating systems and can be ported to enhance the performance of any satellite service.

"By using satellite for one-way Internet communication, such as IP multicast and multimedia streaming, download traffic is removed from the network and overhead on landlines is reduced," Mosbarger explains.

These features provide ideal data-access solutions for many organizations. Gerry Purdy, president and CEO of Mobile Insights, a professional services company that focuses on mobile computing and the data communications market, observes, "Helius technology is especially well-matched to meet the needs of remote offices; K-12 schools; roving events and those who require IP multicasting."

Recent developments with Motorola Computer Group (MCG), Fujitsu and Mitsubishi Electric also confirm the viability of Helius’ strategy. Aug. 9, MCG announced Helius satellite-data access technology as an Internet access option on its newly launched SLX Series network appliance for Internet-access applications. June 29, Helius announced a trading partnership with ITOCHU Communications Corp. in the Japanese satellite market to fill orders from Fujitsu and Mitsubishi Electric, both of which are requiring the robust satellite Internet access features Helius offers.

The standalone appliance version of Helius’ customer premise satellite interface – the Helius Satellite Router™ – was introduced in March and is experiencing rapid adoption worldwide due to its reliability, versatility and market need.

About Helius

Helius Inc. is the premier developer of data-via-satellite solutions and provides high-speed, affordable Internet access to tens of thousands of users worldwide. Helius’ new Customer Premise Satellite Interface (CPSI) improves the usability and management of satellite data access for large-scale OEM deployment across enterprise organizations and to consumer groups. Founded in 1995, Helius is based in Orem, Utah, and is a holding under the Ray Noorda/Canopy Group Investment Company. Ray Noorda is the former chief executive of Novell (NASDAQ:NOVL). For more information visit http://www.helius.com or call 801-764-9020.

– end –

Advanced Packet Filtering, Dynamic Service Multiplexer, Helius, Helius Optimized and Helius Satellite Router are trademarks and Virtual Technician is a service mark of Helius Inc.

All other brand or product names are registered trademarks or trademarks of their respective holders.