[2] Metabyte Networks Names Labeeb Ismail as Vice President of Technology.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

FREMONT, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 6, 2000

Metabyte Networks, Inc., a personal TV software technology and service company, has announced the promotion of Labeeb Ismail as Vice President of Technology.

Mr. Ismail takes over his new duties after four and a half years at Metabyte. He has been the co-inventor of the MbTV technology. "Labeeb has been the driving force in creating the technology that has positioned MbTV prominently in the personal TV arena," said Mr. Manu Mehta, CEO and president of Metabyte Networks, Inc. "His promotion to VP of technology is natural as he has played that role for several years. We congratulate him for his success."

Ismail is one of the founding members of Metabyte Networks, Inc. He formed the interactive TV group within Metabyte focusing on Interactive TV technology development and licensing. Ismail developed the initial ideas and technology behind MbTV. He formed a team of engineers for developing initial prototypes of MbTV. He managed development projects and filed patents on the technology and is a co-inventor for over 100 of Metabyte Networks, Inc. inventions.

As VP of Technology, Ismail's primary duties will be to provide the technical leadership in bringing the MbTV technology to the market. "I feel this is a positive and significant step forward for me," said Ismail. "I'm proud of what we've created and how our vision is turning into a reality. It will be a true pleasure to oversee MbTV's deployment into the market place." Ismail holds a B.S. degree in Computer Science and Engineering, from Regional Engineering College, Calicut, India.

About Metabyte Networks

Metabyte Networks, Inc. is a personal TV software technology and services company. Its client technology (MbTV) is fully capable of integrating with any existing infrastructure and is fully portable to all leading interactive TV operating systems and middleware. When MbTV is embedded in a set-top-box or a hard disk-based video recorder, it automatically builds a profile (MbTV Thumbprint) of the consumer's TV watching tastes, while providing full PVR capabilities, such as record, pause and playback. MbTV is totally automatic and requires no special input from the consumer other than normal TV watching. In addition, MbTV totally protects consumers' privacy by maintaining the vast majority of Thumbprints at the set-top-box. MbTV technology provides a way to allow a client set-top-box to filter massive amounts of information. Individual viewers are presented the content that interests them instead of the general population. Metabyte Networks' business model complements, rather than competing with, the business models of cable/satellite system operators, broadcasters, consumer electronics companies and advertisers. Metabyte Networks is an enabler of Personal TV services such as targeted advertising/t-commerce, video on demand, targeted t-coupons and TV portals. Investors include Thomson Consumer Electronics, a world leader in digital consumer electronics, and Seagate, the world's largest manufacturer of hard disks. In addition, Metabyte Networks has alliances and strategic relationships with Microsoft, Nielsen Media, Starz-Encore, HBO, Western Digital and C-Cube. For more information, visit www.mbtv.com.