Alcatel Selects nCUBE as its Video Server of Choice; Reseller Agreement Extends nCUBE's International Video-On-Demand Presence.

FOSTER CITY, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Aug. 20, 1998--nCUBE is today announcing that Alcatel, a world leader in telecommunications systems and equipment, as well as related cables and components activities, has chosen to partner with nCUBE as an authorized worldwide reseller of nCUBE video servers.

Alcatel has adopted MediaCUBE(TM) video servers as key components in interactive video-on-demand projects, with applications that include hospitality, distance learning, news dissemination, business communications, and home entertainment.

"nCUBE's highly-scalable video server technology, coupled with their unsurpassed expertise in the multimedia delivery industry, made this a logical decision for Alcatel," said Norbert Theuretzbacher, Director of Multimedia Software Solutions at Alcatel. "nCUBE offers the only solution that fulfills Alcatel's stringent demands for advanced interactive delivery systems, both today and far into the future."

"We are extremely pleased to announce our partnership with Alcatel," said Ken Pike, Vice President of International Operations for nCUBE. "Alcatel is a highly regarded worldwide company, with a very high level of expertise in system integration services and advanced telecommunications products. We look forward to working closely with them in providing highly-scalable delivery solutions for the rapidly growing worldwide market for video-on-demand."

nCUBE's video server technology, based on a unique hypercube architecture, is a major component for Alcatel's extensive multimedia visitor information system at EXPO '98, currently taking place in Lisbon, Portugal. Video-enhanced information booths, located throughout the vast EXPO '98 site, provide visitors with visually exciting direction, education and promotional material that is updated daily. This state-of-the-art interactive delivery solution consists of an nCUBE MediaCUBE 3000 video server delivering broadcast-quality MPEG video content to 85 kiosks and up to 500 multimedia PCs.

EXPO '98, which opened in May and will run through the end of September, is the last world's fair of this century. Approximately 150 countries and international organizations, the highest ever recorded for this type of event, are participating. The total number of visitors is projected at nearly 8.5 million.

In 1997, nCUBE and Alcatel cooperated in providing technology for an ADSL-based trial conducted by Post & Telekom Austria. The long-range aim of the project is to serve select business customers with Fast Internet. Possible applications areas are electronic commerce, training and video-on-demand, and live feed.

nCUBE's video servers are the only proven systems that are configurable to deliver up to 20,000 broadcast-quality MPEG video streams with a single system. Product features include support for the major network architectures of the video market, including ATM/STM-1, 10 or 100BaseT Ethernet, QAM, DVB, and ADSL. nCUBE video servers incorporate Oracle Video Server(TM) (OVS) software. Oracle (Nasdaq:ORCL), with its video server software and other products and services, provides new, innovative ways to expand services provided by broadcasters, satellite providers, cable companies, and telephone companies while providing a scalable, reliable solution. Oracle's step-by-step approach provides the flexibility to deliver traditional play-to-air broadcast services as well as personalized or fully interactive services directly to consumers over a wide variety of networks to PCs or set-top boxes.

For delivering the multimedia content over the network and to the customer, Alcatel builds upon the full range of industry leading products, such as ATM switching, ADSL access over the telephone copper wires, and digital TV products.

Founded in 1983, nCUBE is a privately held company specializing in broadcast-quality video delivery systems that can be scaled to accommodate up to 20,000 users simultaneously within a single system. nCUBE's expertise and unique system scalability has made it the video server of choice in te networks to user terminals. For more informatlcatel Alsthom. Oracle Video Server is a trademark of Oracle Corp. All other brand or product names are trademarks of their respective holders.

    CONTACT: nCUBE
              Bob Kehoe, 503/690-6306
              [e-mail]
              or
              Oracle Corp.
              Bonnie C. Vik, 425/990-2586
              [e-mail]
              or
              Alcatel Telecom
              Bernd Weber, (33.1) 69 81 11 00
              [e-mail]