Avid Acquires the Assets of Rocket Networks, Inc.; New Technology to Integrate with Digidesign Solutions for Enhanced Internet Collaboration and Delivery of Audio Media.

Business Editors/High-Tech Writers

TEWKSBURY, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 4, 2003

Avid Technology, Inc. (NASDAQ: AVID) today announced it has acquired the assets of privately held software company Rocket Networks, Inc., a San Francisco-based developer of internet media collaboration and delivery products for audio and video media. In the future, Avid plans to provide (through its Digidesign audio business unit) collaboration and delivery products or services based on the technology acquired from Rocket Networks. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

"Rocket Networks developed technology that has greatly excited and creatively charged the Digidesign Pro Tools audio community," said Dave Lebolt, vice president and general manager of Digidesign. "By integrating this technology into our current offerings, we plan to provide Pro Tools customers, who are the world's leading producers of audio media, the means to take advantage of a smooth, collaborative workflow between Pro Tools systems over local area networks or the Internet. With powerful tools for easy and secure digital delivery of large media files of any type, including audio or video, this new technology will help our customers move vast amounts of media over the Web at high speed."

Prior to the acquisition, Digidesign had incorporated the Rocket Networks technology into Pro Tools(R) audio systems as part of the DigiStudio(R) online service for track-based collaboration over the Internet, which utilized near real-time interaction along with a remote centralized data server for storage and billing. The technology will further enhance Avid's end-to-end digital workflow, enabling customers to benefit from the efficiency and speed afforded by tighter integration between Pro Tools systems and Avid workgroup shared-storage technology. While the integration of Rocket Networks technology will focus initially on audio workgroup collaboration, it can also be applied to video applications as well. Utilizing secure delivery methods, the technology works with any type of media, affording Avid the ability to expand these capabilities to its entire product family as opportunities arise.

About Avid Technology, Inc.

Avid Technology, Inc. delivers the solutions that Make, Manage and Move Media(TM). As a recognized digital standard for professionals who Make the world's media -- from video, audio and film to animation, special effects and streaming media -- Avid's products are used to make more television and news shows, commercials, music videos and CDs, corporate/industrial productions and major motion pictures combined than any other nonlinear editing manufacturer in the world. Building on its award-winning heritage, which includes several Emmy(R) awards as well as an Oscar(R) statuette representing the 1998 Scientific and Technical Award for the concept, design and engineering of the Avid Film Composer(R) system for motion picture editing, Avid is extending its reach by redefining how digital media is shared, stored and distributed. To Manage today's increasingly rich collection of dynamic media, Avid provides powerful servers, networks and media tools to help customers search files, share media and collaborate on new productions, both locally and globally. Avid's solutions also empower users to easily Move media, whether on air, over cable or satellite or through the Internet. Like no other media company today, Avid's end-to-end solutions span the continuum of media creation, management and distribution. The company's corporate headquarters are located in Tewksbury, MA. More information about the company is available at www.avid.com.

(C) 2003 Avid Technology, Inc. All rights reserved. Product specifications and availability are subject to change without notice. Avid, Digidesign, DigiStudio, Film Composer, Pro Tools and Make, Manage and Move Media are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Avid Technology, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. Oscar is a trademark and service mark of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences. Emmy is a registered trademark of ATAS/NATAS. All other trademarks contained herein are the property of their respective owners.