CANAL SATELLITE Launches a SMS Service Using IDP's RegieLine Technology.

Business Editors

PARIS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan, 7, 2001

Canal Satellite, Using IDP's RegieLine Technology and in Collaboration

With Vizzavi, Has Launched Its First SMS Service Which Allows Its

Subscribers to Send Text Messages to Mobile Telephones. Subscribers

Can Use Their Remote Controls and a Virtual Keyboard On Their TV

Screen to Access the Service

French satellite platform Canal Satellite has chosen IDP to develop its first SMS application, created using IDP's RegieLine 2.0 tool for publishing and updating interactive television applications.

Using their remote controls, Canal Satellite subscribers can now type a message and their receiver's telephone number on a virtual keyboard on their TV screen. With its RegieLine software, IDP has integrated the application and developed the back-office tools that ensures the transfer of the message to the Vizzavi platform. This in turn automatically forwards the message to the receiver's mobile telephone. IDP has also developed the virtual keyboard, which will now be the standard keyboard for all Canal Satellite applications created using RegieLine.

Canal Satellite is France's leading digital television operator, and over the last two years has been testing the performance of RegieLine, IDP's software suite for publishing and updating interactive television applications. The broadcaster has recently renewed its contract with IDP for a further five years.

To date, Canal Satellite has broadcast more than 20 interactive services created with RegieLine. Among the most popular figures the Canal Satellite Vie Pratique portal which provides access to different services, or the Lagardere Active iTV services including ELLE Cuisine, ELLE Astrologie, Auto-Moto, Parents and Premiere Magazine. Also popular are Le Journal de chez vous, a local news service established on both the TPS and Canal Satellite platforms, l'Espace Clients, which provides information on different subscription options, and C pour vous, the latest games and interactive competitions portal. RegieLine was also used for managing viewers' votes and the option to subscribe to the reality TV show Star Academy channel, broadcast 24 hours a day on Canal Satellite.

"The creation of Canal Satellite's new SMS messaging service demonstrates RegieLine's versatility," said Charlie Horrell, CEO at IDP. "Its ease of use has allowed Canal Satellite to conceptualise and develop a wide range of low-cost programmes very quickly, both for internal use and for client applications. Thanks to RegieLine, Canal Satellite can offer unrivalled flexibility to adapt rapidly to the changing tastes and expectations of an increasingly demanding public."

Note to editors:

IDP

Founded in 1992, IDP is one of the leading providers of technology tools for the creation of interactive television services. IDP's core technology, RegieLine, has a market reach of over four million digital homes in Europe.

IDP clients have produced more than 60 interactive television services in just three years for major European operators, such as Canal Satellite, NOOS, TPS, Cyfra+, and Canal Digital.

The company was listed on the Paris "Nouveau Marche" in 1997 and received additional funding from the Swedish venture group Skandia Media Invest. More information on IDP can be found on www.idp.fr.