Sandpiper Forms New Technical Advisory Board; Industry Leaders Join Forces to Solve Internet Performance Issues.

WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 16, 1999--Sandpiper Networks Inc., a provider of adaptive content distribution services, today announced the formation of a technical advisory board to help address the problems of Internet performance, and to support Sandpiper in the development of its next generation technology and services.

Recognizing the need for industry-wide initiatives dedicated to Internet performance and reliability issues, Sandpiper assembled a world-class team of Internet experts to help catalyze these efforts. As a result, Sandpiper's advisory board will be working to define new industry standards and other technical solutions that will benefit the entire Internet community.

Advisory board members include Robert Berger, president of Internet Bandwidth Development; Rob Bowman, former director of backbone engineering of Exodus Communications; Benjamin Chen, chief information officer for iXL Enterprises; Dick Edmiston, senior vice president of research and development for EarthLink; David J. Farber, telecommunications professor for the University of Pennsylvania; Michael Whelan, vice president of technology for NBC Interactive Media; and Bill Yundt, vice president, networking for WebTV Networks.

"This team represents the best minds in the industry and is indicative of Sandpiper's commitment to playing a leading role within the Internet technology community. Each advisor is widely recognized as a visionary within his respective field, and will provide a unique perspective on global issues surrounding the future of the Internet," said Leo Spiegel, president and CEO for Sandpiper. "With the formation of the advisory board, Sandpiper is taking a proactive approach to solving the Internet's performance woes. Equally important, the advisory board will help to ensure that Sandpiper remains a customer-driven organization through the development of solutions that meet both the current and future needs of web publishers."

Robert Berger is the president of Internet Bandwidth Development (IBD), a consulting company focused on Internet backbone, Internet service and e-commerce architectures for ISPs, carriers, hardware and software vendors. Berger has been instrumental in providing high-speed services to the public, as demonstrated when he was the founder, president and CTO of InterNex Information Services, the first ISP to offer ISDN access to the Internet. Berger has consulted with clients such as Intel, Visa, Ascend Communications, Class Data/Cisco Systems, Alteon Networks, Covad xDSL CLEC and AboveNet ISP.

Robert Bowman is currently a technical advisor to several Internet companies, where he assists in both technical development and business strategy. Bowman was most recently with Exodus Communications Inc. where he served as director of backbone engineering and director of network technology. Bowman is known as one of the key proponents of distributing content to the edges of the network. Bowman has also worked in the ISP and computer security markets.

As chief information officer for iXL Enterprises, Benjamin Chen is responsible for designing and developing iXL's hosting services and the company's Technical Operations Center (TOC), which includes the iXL wan/intranet. He was the founder of Ironlight Digital and has worked in film production, distribution, information systems, entertainment accounting and management for more than 14 years. Chen is especially valuable to the technical advisory board because of his experience as the leader of the CBS Studio Center Web Site Development Team, as well as his successes with online events like the 1996 Emmys Cybercast.

Dick Edmiston is responsible for advanced technologies planning and implementation as EarthLink's senior vice president of research and development. Edmiston works closely with all of EarthLink's technology groups, including information technology, management information systems, development, content and customer services. Edmiston joins Sandpiper's technical advisory board as an accomplished computer scientist with successes at BBN Corp. where he served as vice president of network planning and architecture after founding BBN Planet. He also managed distributed computer and information systems research at GTE Laboratories.

David J. Farber, Alfred Fitler Moore Professor of Telecommunications at the University of Pennsylvania, has made many important contributions to technology and was recently named one of the most powerful 25 people in networking by Network World magazine. Responsible for the development of the world's first operational distributed computing system, Farber was also integral in designing the first electronic switching system while with Bell Laboratories. He is a Fellow of the IEEE and was the recipient of both the 1995 Sigcomm Award for life long contributions to the computer communications field and the prestigious John Scott Award for Contributions to Humanity in 1997.

Michael Whelan is vice president of technology for NBC Interactive Media where he is responsible for the technological feasibility of all projects. These projects include content web sites, joint technology partnerships and NBC's integration of on-air and interactive entertainment through digital spectrum. Prior to joining NBC Interactive Media, Whelan was the founder and CEO of the Electronic Commerce Division of Philips Electronics North America.

Bill Yundt currently serves as vice president of networking for WebTV Networks where he is responsible for the development and operation of the service network and distributed server facilities. Yundt is a recognized expert in the fields of computer networking, the Internet and network management. Prior to joining WebTV, Yundt served as vice president of BBN Planet where he was the technical liaison to the company's business partners including AT&T. Yundt also founded BARRNET and was director of networking and communication systems at Stanford University.

How Footprint Works

Footprint is a turnkey solution that embodies the concept of Adaptive Content Distribution(TM), a new category of intelligent delivery services that can recognize and respond to changes in network conditions, user demands, and system loads. Available on a subscription basis, Footprint's patent-pending distribution network comprises two components: custom web servers, called Content Distributors; and the Content Migrator(TM), software that resides on the publisher's server and represents the interface that seamlessly connects the publisher to the Footprint network.

Sandpiper has installed more than 30 Content Distributors in over 14 different networks. By deploying Content Distributors within different networks throughout the Internet, including ISPs that provide consumer access, Footprint circumvents congested routes and improves overall web site performance.

Sandpiper is currently working with a variety of web publishers including the "Los Angeles Times," E! Online and others in the online entertainment/news, e-business and high technology markets.

About Sandpiper

Founded in 1996, Sandpiper Networks Inc. is a provider of adaptive content distribution services to web publishers and content providers. The company's initial service offering, Footprint, optimizes network performance by migrating content based on network conditions, content popularity and traffic loads.

Sandpiper is privately funded by Brentwood Venture Capital, Media Technology Ventures and Mission Ventures. For more information, visit the company's web site at www.sandpiper.net.