UST Global Signs Contract with a Leading Media and Entertainment Company to Adapt a System for the Transition from Film to Digital.

ALISO VIEJO, Calif. -- UST Global(SM), a leading provider of IT services and Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) solutions for Global 2000 enterprises, announced today the kickoff of a development project for a major media and entertainment company who is a global leader in the creation, production, distribution, licensing and marketing of entertainment content. With the explosive growth in digital film distribution, the client engaged UST Global to implement a system enhancement that will provide accurate estimates for manufacturing expenses related to distributing digital prints along with IMAX and traditional 35mm film.

The transition from 35mm film to digital print has led many content companies to take advantage of the less expensive duplication and distribution now available in the digital world. One of the biggest challenges they face is that digital print manufacturing is a new and quickly evolving technology. Changes in print formats, pricing and distribution methods occur every few months. This makes it difficult to develop a solution that will be useful once the development is completed. UST Global's application design will be flexible in this regard so that the price structures can be adapted to future changes.

"With the rapid change of technology in this industry, our client wanted a partner who could adapt quickly to these changes. They needed a solution provider that thoroughly understands their business," said Mike Zerkel, general manager, North America. "The client engaged UST Global for this project because of our proven track record in the industry and our four-year partnership working together with successful results on numerous other projects."

Following the requirements planning and analysis earlier this year, the contract was signed. UST Global is providing on-site engagement management with an offshore development team that encompasses project management, Java development and QA analysis. Development is scheduled to be complete in late November 2007 while the print estimation enhancements will be delivered in successive phases with final deployment scheduled for early 2008.

Integrating IT and Business Needs

The client cited several reasons for why they value working with UST Global:

* Print rate management: Manufacturing and distribution costs are managed by the home office using rates quoted by various international print labs and digital distribution networks.

* Local territory estimation: Users in the local territories plan their distribution strategy by entering the quantity of prints they plan to distribute to exhibitors along with any miscellaneous local expenses. The system automatically calculates the distribution costs from the print rate data.

* Decision support: The home office reviews the collective budget plans of the territories and approves or recommends adjustments as needed. The system maintains historical records of all changes and also includes several reports to facilitate senior management review.

* Exchange rate processing: The system must accurately compute costs using rates entered in the currency of the print lab and then convert costs into the currency of the local territory that the film is being distributed in.

* Security: The system manages user access, update and approval rights using the security infrastructure in place from the original UST Global development.

A Rewarding Four-Year Partnership

UST Global was originally engaged in 2003 to implement a major enhancement of the company's decision support system that manages and coordinates the scheduling, marketing and physical distribution activities for the theatrical release of motion pictures in over 60 territories worldwide. The system provides real-time access to current and historical data including projected expenses for advertising and publicity, film distribution, estimated revenues and actual box office results. The Web-based application enables local entry of budget and scheduling data for review by the home office.

Developed in Java, the system runs on the IBM WebSphere application server utilizing Java Server Pages (JSPs) on an Oracle Database along with an Oracle Reports server. The complete system consists of over 100 screens, 40 reports and 10 interfaces to other applications. UST Global provides all support and maintenance for the application.

Successfully Delivering Media and Entertainment Expertise

UST Global has designed and supported similar custom development projects for other media and entertainment companies. Media clients comment that the reason they choose UST Global is because of its business domain knowledge and flexible working relationships with clients. Unlike many offshore organizations, UST Global has invested heavily in U.S.-based media and entertainment expertise. Because UST Global has the familiarity and understanding of the business needs in the media space, the company is able to quickly develop relevant solutions, which is a huge advantage and asset to its clients.

About UST Global

UST Global(SM) is a leading provider of end-to-end IT services and BPO solutions for the Global 2000 market. UST Global offers a client-centric Global Engagement Model that provides the optimal mix of senior local resources with the cost, scale and quality advantages of offshore operations for each client. The company is known for a relentless focus on its clients, flexibility, and commitment beyond contract. Headquartered in Aliso Viejo, California, UST Global has more than 5,000 employees worldwide and is certified globally as CMMI([R]) Level 5, P-CMM([R]) Level 5, and ISO 27001. For more information visit: www.ust-global.com.