Texas Education Agency Selects Convergent Media Systems for T-STAR Transition to Digital

Business Wire, June 30, 2000

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 30, 2000

Digital video technologies are more flexible; provide greater

access to key education resources.

Convergent is leading provider of satellite video networks and

broadband video e-learning solutions.

The Texas Education Agency (TEA) has selected Convergent Media Systems as the preferred vendor to transition the T-STAR education network to more flexible compressed digital video technologies. This will enable content to be delivered simultaneously to schools throughout Texas using MPEG2 to the classroom and IP to the desktop. The contract is valued at $600,000.

Convergent is the leading full-service provider of satellite video networks for businesses, government and state education and programming organizations. The company also provides satellite-delivered Internet Protocol (IP) video, broadband and interactive e-learning solutions. These solutions speed the delivery of training, education and communications throughout extended enterprises and educational systems.

Convergent will transition to digital video technologies the T-STAR satellite uplinking system at the William B. Travis Building in Austin, Texas, and satellite downlink systems at 16 educational service centers and five school districts throughout the state.

The nine-year old T-STAR (Texas Schools Telecommunications Access Resource) serves 3.9 million students and more than 304,000 teachers and administrators in 1,100 school districts and charter schools in the state of Texas. In addition to the staff development programming from Texas Education Agency, the T-STAR satellite system receives curriculum enhancement programming, electronic field trips and professional educator development teleconferences from service providers across the country.

"The migration from analog to digital is due to the large number of educational content providers that are broadcasting in digital," said John Lopez, Director, T-STAR Network, Texas Education Agency. "From a network standpoint, digital satellite technology is much less expensive than analog and it gives us the flexibility to use the content in other digital environments. These advantages increase the programming and distribution resources for teachers and students. The world is moving towards digital in every aspect of how we work, live, and learn. The new T-STAR digital network is effectively becoming a key learning component of our digital economy."

"The Texas school system is a leader in the delivery of academic and professional development programming via satellite," said Dr. Holly A. Robinson, executive director of learning, Convergent. "T-STAR sets standards for school systems throughout the country. We are very pleased to have this opportunity to use our expertise in compressed digital video to help T-STAR expand its horizons to new educational resources."

Convergent Media Systems, Atlanta, pioneered the satellite delivery of business television in 1980 and today operates 70 percent of the nation's business television networks. Convergent also leads in the support of satellite video networks in the education market, such as Georgia's PeachStar Education Network, which reaches 2,000 sites, and the Channel One ad-sponsored network reaching 12,000 schools nationwide. Corporate clients include Ford Motor Company, Federal Express, Unisys Corporation, Bank of America, IBM, Advance Auto Parts and John Hancock.