A Web First: NaviSite to Stream Mir Space Station's Fiery Reentry Into Earth's Atmosphere

Business Wire, March 13, 2001

Business/Technology Editors

ANDOVER, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--March 13, 2001

streamOS(TM) technology chosen to broadcast one of the largest

celestial events in the last 100 years

Leading managed application hosting provider NaviSite, Inc. (Nasdaq: NAVI) today announced it will broadcast a part of space history on the Internet when it streams footage of the 140-ton Mir space station burning up in an extraordinary celestial display upon its fiery reentry into the Earth's atmosphere. As the exclusive streaming provider for the event, NaviSite will provide MirReentry.com with its streamOS(TM) performance management and content distribution capabilities. The technology will deliver first-hand views of the event - expected to be the largest celestial event since the Tunguska meteorite struck the Earth in Siberia in 1908 - to visitors via www.MirReentry.com. The reentry is expected to occur on or around March 20.

The MIR Reentry Observation Expedition plane, carrying film production crews and acquisition technology from HD3, will fly approximately 200 miles from the projected track of reentry to capture the event. The 140-ton Mir is one of the world's first orbiting space stations, and the last symbol of the Soviet presence in space. When it reaches the Earth's atmosphere, somewhere over the South Pacific, it is expected that up to 100 tons of the space station will burn up, while the remaining 40 tons continues to break up and hit the ocean at near sonic speed. Using streamOS(TM), MirReentry.com will stream the footage on the official Mir reentry Web site, allowing visitors worldwide to watch the reentry on demand.

"We chose to work with NaviSite because this is a once in a lifetime event and we wanted the best streaming technology available so we could deliver high quality footage to anyone who wants to view it," said Robert Belzer, co-owner and chief technical officer at MirReentry.com. "streamOS(TM) will provide us with the capabilities we need to bring this spectacular display to a worldwide audience."

NaviSite's streamOS(TM) is a scalable, cost-effective platform for high-performance streaming content management and delivery, enabling customers to use drag-and-drop functionality to deploy, organize and manage streaming content on their Web sites via a browser-based interface. streamOS(TM) employs a utility service approach which allows customers to leverage the high-performance streaming infrastructure provided by streamOS(TM) Content Distribution Networks (CDNs) as they need it. streamOS(TM) speeds the deployment of streaming content and events, and makes streaming more cost effective and flexible by allowing customers to pay on a usage basis with instant resource provisioning. Through its partnerships with CDNs, NaviSite provides a strong international and domestic network for delivering high quality, high bit rate content. streamOS(TM) also enables customers to track and report on the performance of streaming broadcasts to ensure high availability.

Mir celebrated its 15th birthday in February, surviving well beyond its original anticipated five-year life span. The reentry will be marked by the breaking apart of the Mir into hundreds, even thousands of pieces, the rupture of the major pressurized modules, and the streaming trails of incandescent debris as it passes through the Earth's atmosphere.

"It is a great opportunity to be part of the Mir reentry event, and one that we are looking forward to immensely," said Joel Rosen, president and CEO of NaviSite. "streamOS(TM) provides superior streaming services that an event of this magnitude demands, ensuring performance, reliability, scalability and ease of management."

About NaviSite, Inc.

NaviSite, Inc. is a leading provider of outsourced Web hosting and managed application services for companies conducting mission-critical business on the Internet, including enterprises and other businesses deploying Internet applications. The Company's goal is to help customers focus on their core competencies by outsourcing the management and hosting of their Web operations and applications, allowing customers to fundamentally improve the ROI of their web operations. NaviSite is a majority-owned operating company of CMGI, Inc. with minority investment from Microsoft Corporation.

NaviSite's SiteHarbor(R) solutions provide secure, reliable, co-location and high-performance hosting services, including high-performance Internet access, and high-availability server management solutions through load balancing, clustering, mirroring and storage services. In addition, NaviSite's enhanced management services, beyond basic co-location and hosting, are designed to meet the expanding needs of businesses as their Web sites and Internet applications become more complex and as their needs for outsourcing all aspects of their online businesses intensify. The Company's application services, which include application hosting, management and rental, provide cost-effective access to, as well as rapid deployment and reliable operation of, business-critical applications, including managed services for streaming media.