DIRECWAY For choice and freedom that’s out of this world, businesses, consumers and small office/home office (SOHO) users turn to DIRECWAY™ broadband by satellite. You can even get one dish to provide both DIRECWAY and DIRECTV! DIRECWAY: Enterprise Services A network is only as valuable as the service it provides. That’s why Hughes Network Systems (HNS) is expanding the capabilities of private business networks by adding DIRECWAY broadband enterprise services. For decades, HNS has used very small aperture terminal (VSAT) systems to meet the networking needs of major corporations, telecommunications service providers and governments around the globe. These scalable networks provide rapid, cost-effective, reliable transmission of data, voice and video to an unlimited number of sites. Today, HNS holds a more than 60 percent market share in the VSAT business. With DIRECWAY, HNS is providing new services that enhance the value of new or existing networks and provide HNS and its customers with the opportunity to expand into new markets. For example, improved technology allows HNS and its customers to leverage IP (Internet Protocol) communications, enabling the network to support broadband Internet access, intranet services and multicasting in addition to traditional VSAT services, such as inventory tracking, credit card verification, multimedia image transfer and LAN (local area network) internetworking. DIRECWAY services allow customers to automate functions that were previously managed on a site-by-site basis, enabling faster transaction time, increasing network availability and improving performance. For customers, this translates into improved operating costs, increased services and strategic marketing advantages. For example, by using DIRECWAY Internet Access and Caching Services, enterprises can reduce bandwidth requirements by as much as 50 percent, while dramatically increasing performance. Also, in many stores and restaurants, managers spend valuable time operating and maintaining the in-store music system. With DIRECWAY Music Services, companies can provide a single, customizable solution for their many locations. Programming that is tailored by store, region and time of day is delivered directly to each location. Customized playlists and marketing messages enable companies to create the right atmosphere to influence how long customers stay, shape their buying decisions, encourage repeat visits and increase sales opportunities. And because DIRECWAY Music Services are provided automatically through the network, on-site personnel are free to focus on their primary job—customer service. HNS is also exploring using its satellite networks to distribute micro-advertising to gas station pumps and other retail points of sale. In gas stations, these ads typically run about 12 seconds, encouraging buyers to visit the station’s convenience store. Tests in Europe generated a 10- to 20-percent per store increase in sales. As technology advances and equipment prices decline, HNS is expanding its unique mix of services to current customers, and pushing into new markets. Already the company has made in-roads into the restaurant industry, as well as expanding its strongholds in retail and petroleum. Customer service is the key, and customer service is what DIRECWAY is all about. DIRECWAY: Consumer & SOHO Services In just five years, HNS introduced and established DirecPC® as the leading satellite-based Internet access system in the United States. Building on this success and on the company’s expertise in delivering broadband enterprise services worldwide, HNS is now launching the next-generation DIRECWAY broadband satellite services to the consumer and SOHO markets. Customers can choose from either dial return, which requires a phone line connection for uploads, or from the new family of two-way DIRECWAY broadband services via satellite. Both deliver Internet access at turbo speeds. Because it is satellite-based, DIRECWAY/DirecPC provides broadband Internet access virtually anywhere in the contiguous United States. All you need is a PC and a clear view of the southern sky. Both systems feature satellite antennas under one meter in diameter and terminals that connect to your PC through a standard USB port. The two-way DIRECWAY service eliminates the need for a telephone line return path. It delivers Internet access about eight times faster than a 56K modem connection, with download speeds of up to 400 Kbps and upload speeds reaching 256 Kbps. DIRECWAY sets the standard for broadband-by-satellite service in urban, rural and remote locations. It offers the ultimate freedom from the limitations of cable and wire connectivity. HNS broadband satellite services are marketed through HNS’ “Powered By” partners, which today include AOL, Earthlink, DIRECTV, Pegasus and Juno. These companies represent access to a combined base of more than 45 million existing subscribers to digital television and Internet services. In October 2000, AOL PLUS Powered By DirecPC® became the first “Powered By” service to enter the market. It currently uses the dial return DirecPC system. Earthlink and Pegasus began initial marketing of their broadband Internet services in early 2001, both offering two-way satellite access. As of year-end 2000, HNS had approximately 50,000 consumer customers in the United States. DirecDuo: The Best of Both Worlds Want the best in satellite television entertainment? Want broadband Internet? Want both? DirecDuo™ is your answer. Using a single satellite antenna, DirecDuo provides world-class DIRECTV® entertainment to your television together with DIRECWAY broadband Internet access to your PC. It’s available in both dial return and two-way DIRECWAY configurations. For more information on DIRECWAY services for the enterprise, consumer or SOHO markets, visit the HNS web site at www.hns.com. |