IBC 2008, Amsterdam (Hall 12P Booth A40)—September 12, 2008— Aspera Inc., creator of next-generation file transport technologies, today announced that Red Bee Media, a world-leading expert in the distribution and promotion of multimedia content, has selected Aspera’s transport technology to provide its clients with high-speed transfer of files of any size over any network connection.

Red Bee’s Digital Hive media management platform is a one-stop shop for content owners, rights holders and distributors to digitize, store, enhance and deliver content to any platform. Digital Hive now includes the Media Gateway – featuring Aspera – that provides a secure and efficient means of transferring media files over existing broadband connections. Now Digital Hive users can also transfer large files over an ordinary Internet connection, reducing the need for dedicated network links.

"File-based delivery has many advantages, but existing internet technologies like FTP simply do not scale to support the transmission of massive media files over standard networks,"" explains Dr Sue Farrell, Head of Architecture at Red Bee Media. "Using Aspera technology the Media Gateway provides the fastest possible transfers, making it feasible to deliver even high-definition programs as files over existing networks in a reasonable timeframe."

Unlike conventional file transfer technologies, which are inefficient when transmitting large files, the Media Gateway uses the special fasp™ protocol developed by Aspera to provide consistently fast transfers over existing networks. Aspera was selected as the initial technology supplier following a review of available solutions for its flexible, cost-effective approach, which is relatively easy for clients to install. Using the Aspera-powered Media Gateway, Digital Hive clients can receive or deliver either work in progress or completed programs as files rather than on tape or fed over dedicated circuits, resulting in improved efficiency and reduced costs.

"Aspera software is widely used throughout the media industry and delivers the fastest and most predictable file transfer experience with complete security and control over network bandwidth," says Michelle Munson, president and co-founder of Aspera. "With Aspera technology as its transport foundation, the Media Gateway will dramatically improve workflow efficiency and minimize operating costs for Red Bee Media and its global partners."