BEA Systems Feeds Big Brother 3 Fever in the UK

BEA eWorld, Paris - June 25, 2002 - BEA Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: BEAS), the world's leading application infrastructure software company, today announced that Channel 4 has chosen BEA WebLogic Server as the platform for the online delivery of content and services to Big Brother fans in the UK. The Big Brother 3 site, www.channel4.com/apps3/bigbrother/index.jsp, provides a wide range of services, including continuous live coverage of the housemates, calculation and confirmation of eviction nominations, popularity polls, news updates and look-alike competitions.

Currently attracting 3.5 million to 4.5 million impressions per day, the Big Brother 3 site places massive demand on Channel 4's IT infrastructure. The regular surge of visitors and provision of personalised and high bandwidth services requires robust, secure and highly scalable application infrastructure support. Integration is essential. The site must be flexible, allowing creative editors to rapidly update material and integrate content from external providers.

For example, the Big Brother 3 site collates viewer remote control-operated nomination requests via Sky Television's digital network, as well as the nominations that are cast by telephone following the show's eviction nominations.

"Early on, we identified Java as the most robust and mature open standard for Channel 4 online and interactive ventures, which support Big Brother 3 and other interactive broadcasts," said Kavita Kapoor, application architect, Interactive Department Channel 4. "When we began the selection process, scalability, simple component-based development and integration capabilities were key factors that helped us decide on BEA's application infrastructure solutions. Additionally, BEA's compliance with current J2EE standards allows Channel 4 to easily re-purpose and share content across its network."

Channel 4 is one of five terrestrial television channels in the UK, with a reputation for diversity and innovation in both online and offline media. It has expanded its offering in recent years, establishing itself at the forefront of interactive entertainment ventures. The interactive division of Channel 4, Channel 4 Ventures, covers a wide range of companies, which offer digital services and broadcast rights across the globe. Combining BEA's application infrastructure software with the expertise of its partners made the Big Brother 3 site a reality.

Commenting on the Channel 4 and Big Brother projects, Alan Banks, managing director UK and Ireland, BEA Systems, said, "BEA Systems supplements its market leading application infrastructure by offering the skills and expertise of over 200 partners, all of whom cover a wide range of technology disciplines. The Channel 4 story is another example of the way in which we work with partners to create leading edge platform and Web-based business solutions and services for innovative businesses."

Channel 4 selected a number of BEA partners to deliver interactive content, manage the site and ensure security. Content management is provided by Interwoven; customer access management software is provided by Entegrity; and online voting is supported by Purple Lizard.

Enterprise Content Management by Interwoven

The Interwoven 5 platform supports an onsite team of forty plus content contributors and editors, working 24x7 as they create and manage new and existing information on Web and related channels. In addition to managing content the Interwoven platform is supporting Big Brother live broadcasts via the Web.

"The Interwoven 5 platform addresses a business problem commonly associated with interactive and content driven websites, namely administrators having to format and manage large amounts of continuous content," said David Ogidi, managing director, Interwoven UK & Ireland. "With the BEA and Interwoven solution, Channel 4 can achieve a costs savings by increasing productivity and insuring that more time can be spent on the creative process."

Access Management by Entegrity

To help Channel 4.com to manage access to its content effectively, Entegrity is providing a single, scalable security solution without impacting customer response times through AssureAccess 2.0. The software enables Big Brother 3 fans to access the full range of services, information and competitions by authenticating and authorising individual users and gathering information about them.

Ian Hendry, director of European operations, Entegrity Solutions, comments, "AssureAccess 2.0 makes the authorisation decision process easier and therefore much faster. As part of the BEA solution, Channel 4 has been able to improve the service it offers by giving control of content and services back to the users. Policy based application security enables Channel 4 to make much more content available online."

Online Voting by Purple Lizard

About BEA Systems
BEA Systems, Inc. (Nasdaq: BEAS) is the world's leading application infrastructure software company, providing the enterprise software foundation for 13,000 customers around the world, including the majority of the Fortune Global 500. BEA and its WebLogic® brand are among the most trusted names in business.

Headquartered in San Jose, Calif., BEA has 91 offices in 33 countries and is on the Web at www.bea.com.

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