Friday, January 10 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM Session B: DH10: Home Entertainment Servers: Set-Top vs. PC-Centric Solutions The home entertainment server is about one basic idea - to deliver more and varied media-rich content to the consumer - giving consumers what they want, when they want it. But the battle for this consumer sector is about to assert itself as a competition of technologies, once again placing the power of the PC versus a new target, the set-top box. For the PC industry, it is a formidable task. As the next generation DTV/Set-Top grows, it has the substantial advantage of being at the core of the home entertainment experience. On the other hand, the PC server will come into the battle delivering Internet, music, games, movies, plus innovative two-way communications and telephony services that the set-top provider is only beginning to deliver. This battle for the home will be a tremendous winner for both the consumer as well as for the content industry. It presents the simple proposition that offering the consumer more and richer services in a competitive environment is the perfect formula for success. L. Gregory Ballard, CEO, SONICblue Lou Hughes, CEO, SimpleDevices Sunil Kumar, General Manager, Media Product Division, Broadband Products Group, Intel Corp. Rob Glidden, Market Development Manager, Broadband & iTV, Sun Microsystems Bert Kolde, Chief Operating Officer, Digeo Thomas F. Gershaw, Senior Business Development Manager, Microsoft Corporation Josette Bonte, Principal, BROADBAND VENTURE DEVELOPMENT, Moderator Thomas F. Gershaw, Senior Business Development Manager, Microsoft Corporation: Mr. Gershaw joined Microsoft in 1994 and has held various marketing positions focusing on digital TV. He has worked as a Group Product Manager within the Windows organization with responsibility for Microsoft's WebTV for Windows product. Mr. Gershaw also developed Microsoft's strategy for Electronic Program Guides and had worldwide business development responsibility for Microsoft’s Windows Media Technology on set top boxes. His current assignment is as a Group Manager handling strategy and business development for applications and services as part of the eHome business unit. Prior to joining Microsoft in 1994 Mr. Gershaw spent 11 years with AT&T in a variety of marketing positions. His last position was Director of Business Development for AT&T's Internet and Information services division. Mr. Gershaw graduated with a degree in marketing from the University of Massachusetts. Sunil Kumar, General Manager, Media Product Division, Broadband Products Group, INTEL CORPORATION: Sunil Kumar is General Manager of Media Product Division within Broadband Products Group, Intel Corporation. The Media Products Division is focused on enabling next generation digital video and entertainment platforms for the home. The Broadband Products Group is chartered with building leadership in broadband Customer Premise Equipment (CPE) access platforms and accelerating broadband adoption by reducing service provider costs and improving ease of use for end users. Sunil Kumar joined Intel in 1990 as field applications engineer and he has held various marketing positions within Desktop Platform Group, Intel Corporation prior to his current role. He has BA degree in Engineering from the Indian Institute Science, India, and a MBA from the University of California, Davis. L. Gregory Ballard, Chief Executive Officer, SONICblue: L. Gregory Ballard serves as the chief executive officer of SONICblue: Ballard brings more than 16 years of executive leadership know-how to SONICblue, and is well known for his "hands-on" management style and in-depth knowledge of both content and technology businesses. Ballard is tasked with driving global adoption of new digital media technologies and managing the company to profitability. Ballard began his career as the legal assistant to the Chairman of the Federal Communications Commission, where he advised the chairman on emerging communications issues. Ballard continued his work in this arena as an attorney with Mintz, Levin, Cohen, Ferris, Glovsky and Popeo, PC, a law firm in Washington D.C. that concentrates on communications clients, including Cablevision Systems, and Cellular Communications, Inc. While at Mintz, Levin, Ballard served as counsel to the newly formed Home Recording Rights Coalition, which was then fighting the effort to ban the VCR. He then became the Associate General Counsel for Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., focusing on legal issues in Washington in multiple forums. It was during this period that Ballard honed his interest and expertise in the issues surrounding consumer’s rights in relation to communications and the entertainment industry. Ballard concluded his work in the legal profession but continued in telecommunications with the Boston Consulting Group. Next Ballard helped to launch a venture-funded start-up, Personics. Personics designed and deployed a retail-based music kiosk that enabled consumers to create custom compilations of music while they waited. Time Warner acquired the company in 1992 and Ballard eventually became the chief executive officer of Warner Custom Music. Continuing his work in consumer entertainment, Ballard then served as the chief operating officer of Digital Pictures, Inc., one of Sega’s leading game development houses, and subsequently moved to Capcom Entertainment Inc., where he served as president. While at Capcom, Ballard led the introduction of "Resident Evil",then the best-selling title in history of the Playstation, with sales of over $30 mm. Ballard next served as chief executive officer at 3dfx, a company that revolutionized the PC game industry. At 3dfx, Ballard grew revenue from $4 million to a run-rate of over $400 million over a three-year period. Ballard subsequently served as an entrepreneur-in-residence at US Venture Partners and as chief executive officer at MyFamily.com, a successful subscription based Internet service prior to joining SONICblue. Ballard received his BA from the University of Redlands and his juris doctorate from Harvard Law School. Bert Kolde, Chief Operating Officer, Digeo: Bert Kolde serves as Digeo's chief operating officer, responsible for ensuring that all functions of the company work together seamlessly to create and deploy media center platforms and iTV services. Kolde has represented Paul Allen and Vulcan Inc. in a variety of business matters, including the victorious 1997 statewide referendum campaign to fund a new stadium for the Seattle Seahawks. He was responsible for managing the political process of the public/private partnership and obtaining legislative approval for the referendum. In 1985, Kolde worked closely with Allen to found click2learn.com, Inc. (formerly Asymetrix Learning Systems, Inc.), a provider of e-learning web sites for corporate and governmental organizations, where he served as president until 1994. Prior to joining click2learn.com, Kolde was vice president of management reporting at Seafirst Corporation in Seattle. Kolde has served as vice chairman of the Portland Trailblazers since 1988, vice chairman of the Seattle Seahawks and First & Goal, Inc. since 1997 and also serves as chairman of click2learn.com. Lou Hughes brings extensive entrepreneurial and management experience to the SimpleDevices executive team. He was co-founder of Supplybase, Inc., a provider of web-based supply-chain management software and services. Supplybase was acquired by I2 Technologies in March 2000 for $380 million. Prior to Supplybase, Inc. Hughes founded Enclosures Engineering, a producer of high-volume, high-quality, EMI-shielded plastic computer parts. In addition to his extensive management experience, he has prior experience in sales and marketing from Speck Product Design, where he served as the Vice President of Sales and Marketing. Hughes' history in the electronics industry also includes ten years working for General Electric in a variety of manufacturing, sales, and management positions. During his last three years at GE, Hughes managed the GE Plastics Global Business Industry group, with P&L responsibility for major worldwide business equipment accounts including Apple, HP, Sun, and others. Hughes received a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Union College in 1986, an M.S. in Mechanical Engineering from Drexel University in 1989, and an M.B.A. from U.C. Irvine in 1993. Josette Bonte is the Principal of Broadband Venture Development, a boutique consulting firm specializing in advising corporate clients on VOD, interactive television and broadband Internet content deployments. Ms. Bonte most recently served as Senior Vice President, Business Development, for online games company Media Station, Inc. where she headed the technology licensing and broadband affiliate relations department. She previously worked with the PanAmSat Net/36 team on a consulting basis, where she concentrated on broadband content strategy and customer acquisition. Prior to rendering services for PanAmSat, she headed the Entertainment and New Media Practices of the San Francisco-based telecommunications consulting firm RHK, a position she held from 1996 to 1999. Ms. Bonte is an interactive television pioneer. In 1994, she joined US West as Head of Strategic Marketing, Entertainment and Interactive Services, where she participated in the company’s early interactive media and VOD trials. She is the author of the best seller book "La Television a la Carte aux Etats-Unis," published in Paris in 1995. Prior to her new media career, Ms. Bonte's extensive experience in the film and television industries included producing and directing award-winning documentaries, as well as motion picture development and distribution. In 1989, she founded Euroscreen Partners, Inc., a motion picture production company capitalized by European cable operators, where she served as the company's CEO until 1991. Prior to Euroscreen, she founded the Los Angeles office of Unifrance Film, where she worked as Executive Director for seven years, representing the French film industry in Hollywood. Ms. Bonte received her M.F.A from the UCLA School of Film and Television in 1981, and her Ph.D. in Telecommunications and New Media from the Sorbonne in 1996.