Pioneer Launches the Compass Poigram. Full-Service Support Program Guides Application Developers On Their Voyage to the Subscribers' Set-Top Box

Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc., a leader in interactive navigation software for digital cable TV set-top boxes, today announced the launch of Compass™, a third-party developer program. Compass will support the integration and delivery of new interactive services through Pioneer's Passport™ navigation and application suite and its Voyager® series of digital set-top boxes. This is the first program that allows developers to integrate applications across all cable TV platforms.

Cable operators are deploying compelling interactive content to reduce churn and increase revenue, including everything from video-on-demand to games, e-mail, Internet access, enhanced viewing and t-commerce applications. The Compass program was developed in response to requests from numerous companies seeking a way to integrate their applications with Pioneer technologies.

Companies participating in the Compass program can leverage Pioneer's experience to accelerate their entrance in the marketplace across all commonly used network platforms. Compass fosters development and offers its members certification on Passport across a variety of manufacturers' digital set-top boxes.

"This is a natural evolution in the industry, and we are very proud to be the first to provide such a complex and dynamic offering. In short, we've created a unique program that will put application developers on the map!" said Neil Jones, senior vice president of Pioneer Digital Technologies, Inc. "Although we have been working with developers for some time, we are now formalizing our program to put additional structure and resources at the disposal of the industry's best hardware and software technologists and architects."

The new Compass program is designed specifically to help developers integrate, test and launch new interactive services. Upon enrollment in Compass, developers will have access to extensive documentation, sample code, a network developer's kit with APIs, dedicated engineering support and application integration certification, as well as integration lab time on a cable headend. Only Pioneer Compass developers can use the Compass certification mark and logo in their marketing, promotional and corporate materials. These logos communicate that the applications have been thoroughly tested for interoperability and are available for immediate customer deployment.

For more than 25 years, Pioneer has been a leading provider in the cable television industry. Today, Pioneer Digital has deployed more than 5 million copies of its Passport navigation and application suite to several cable systems on a variety of digital cable set-top platforms. With its steadfast dedication to technological development, Pioneer Digital continues to be an innovative leader in the cable television industry. For more information visit www.pioneerbroadband.com.