Harris Corporation to Provide American Forces Network With a Broadcast Communications System to Reach One Million Troops

Harris Corporation (NYSE:HRS), an international communications and information technology company, has been awarded a contract from broadcast systems integrator Snader and Associates to provide a comprehensive broadcast communications system for the American Forces Network. The American Forces Network delivers news, information and entertainment to almost one million troops worldwide outside of the United States.

Snader and Associates is designing the new broadcast system, which will be installed at the Defense Media Center in Riverside, California, and is expected to be completed in the summer of 2008. Under the agreement, Harris will provide broadcast routing, automation, video servers, core processing and asset management products.

The system includes the first members of the new Harris® NEXIO AMP™ product family — the NX3601HDI media platform with integrated storage and the NX3601HDX media platform for use on a NEXIO™ storage area network. NEXIO AMP™ pairs a high-performance, high-definition/standard-definition (HD/SD) server architecture with best-in-class content protection. The new system combines the highest levels of I/O, data pathway and storage redundancy with all the features broadcasters have come to expect in NEXIO™ servers — including integrated software codec support and automatic up/down/cross conversion. In the near future, the platform is also expected to have the ability to host software-enabled media applications, which will allow customers to reduce hardware expenditures and improve overall workflow efficiency.

Snader and Associates Inc. is an independent reseller and integrator serving production, post-production, audio visual presentation, 3D animation and federal government professionals around the globe.

Harris Broadcast Communications offers products, systems and services that provide interoperable workflow solutions that span the entire broadcast delivery chain. The Harris ONE approach brings together highly integrated and cost-effective products that are ideal for emerging media business models and for customers upgrading media operations to digital and high-definition services.