Oracle Corporation, the world's leading supplier of software for managing information, is enabling the Information Age with Oracle Media solutions. This revolutionary suite of software products and services provides complete end-to-end solutions for implementing, running, and managing interactive television and multimedia service networks on the Information Highway.
In early 1994, the Walt Disney World Company announced plans to expand Walt Disney's vision of Epcot as a show-case for the best ideas of industry and technology by adding INNOVENTIONS, an exposition of amazing products for the near future. Michael Eisner, Chairman, President, and CEO of the Walt Disney Company, invited Oracle Corporation and a handful of other highly innovative com-panies- including AT&T, Apple Computer, General Motors, Honeywell, IBM, and SEGA-to occupy the new pavilion.
On September 29, 1994, Oracle unveiled the Information Superhighway exhibit at Epcot. Located inside the INNOVENTIONS Pavilion, this exhibit is the first real-life display of interactive television services open to the general public. Visitors can preview or watch feature films from HBO, shop for the latest designer fashions, check local and national weather forecasts, and make reservations at famous restau-rants -all from a touch screen or with a remote control at the exhibit's interactive television stations. A six-minute film titled "A Day in the Life on the Infor- mation Superhighway," plays on three large video walls inside the exhibit, showing viewers how a typical family of four might navi-gate the Information Highway to enrich their lives -at work, at school, and at home. Epcot visitors can also take a guid-ed tour through the Magic House -a model home of the near future-where the interactive services play on the living room television set.
"The Oracle exhibit is stunning-it visual-ly expresses what the Information Superhighway is, where it's going, and how it will impact people's lives-maybe not today, but in just a few years," says Bob Dahl, Senior Producer of Walt Disney Imagineering.
Real Technology
The real stars of the exhibit are the interactive applications that allow Epcot guests to "take a ride" on the Information Highway. The applications were built using Oracle Media Objects, ™ Oracle's com-prehensive development environment for creating interactive multimedia applica-tions. The Epcot applications run on work-ing set-top devices from Apple Computer, and access multimedia content, including full-motion video, using Oracle Media Server ™ software and nCUBE Interactive Multimedia Server hardware. The televi-sions used in the exhibit are standard con-sumer models from Sony Electronics, Inc. The technology behind the Information Superhighway exhibit -both hardware and software-is the very same that tele-phone and cable companies will use to bring the Information Highway into homes and businesses.
"The great thing about the Oracle display is that it combines striking audio visuals with a hands-on interactive exhibit and real-life technology," notes INNOVEN-TIONS General Manager Michael Colglazier. "It shows our guests that the Information Superhighway is here and now, and that these are real products that will be in people's homes in the next few years."
Cross-Industry Cooperation
Many of the companies that will provide services to consumers on the Information Highway teamed with Oracle to design, build, and finance the exhibit. Content companies such as HBO and The Weather Channel helped develop some of the inter-active television programs. Computer hardware companies such as Apple Computer, GoldStar, Mitsubishi Electric, nCUBE, Philips, Reliance Comm/Tec, Samsung Electronics, and Sony Electronics Inc. contributed state-of-the-art equipment to the display. Adaptive/Stellar One, Bell Atlantic, General Instrument, SEGA, and other companies contributed their exper-tise or funding to help construct the exhibit.
An Invited Guest
Oracle was invited to the INNOVENTIONS pavilion because of its work in developing software and services that bring the Information Highway to the average home.
"The Oracle exhibit is an integral part of what were trying to do with INNOVEN-TIONS- to showcase the very latest, cut-ting- edge technology," says Debi Lipford, Superintendent of Hardware and Software for Epcot. "It does a wonderful job of edu-cating our guests and of making them feel that they are a part of the Information Highway."
Epcot guests can visit the Oracle Information Superhighway exhibit at INNOVENTIONS through September 1996. After that time, most likely those guests will be taking their own trips on the Information Highway in their own homes, and using their own television sets.
Customer Snapshot
Company: Walt Disney World Company
Industry: Telecommunications
Number of Users: Potentially millions
Primary use: Education and entertainment
Benefits
Visually explains what the Information Highway is, and how it will impact people's lives in the near future
Showcases some of the con-sumer services that will be available via the Information Highway
Demonstrates and explains the technology that will be used to bring the Information Highway into people's homes
Demystifies the Information Highway, and explains its relevance to everyday life.
Business Profile
In early 1994, the Walt Disney World Company announced plans to expand Walt Disney's vision of Epcot as a showcase for the best ideas of industry and technology by adding INNOVENTIONS, an exposition of amazing products for the near future. Oracle Corporation and a handful of other highly innov-ative companies-including AT&T, Apple Computer, General Motors, Honeywell, IBM, and SEGA-were invited to occupy the new pavilion. On September 29, 1994, Oracle unveiled the INNOVENTIONS Information Superhighway exhibit at Epcot-the first real-life display of interactive television
Computing Environment
Oracle products:
Oracle Media Objects, Oracle Media Server, and Oracle Media Net.
Hardware:
Apple Computer set-top devices, nCUBE Interactive Multimedia Server hardware, television sets from Sony Electronics, Inc., and other equipment from GoldStar, Mitsubishi Electric, Philips, Reliance Comm/Tec, and Samsung Electronics
