[January 12, 2009]

SaskTel Deploys Mariner�s xVu

SASKTEL TURNS TO MARINER FOR REAL-TIME IPTV (News - Alert) SERVICE ASSURANCE

IPTV pioneer to deploy xVu across 70,000 installed IPTV customers to deliver proactive service assurance

Regina, Saskatchewan � January 12, 2009 � Mariner today announced that SaskTel, one of North America�s most advanced IPTV operators, will commercially deploy xVu, Mariner�s revolutionary IPTV Service Assurance platform.

xVu will be deployed across SaskTel�s 70,000+ Max� Entertainment Services (IPTV) customers to provide continuous monitoring and real time feedback of customer�s Quality of Experience (QoE). The platform will allow SaskTel to proactively manage its IPTV service quality, and to identify and resolve issues often before the customer even realizes there is a problem. xVu monitors QoE of IPTV services during installation, supporting a �right first time� approach. Post-installation, xVu enables network and customer support personnel to proactively monitor IPTV service delivery and resolve issues, the majority of time before a call has been received from any customers.

SaskTel first launched Max Entertainment Services in 2002, as one of North America�s first IPTV services to combine television, high speed internet access and the ability to surf the Web on the TV, all for one low price. Subsequently, SaskTel has introduced video on demand services, DTVR functionality, and recently became the first provider in North America to commercially deploy HDTV as part of an IPTV offering.

�xVu will enable SaskTel to adopt an entirely proactive approach to service assurance and to resolve issues before the customer has had time to identify them,� said Robert Watson, SaskTel President and CEO. �xVu will enable us to effectively declare zero tolerance for all quality of experience induced churn, thus increasing our ability to retain customers by successfully maintaining service quality.�

By taking a unique �customer-centric� approach to IP Video service assurance, Mariner�s xVu eclipses traditional �network-centric� quality of service (QoS) practices because the solution captures and correlates QoE indicators from across the ecosystem, including in-home performance. As a result, xVu can deliver timely and meaningful visibility into service performance from the viewer�s standpoint on a continuous and real-time basis, reducing the high operational costs inherent in the current reactive servicing model, and reducing churn associated with service quality experience.

�We are very pleased to announce the commercial deployment of xVu at SaskTel, and consider it an important step in the evolution of the IPTV industry,� said Curtis Howe, President and CEO, Mariner. �SaskTel is the first TV service provider to achieve a real time view of the overall health of the consumption of IPTV services, not just the underlying network. SaskTel now has a rich holistic view of where their organizational priorities must be in order to improve the customer�s viewing experience and this ability to proactively address service affecting issues adds a completely new dimension to customer care and service quality assurance.�

About SaskTel
Saskatchewan Telecommunications Holding Corporation (SaskTel) is the leading full service communications provider in Saskatchewan, offering competitive voice, data, dial-up and high speed internet, entertainment and multimedia services, security, web hosting, text and messaging services, and cellular and wireless data services over its digital networks. SaskTel and its wholly-owned subsidiaries have a workforce of approximately 5,100 full-time, part-time and temporary employees. Visit SaskTel at www.sasktel.com.

About Mariner
Mariner is a leading provider of IP video solutions and services that leverages its �Lifecycle� services to develop market-leading technologies that deliver unique value to the IPTV industry. xVu, Mariner�s innovative TV care platform and frostt, the IPTV service acceleration platform, enable service providers to successfully meet the challenges of developing and operating advanced video services in today�s increasingly complex marketplace.
Visit Mariner at www.marinerpartners.com and xVu at www.marinerxvu.com

For more information, please contact:

Marie Jo Thibault, Director of Marketing Communications, Mariner
mariejo.thibault@marinerpartners.com
506.650.6111

Michelle Englot, SaskTel Corporate Communications
michelle.englot@sasktel.sk.ca
(306)777-4476

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