– August 17, 2005 – VBrick Systems, Inc. (www.VBrick.com), an industry leader in affordable video over IP network solutions, today announced that it has received a $600,000 grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to develop a device that supports robust, next-generation Internet Protocol (IP) video. The grant includes funds for research with the intent of commercializing a powerful, cost-effective network video product for the emerging H.264 digital video standard.

The H.264 standard, also known as MPEG-4 Part 10, provideshigh-fidelity video using low bandwidth, which is ideal for diverse video applications including DVD-quality video streaming for distance learning, video-on-demand for corporate training, and High Definition Television (HDTV) for broadcast.

"Although the H.264 standard is providing enhanced IP video, the high price-point is preventing widespread market adoption," said Bruce Webber, vice president of software engineering, VBrick Systems, Inc. “We are committed to empowering users to capitalize on digital video while also addressing real-world drivers such as price, performance, and flexibility.”

The NSF’s Small Business Innovative Research (SBIR) Program awarded VBrick the grant in two phases. Phase one encompassed a proof of concept for mitigating H.264-compliant encoder performance bottlenecks. The grant’s second phase supports VBrick research to develop a H.264-compliant prototype that provides high performance economically. Phase one of the NSF grant is complete; phase two concludes in Q1 2007.

NSF’s highly-competitive grant award to VBrick reflects the company’s longstanding history of innovation and commitment to advancing industry best practices and standards. Since 1997, VBrick has been setting the benchmark for live and stored IP video quality, performance, and innovation. VBrick’s networked video appliances can accommodate virtually any type of network – making video as ubiquitous as the Internet and ensuring ease-of-use and functionality. Additionally, VBrick executives are active participants in the Internet Streaming Media Alliance (ISMA) and the MPEG Industry Forum, and play key roles in architecting new standards that expand digital video capabilities.

About The National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of nearly $5.47 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to nearly 2,000 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 40,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes about 11,000 new funding awards. The NSF also awards over $200 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

About VBrick Systems, Inc.
VBrick Systems, Inc., creates and delivers innovative networked video solutions that enhance communications and reduce costs for organizations around the world. VBrick’s broad range of video solutions provide the simplest and most reliable visual com-munications to businesses, educational institutions and government agencies ranging in use from distributing news and information to distance-learning to training and surveillance. VBrick has garnered numerous industry accolades, including the Deloitte Technology Fast 500, Connecticut Technology Fast 50, and the National Association of Broadcaster’s (NAB) Award for Innovation in Media in the Content Delivery category. Based in Wallingford,Connecticut, USA, VBrick Systems’ products are distributed through industry-leading value-added resellers, system integrators and distributors.