ALKHOBAR, 26 September 2006 — Prodea Systems definitely isn’t a company keeping a tight rein on its marketing budget. On Sept. 18, shortly after 11 p.m., Prodea Systems Chairman American Anousheh Ansari began her historic journey as the world’s first female private space explorer when she blasted off aboard on a Russian Soyuz spacecraft from the Baikonur Cosmodrome in Kazakhstan. Ansari is believed to have paid about $25 million for the 10-day trip.
As Ansari took off to the International Space Station (ISS), her latest venture, Prodea Systems (www.prodeasystems.com), was simultaneously launched. Prodea Systems claims that it will “usher in a new era for digital home technology.” The new company is headquartered in Plano, Texas, with locations in Madras, India, and Beijing, China.
On her 10-day mission, Ansari will spend two days orbiting earth and eight days at the International Space Station. She will perform a series of experiments, including a live demonstration of Prodea Systems technology. Ansari is the fourth private explorer to visit space and, born into the Raissyan family in Mashhad, she is the first astronaut of Iranian descent.
Once she returns from space on Sept. 28, Ansari will return to her day job, working alongside her husband Hamid Ansari, the CEO and president of Prodea Systems, and her brother-in-law Amir Ansari, the company’s CTO.
“Our technology will allow consumers to unleash the power of the Internet and realize the full potential of their digital home,” said Hamid Ansari. “Consumers want to use technology in their homes, but are frustrated by products that are too complex, too costly and fail to work together effectively. We will make it easy for people to manage all of their in-home systems through a simple, centralized approach. We have been developing this technology for more than two years, and we are very excited about bringing it to market in the coming months.”
“Until now, home automation and multimedia technologies have resulted in more difficulties than solutions. They have been much too expensive, complex and time-consuming for even advanced users. We’re changing all of that,” Amir Ansari said.
The management at Prodea Systems believes that its cost-effective offering, which combines hardware, software and subscription services to create a fully integrated, seamless home network, will simplify every aspect of the consumer experience, while enhancing network integrity, security and convenience.
“The market for home networking is evolving rapidly as consumers expand the functionality of in-home connectivity beyond broadband sharing and seek ways to share music, videos and photos,” said Kurt Scherf, vice president and principal analyst at Parks Associates. “Until now, a fully-managed home networking solution that simplifies connectivity, security, and sharing functions has been a barrier to widespread deployment. However, all-encompassing solutions such as the approach taken by Prodea Systems will greatly simplify the consumer’s experience and allow them to realize the full potential of their digital home components. For service providers, this type of solution provides them with a real differentiator and a way to increase customer loyalty.”
