Highwinds Network Group, Inc., a multi-platform IP services and content distribution provider, announced recently that the company has closed a $55 million round of equity financing. This round of financing was led by General Catalyst Partners and Alta Communications. The company further announced that the financing will fund the infrastructure build-out of Highwinds' RollingThunder(TM) network, including a content delivery network offering.

Highwinds' RollingThunder network was unveiled today in conjunction with an announcement of a partnership between Highwinds, Digital Rapids Corporation and Knack Networks to create advanced IPTV solutions for the vast market of professional media companies worldwide.

“Having attracted top-tier investors, we can accelerate our ability to meet the rapidly growing demand for innovation in the market for IP services and delivery of rich media content,” said Steve Miller, Highwinds' President and Chief Executive Officer. "We are well-capitalized to bring an unparalleled infrastructure solution to market for service providers, corporations, content owners and other organizations implementing IP services, content delivery and other strategies to increase revenue and profitability, improve customer relations, enhance competitive position, expand market share and achieve other key business goals.”

“Highwinds has already proven its mettle -- with a years-long track record of success marked by solid revenue growth and profitability,” said Neil Sequeira, a Partner at General Catalyst Partners. “We are excited to provide the capital infusion that will enable them to advance to the next level with their content delivery solutions and other RollingThunder network-based services. “In my years of focusing on all sectors of media, it's clear that Highwinds has fielded an outstanding executive management team, one with the knowledge, experience and vision to be a market leader," said Andrew Mulderry, General Partner at Alta Communications. “We have invested in a portfolio of best-in-class new media companies, and Highwinds fits superbly into that ecosystem as a supplier and partner to our other investments.”

Highwinds has been a leader in the development of content replication and delivery software and services since 2002. This experience has led to a number of technology innovations in network management, distributed file system technology and advanced content routing methods. The Highwinds CDN leverages best-in-class hardware and software to quickly and successfully move content at a global level. The company's high-performance RollingThunder(TM) network and user-friendly StrikeTracker(TM) content management and reporting dashboard enable clients to deploy and manage content, file downloads and streaming media. Highwinds is headquartered in Winter Park, Fla., and maintains data centers in thirteen North American and European cities.

For more information, please visit www.highwinds.com