The Boeing Company has retained Hollywood talent and literary agency Creative Artists Agency (CAA) for consulting services for the launch of Boeing Digital Cinema, its ambitious network which will be used to transmit first-run movies and alternative programming via satellite and fiber-optic network.

CAA will counsel Boeing on the business strategy and marketing of the network, while Boeing will look to CAA for guidance on content programming, price structuring and alliance building.

"Distributors, film-makers and exhibitors recognise that digital delivery promises extraordinary economic advantages, unprecedented flexibility and consistently sharp images," said Frank Stirling, executive director of Boeing Digital Cinema, in a statement. "Our technological expertise and CAA's central position within the entertainment community allow us to jointly plot a course that addresses the differing demands of studios, exhibitors, filmmakers, print labs and consumers."

Boeing Digital Cinema is a service that provides secure end-to-end transmission using the same technology employed by Boeing to deliver national security information for the US Air Force, and also best-value technologies deployed in Boeing commercial satellites. From encryption upon receipt of content, to decryption at designated theatres, end-to-end multi-layered security ensures protection at each step of the process.

CAA also provides consulting services for technology companies including Motorola; Hughes Network Systems; NeTune, a satellite-based broadband service for mobile production environments; The Orphanage, a fully integrated digital studio; and TiVo.