VitalStream Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ:VSTH), a leader in online content delivery and monetization, today announced that it has named Patrick M. Ritto as the company's chief technology officer.

Ritto will oversee the company's product development and technical operations efforts worldwide and is charged with expanding the technology platform to meet escalating customer needs. Responsibilities include product engineering, network operations, data center operations, IT and customer support.

Prior to joining VitalStream, Ritto served as director of software engineering for Overland Storage, Inc., a San Diego-based provider of smart data storage protection appliances and software modules, where he was responsible for product strategy, project management and engineering management for the company's software teams nationwide.

Ritto also served in several senior engineering management positions for Oracle Corporation, the world's largest enterprise software company. In his most recent role at the company, Ritto co-founded Oracle's Automatic Storage Management Development Team for its Server Technologies Division. Oracle offers a complete range of enterprise software solutions including database, middleware, business intelligence, business applications and collaboration tools.

While at Oracle, Ritto also directed its Interactive Television Division engineering team, located in both the US and UK, and successfully launched several pioneering releases of Oracle Video products. He holds both a Bachelor of Science degree and a Master of Science degree in Computer Science/Electrical Engineering from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

"VitalStream provides many of the world's most popular content providers with reliable, scalable, content delivery technology," said Ritto. "I'm excited to head the team that leads VitalStream's technology strategy and execution. This opportunity was a perfect fit, and I look forward to applying my experience in managing large scale technology implementations to VitalStream."

"We look forward to Ritto's leadership as we continue expanding our technology platform to meet the escalating needs of our customers," said Jack Waterman, CEO. "With the addition of Ritto to our executive team, we have now one of the most experienced management groups in the streaming media industry. His experience and leadership will play a critical role in sustaining our continued momentum and success."

Mr. Ritto will assume the responsibilities of Steve Smith, who is expected to remain with the company for a period of time to assist with the transition.

About VitalStream

VitalStream, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of VitalStream Holdings, Inc., is a global provider of integrated content delivery services that enable businesses to stream digital media to large audiences over the Internet. The company provides solutions, including video and audio streaming, advertising placement, reporting and analysis, live event broadcasting, media asset management, integrated Web hosting and consulting services.