Day: Sep 5, 2019

IBC 2019 Newsmedia Invitation from PlayBox Neo

Posted on by contentntek in 30 Seconds News, Broadcast & Playout, Event, Non classé

Pavlin Rahnev (CEO), Stanislav Petkov (CTO), Van Duke (US Director of Operations, Peter Petrov (Head of Marketing) and colleagues from PlayBox Neo offices around the world.

Cloud2TV channel branding and playout software. Fast and easy to deploy, it gives network operators the freedom to scale their activities with unprecedented precision while side-stepping the cost of holding reserve equipment on standby. Cloud2TV is also the perfect platform on which to deploy a recovery center without the rental and staffing costs entailed in equipping and operating an off-site facility.

Also the latest updates to the established PlayBox Neo Channel-in-a-Box system. Building on 20 years of successful innovation, PlayBox Neo broadcast products and cloud solutions today power over 18,500 TV and branding channels in more than 120 countries. Users include national and international broadcasters, start-up TV channels, webcasters, interactive TV and music channels, film channels, remote TV channels, corporate information channels and disaster recovery channels.

Join us at the stand for coffee during your exploration of Hall 8, or email if you would prefer to book a specific time.

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SFJAZZ Requires Rock-Solid Stability of FOR-A Switcher to Produce Over 400 Live Shows a Year

Posted on by contentntek in News, Production & Post Production

As the first concert venue designed specifically to optimize the acoustics and performance of jazz music, the 36,000-square-foot, $64 million SFJAZZ Center has a reputation for quality. And with over 400 live shows recorded each year, reliability and durability rank just as important to the Center’s video supervisor.

When it came time to upgrade the six-year-old FOR-A HVS-350 video switcher, SFJAZZ Video Production Supervisor Jake Drake turned to the same vendor he’d used for the past several years of live production. “The stability of a FOR-A product is unmatched,” explained Drake. “We turn it on, and it just keeps on running. We do over 400 shows a year of live music, plus another 40-50 with our rental partners. This switcher is heavily used. We need 100 percent, rock-solid stability. FOR-A is where it’s at for us.”

Drake said he’s extensively demoed competitive products from other top manufacturers, but FOR-A’s customer support and the feature-rich design of the FOR-A HANABI HVS-490 video production switcher rose to the top of his list.

SFJAZZ For-a 1
Robert N. Miner Auditorium

The new HVS-490 was delivered quickly and has already been put through its paces on numerous live shows since its installation in May. FOR-A provided SFJAZZ with a loaner switcher free of charge while Drake waited for his new switcher.

“Features such as the web panel, macros and two M/Es have been a big advantage to us already,” said Drake. “With the macro functionality, we’re able to do a complex picture-in-picture. Having two M/Es is also huge for us. We’re able to preview transitions. Any M/E can be assigned to multiple monitors on stage – using the same control panel. Overall, it packs so much more that we can achieve into one switcher.”

The SFJAZZ media suite is located a floor above the SFJAZZ Center’s Robert N. Miner Auditorium. Live shows are switched and cameras are controlled remotely by one person. Drake has found the web panel feature a huge help in this regard.

SFJAZZ For-a 2
SFJAZZ Performance, Photo Credit: Drew Altizer

“Having this web panel feature and controlling the switcher via a computer allows us to streamline our productions in a way we couldn’t before. We just installed this feature, but I believe it’s something we’ll take advantage of a lot in the future.”

High-profile corporate clients such Fortune 500 companies and regional performing arts presenters recently produced live programming from the SFJAZZ Center using the venue’s video production team and facilities.

EcoDigital to Launch at IBC2019 With Exhibition of Newly Acquired DIVA Software Suite

Posted on by contentntek in Digitisation & Storage, Event, News

Software company EcoDigital will officially launch at IBC2019 (Hall 8, Stand B13) with its exhibition of the DIVA software suite, the world’s leading and most trusted object management system for media. EcoDigital acquired the software suite from Oracle and will offer its clients and business partners the full DIVA offering, including DIVA Core, DIVA Connect, DIVA View, DIVA Link, and DIVA Analytics.

“We are excited to provide best-in-class software solutions, service, and technical support to the market and our incredible base of DIVA clients,” said EcoDigital CEO Justin Ririe. “With our acquisition of the DIVA software suite, as well as our flexible development capabilities and dynamic business partner network, EcoDigital will be able to deliver comprehensive solutions in all operating environments. We have significant investments allocated for enhancements to the current DIVA platform and a series of new products designed to optimize media storage and workflows in all cloud ecosystems.”

EcoDigital was formed in June 2019 by its executive team to acquire the DIVA software suite and continue ongoing development, sales, and support of DIVA solutions. Ririe heads up the company’s team, whose members bring the company deep experience in corporate carve-outs and data management. Ririe himself has 20 years of operational expertise across multiple industries and as an officer in the United States Army. Prior to joining EcoDigital, he served as CEO of ARKIVE Information Management. EcoDigital Chief Financial Officer Ben Nicholson has 17 years of executive experience, most recently as chief financial officer of ARKIVE Information Management. David Gonce is EcoDigital’s vice president, global sales and marketing. His 25 years of sales experience at all levels includes, most recently, that of global vice president at ARKIVE Information Management.

Headquartered in Atlanta, EcoDigital has launched an R&D division in the United States and created a new Solutions group dedicated to integrated global support and development. EcoDigital will retain operational groups in Denver; Annecy, France; and Asia, and, to expand its worldwide presence, the company will triple its sales force by the end of September 2019.

EcoDigital plans to relaunch the DIVA software suite at IBC2019 with enhancements that make DIVA solutions cloud-agnostic, add dynamic support for AWS, and introduce dedicated service and support offerings.

“EcoDigital will employ a client-focused approach to achieve the digital asset management goals for our clients and business partners,” said Gonce. “We will deploy a global team of dedicated account executives to work closely with our clients and channel partners. EcoDigital will be laser-focused on the unique needs of our clients and partners as we continue to build enduring relationships.”

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telent upgrades Wi-Fi networks at cricket grounds across the UK

Posted on by contentntek in Distribution & Delivery, News, Satellite & Transmissions

telent Technology Services Ltd (telent) has delivered high-density public Wi-Fi to Old Trafford, the venue for the next Ashes Test Match.

Sky, Europe’s leading media and entertainment company and number one Wi-Fi in Stadia provider in the UK, chose telent as its partner to upgrade the legacy Wi-Fi infrastructure for hundreds of thousands of fans at the cricket grounds in time for the International Cricket Council (ICC) Cricket World Cup 2019. The project saw telent complete the design and deployment of cabling, switches and access points for the Sky Wi-Fi solution, following an agreement between Sky UK with the English and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Fans will enjoy the enhanced Wi-Fi experience at the fourth Ashes Test Match, which will be taking place at Old Trafford from September 4th to 8th. Under the contract, deployments were also completed at Durham, Trent Bridge, in Nottinghamshire, and the Bristol County Ground in addition to Old Trafford. Further upgrades are set to be completed at additional cricket grounds across the UK, with telent responsible for surveying the grounds, designing and installing the networks.

“The Cricket World Cup is one of the biggest events in the sport and saw thousands of fans from across the globe gather at a number of stadiums in the UK,” said Chris Weeden, Sales Director – Groups at Sky UK. “With fans who attended the cricket matches wanting to share every moment, whether it be by live streaming on social media or downloading matchday-related content, a seamless user experience is a top priority for the ECB. We chose to work with telent as the team has a proven track record of delivering the reliable, high-quality, end-to-end service at the scale required, in a timely manner.”

The project is the latest win in the sporting arena for telent, which has also delivered a new Wi-Fi network for a Premier League Football Club in London to enhance supporters’ experience on matchdays. The Wi-Fi upgrade was integrated with the club’s existing core network and legacy Wi-Fi infrastructure which had become unfit-for-purpose. telent has also provided the 4G coverage for a major national sporting venue, which hosted a world title boxing match and provided unrestricted access for attendees.

Shani Latif, Sales Director at telent, said: “As a big cricket fan I am delighted that telent has delivered and enhanced the Wi-Fi experience for fans across the country, complementing England’s thrilling brand of cricket from the World Cup and The Ashes series so far! We have unique expertise in delivering secure and reliable Wi-Fi infrastructures even in the most challenging environments and can deploy robust network architecture cost-effectively and quickly to upgrade sports venues’ Wi-Fi, meeting strict project deadlines and ensuring fans enjoy the ultimate user experience.”

telent’s work on stadium Wi-Fi builds on its strong reputation for delivering Wi-Fi in mission critical environments, with other customers including major rail stations and the NHS.

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BurdaForward establishes its first product and development site in Italy

Posted on by contentntek in News

The German publishing house BurdaForward (with brands FOCUS Online and Chip) established its first foreign location in the Italian port city of Bari with the help of its strategic partner Fincons Group, a leading IT business consultancy with 36 years of experience in the international market. Initially, around 20 employees will be working in the areas of product and software development. With this move, BurdaForward is pushing ahead at full speed in its transformation towards becoming a tech and media company.

Bari was chosen as a development site for BurdaForward, particularly because of the two computer science faculties located in the city and the strongly growing tech community in the region. At the new Italian product and development location, a large number of software engineers will now be working for the company’s leading high-reach portals (including CHIP and FOCUS Online). Thanks to the partnership with Fincons Group, which has strong credentials in digital publishing and opened its Delivery Center in Bari more than 10 years ago, the Burda subsidiary can gain a foothold even more quickly on site.

“We are investing massively in new technologies because this is the only way we can offer our users real added value on our portals. Finding software experts who can drive these innovations forward is more important than ever for us as a Tech & Media company. We are delighted to have found a strong partner in Fincons who can provide us with competent local support in Bari, for example in the recruitment of top developers,” says Thomas Koelzer, CTO of BurdaForward.

The significant contribution of the Italian Fincons Group to the decision in favor of Bari was partly due to the fact that Fincons Group also advises its clients on IT strategy evolution and process definition and works with them to scout, experiment and adopt innovative technological and organizational tools which they need to concentrate on their core business.

Francesco Moretti, Deputy CEO Fincons Group and CEO Fincons.US, adds: “We are delighted to have been selected by BurdaForward as this vote of confidence confirms our skills and experience in the media and publishing sector, but also cements our presence in the German market where we have recently opened an office as part of our international expansion. Facilitating BurdaForward’s strategic development by helping them set up part of their operations in Bari represents a key part of our offering: that of enabling clients to realize their strategic objectives and drive digitalization.”

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