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Tag: Amsterdam

  • IBC19, Amsterdam: ‘Red Bee Media builds hybrid media cloud environment with Cisco and 7fivefive’

    IBC19, Amsterdam: ‘Red Bee Media builds hybrid media cloud environment with Cisco and 7fivefive’

    MUMBAI: Red Bee Media has been working with Cisco and 7fivefive to create a sophisticated media centric hybrid cloud environment, designed to streamline media production, playout, media processing and distribution services for global broadcast customers.

    As one of the world’s leading managed services provider, Red Bee is creating a next generation media environment with cutting edge-technology including the Cisco Unified Computing System (UCS) and cloud software.

    “The Media landscape has changed forever and this cloud platform, with best of breed software coupled with our own micro services will allow us to significantly change the way managed services are offered in the market.”, says David Travis, Chief Product & Technology Officer, Red Bee Media. “It allows for commercial and technical flexibility while addressing the cost challenges all our customers are facing. Our work together with 7fivefive and Cisco is a showcase of innovation with the creation of a hybrid cloud architecture that is truly unique in the media industry.”

    Cisco UCS  provides a unique network architecture with cloud-like behaviour on-premise with an end-to-end hardware stack with superior performance and security to manage today’s network demands, and into the future. 7fivefive is the consulting and integration partner leading project implementation. With this new hybrid cloud media solution Red Bee can offer enhanced speed and performance across its portfolio of solutions including:

    ·         Access services

    ·         Channel origination

    ·         Content origination, production and post production

    ·         Content enrichment and distribution

    ·         Media management

    ·         OTT Streaming

    Dave Ward, senior vice president, CTO of Engineering and chief architect, Cisco, says: “Red Bee is marking a milestone in the industry’s quest to transition to IP and virtualized media data centres for simpler, faster networking. Our work together with 7fivefive created a cloud-powered network with the flexibility and security Red Bee needs to scale quickly and adapt to the demands of the media and entertainment landscape.”

    Red Bee Media will be showcasing its new cloud-ready platform at IBC in Amsterdam with its ‘Leaders in Live’ demonstration featuring Live football utilizing pure software defined services all in IP. You can see the demo at 11.00 Friday, 16.00 Saturday and 13.00 Sunday on the Red Bee Media Booth (14.D26).

  • Harmonic Powers Sky Italia OTT Services

    Harmonic Powers Sky Italia OTT Services

    SAN JOSE, Calif: Harmonic (NASDAQ: HLIT) today announced that its cloud-native media processing software and content-aware encoding (CAE) technology is powering Sky Italia's OTT streaming services. The Harmonic solution is integrated into the Sky Italia hybrid cloud software-defined streaming platform. Leveraging the latest advancements in pure software architecture, the Harmonic solution provides Sky Italia with the agility, flexibility and scalability to speed up the launch of new premium services and enable delivery of superior video quality at low bitrates.

    Sky Italia's solution for its linear video streaming platform is based on Kubernetes and microservices to serve event-based and 24/7 channels on OTT platforms. Adhering to these requirements, Harmonic's VOS® Cluster software dynamically controls and optimizes Sky Italia's on-premises and cloud video-processing resources.

    "To ensure the success of our next-generation streaming services, delivery of exceptional video quality and the ability to quickly adapt to changes are critical factors," said Gabriele Ubertini, director of technology engineering and innovation at Sky Italia. "Harmonic's cloud-native media processing software aligns with our choice of moving resources to Sky's software-defined streaming infrastructure, while allowing us to be nimble. Using CAE, we can deliver stunning video to a larger group of subscribers, providing a better quality of experience to those in areas with challenging bandwidth availability."

    Sky Italia will use Harmonic's VOS software for OTT media processing in on-premises datacenters integrated with the Sky Italia architecture, which leverages Kubernetes and a SMPTE 2022 uncompressed multicast video network. By enabling Sky Italia to dynamically control and optimize its video processing resources, together with their blueprint for an open-source ecosystem, the VOS solution will dramatically accelerate time to market for new channels. EyeQ™ CAE will be used to significantly reduce Sky's bandwidth requirements, decrease CDN costs and improve QoE.

    "Sky Italia asked for a highly available and scalable streaming solution for outstanding video quality and state-of-the art ABR packaging. We went above and beyond in meeting these requirements," said Ian Graham, senior vice president of international sales and video services at Harmonic. "Having an elastic and always-up-to-date media workflow will give Sky Italia serious competitive advantages, enabling it to launch services faster and scale up seamlessly."

    Harmonic will showcase its latest video streaming innovations at IBC2019, Sept. 13-17 in Amsterdam at Stand 1.B20. Further information about Harmonic and the company's solutions is available at www.harmonicinc.com.

  • SES Redefines Live Events with Synchronised Satellite and OTT

    SES Redefines Live Events with Synchronised Satellite and OTT

    Luxembourg: SES's latest solution, which will be showcased at IBC2019 in Amsterdam, synchronises over-the-top (OTT) and satellite broadcasts by delivering IP signals to OTT platforms as fast as satellite to create enhanced live viewing experiences, SES announced today. The new solution, named Satellite and OTT in Sync, gives broadcasters the power to deliver a more consistent experience to viewers watching any screen, or even multiple screens, by eliminating the delay between their TV broadcast and OTT services.

    Even a few seconds of delay between different screens can spoil the live event experience, and this has been a challenge to eliminate. SES's unique solution achieves that synchronisation, giving broadcasters confidence that their viewers will be able to enjoy unforgettable moments.

    SES's Satellite and OTT in sync solution takes the source signal on its way to the satellite and distributes it via IP in tandem with satellite. By applying low-latency encoding and tuning to the IP stream at the source, the solution can deliver the content to OTT platforms in sync with the satellite signal. The technique shaves off the seconds of delay between a traditional television broadcast and other low-latency OTT solutions or regular OTT broadcasts.

    "Today's broadcasters are looking to protect and grow their business by delivering the best experience possible during live events, particularly for premium sports. When a fan is watching an important match on an OTT platform and they hear the crowd at the bar down the street cheering before they even see the goal, the disappointment is palpable," said Ferdinand Kayser, CEO of SES Video. "Being a hybrid video distributor, SES can process video at the source for both satellite and OTT distribution, helping broadcasters deliver a unique, consistent, and satisfying end-user experience."

    SES leads the industry with its worldwide reach of over 355 million TV households (or 1 billion people) and distributes over 8,200 channels via satellite. SES's recent unification of its wholly-owned video services subsidiary, MX1, with its SES Video business unit, means SES now manages over 525 channels and delivers more than 8,400 hours of online video streaming, including over 620 hours of premium sports and live events per day. Going to market with a unified solution for video infrastructure and services means that SES will accelerate the rollout of hybrid linear and non-linear content delivery services and solutions with unprecedented global reach.

  • WPP opens new campus in Amsterdam

    WPP opens new campus in Amsterdam

    MUMBAI: WPP today marked the opening of its new Amsterdam campus as it continued the roll-out of its global co-location strategy.

    Each WPP campus is designed to provide world-class spaces that bring together its people and agencies into one location, encouraging greater collaboration and giving clients easier access to all of WPP’s talent and expertise.

    Refurbished by WPP’s architectural and design consultancy BDG, the previously derelict Rivierstaete building has been transformed into a 19,000m2 modern working environment that will act as both an innovative workplace and community space for its 1,500 people in the city. VBAT, an international WPP design studio based in Amsterdam, worked with the agencies housed in Amsteldok to name the campus and develop the co-location’s new branding.

    Amsteldok, which was Europe’s largest office building when it was completed in 1973 by renowned architect Huig Aart Maaskant, will be home to 15 WPP agency brands that previously operated from 11 different locations. Located on the river Amstel, the striking, box-stacked structure will be a new centre of creativity in the heart of Amsterdam, boasting impressive new and renovated roof terraces, restaurants, a rooftop bar, a business lounge and an event space.

    At the official opening, Mark Read, CEO of WPP, said: “I’m delighted to open WPP’s Amsterdam campus, which demonstrates our continued investment in our people and commitment to the Dutch market, which is one of the most dynamic and forward-looking in the world. WPP campuses help us deliver a simpler, more integrated offer to clients by bringing great agency brands together under one roof and providing easier access to our collective talent. Giving our people modern, world-class working environments allows them to do their best creative work, it encourages closer collaboration and it’s an important part of building an open and optimistic culture at WPP.”

    To coincide with the opening of Amsteldok, today Hogarth (WPP’s global creative production network that combines technological skills and creative craftmanship) announced the creation of Hogarth Netherlands. As part of its renewed offer to clients in the region, and operating from Amsteldok, it will deliver end-to-end solutions using the very latest innovations in content production.

    Eric Kramer, WPP Netherlands Country Manager, said: “I’m incredibly proud of the regeneration of Amsteldok into both a fantastic new home for our people and a new creative and social hub for the city. We have an innovative and collaborative culture in Amsterdam, and WPP’s market offering, further bolstered by the creation of Hogarth Netherlands, is stronger than ever as we bring our brands together.”

    Redeveloping existing structures instead of constructing new buildings avoids the emission of thousands of tonnes of embodied carbon – equivalent to over 30% of the building’s lifetime carbon emissions. The new WPP campus has been developed with sustainability at its heart and is aiming for a BREEAM (the world’s leading authority in this area) rating of Very Good or higher. 

  • Heineken banks on heritage in new campaign

    Heineken banks on heritage in new campaign

    NEW DELHI: Starting with the metros with the aim of attracting the affluent, Heineken with its campaign ‘There’s more behind the star’ is now planning to move to smaller cities in India. It is inviting consumers to discover the authentic product stories, the foundation of the global brand.

    The brand campaign in India comprised localized outdoor communication which combined Heineken’s credentials and a city’s cultural nuances in a witty manner.

    Aimed at addressing Heineken’s iconic heritage and at the same time telling compelling stories relevant and topical, the campaign spanned Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

    The global campaign consisted of a series of TV commercials featuring Hollywood star Benicio Del Toro, supporting digital activation and point of sale activities.

    The humorous video ‘See Del Toro’ comparing what is behind its own ‘star’ status, to specific stories behind the legendary Heineken star. The content was created by Publicis Worldwide and filmed in various locations in Barcelona.

    The campaign focuses on the beer itself, the brand’s rich heritage and its unparalleled international footprint.

    In 142 years, Heineken has grown from a small Amsterdam-based company into the world’s most international premium lager. The aim is to show the quality and taste has never wavered.

    United Breweries senior vice president marketing Samar Singh Sheikhawat said; “Consumers increasingly want to know what’s happening behind the scenes. Heineken has a wealth of authentic backstories.”

  • Heineken banks on heritage in new campaign

    Heineken banks on heritage in new campaign

    NEW DELHI: Starting with the metros with the aim of attracting the affluent, Heineken with its campaign ‘There’s more behind the star’ is now planning to move to smaller cities in India. It is inviting consumers to discover the authentic product stories, the foundation of the global brand.

    The brand campaign in India comprised localized outdoor communication which combined Heineken’s credentials and a city’s cultural nuances in a witty manner.

    Aimed at addressing Heineken’s iconic heritage and at the same time telling compelling stories relevant and topical, the campaign spanned Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru and Kolkata.

    The global campaign consisted of a series of TV commercials featuring Hollywood star Benicio Del Toro, supporting digital activation and point of sale activities.

    The humorous video ‘See Del Toro’ comparing what is behind its own ‘star’ status, to specific stories behind the legendary Heineken star. The content was created by Publicis Worldwide and filmed in various locations in Barcelona.

    The campaign focuses on the beer itself, the brand’s rich heritage and its unparalleled international footprint.

    In 142 years, Heineken has grown from a small Amsterdam-based company into the world’s most international premium lager. The aim is to show the quality and taste has never wavered.

    United Breweries senior vice president marketing Samar Singh Sheikhawat said; “Consumers increasingly want to know what’s happening behind the scenes. Heineken has a wealth of authentic backstories.”

  • IBC 2016 scores another triumph

    IBC 2016 scores another triumph

    The 49 th edition of IBC 2016 held at Amsterdam’s RAI convention centre between 8-13 September 2016 resulted in streets, hotel lobbies, trams, restaurants, bars, cafes, and even the infamous red light district brimming over with techies and business executives.

    Statistics released by the IBC office reveal that 55,796 professionals attended the six-day exhibition-cum-conference, coming from 160 countries. 668 more attended this year compared to 2015. 435 speakers took part in more than 100 sessions including keynotes and panel discussions during the IBC conferences.

    On the exhibition side, 1,800 exhibitors set up tent in the RAI with stands. 249 of them were newbies to the trade show.

    One important addition to the feature areas in the exhibition was the IBC IP Interoperability Zone, an initiative to push forward open standards in new connectivity. Supported by AIMS and the IABM and working with AES,AMWA, the EBU, SMPTE and VSF, IBC created a dedicated exhibit which demonstrated verified technical progress in IP interoperability and featured the award-winning VRT-EBU LiveIP studio which was used for IBCTV’s production at this year’s show.

    IBC chief executive Michael Crimp was thrilled to bits. Said he: “IBC really is the only forum that attracts a global audience, the most comprehensive exhibition, and the best thought-leaders to spark the debate. Above all else, it is about bringing people together to share knowledge and to do business. It is clear, from the buzz around the whole show, that this has been a great year.”

    It probably had a record participation this year from India too. Specific numbers were not available but they definitely were in excess of 300. CTOs of broadcast majors, cable ops roamed the aisles trying to get to grips the technological upheaval the world of television. OTT, cable TV is going through. Dish TV’s Jawahar Goel, Tata Sky’s Harit Nagpal, Videocon d2h Himanshu Patil were spotted meeting their tech suppliers. GTPL’s Anirudh Singh Jadeja was checking out the latest in STBs and billing solutions.

    Among the major Indian exhibitors figured: Media Guru, Amagi, Wasp3D, Canara Lighting, Tata Elxsi, and Prime Focus Technologies.

    Media Guru’s Sanjay Salil said he had back to back meetings with clients which kept him on his toes throughout the six days.

    According to Goel, the transformation of the industries towards the cloud,IP and streaming services is going to change the way everyone in traditional television delivers and creates content. In the process, this is going to put pressure on vendor pricing – especially those who are continuing to work in the old linear television broadcast ways.

    Amongst the key trends noticed were the increasing shift towards augmented reality, virtual reality filming equipment, processing and VR and AR video delivery. Ultra HD, HDR, OTT platforms and app development and deployment were some of the major key words heard during the six days.

  • IBC 2016 scores another triumph

    IBC 2016 scores another triumph

    The 49 th edition of IBC 2016 held at Amsterdam’s RAI convention centre between 8-13 September 2016 resulted in streets, hotel lobbies, trams, restaurants, bars, cafes, and even the infamous red light district brimming over with techies and business executives.

    Statistics released by the IBC office reveal that 55,796 professionals attended the six-day exhibition-cum-conference, coming from 160 countries. 668 more attended this year compared to 2015. 435 speakers took part in more than 100 sessions including keynotes and panel discussions during the IBC conferences.

    On the exhibition side, 1,800 exhibitors set up tent in the RAI with stands. 249 of them were newbies to the trade show.

    One important addition to the feature areas in the exhibition was the IBC IP Interoperability Zone, an initiative to push forward open standards in new connectivity. Supported by AIMS and the IABM and working with AES,AMWA, the EBU, SMPTE and VSF, IBC created a dedicated exhibit which demonstrated verified technical progress in IP interoperability and featured the award-winning VRT-EBU LiveIP studio which was used for IBCTV’s production at this year’s show.

    IBC chief executive Michael Crimp was thrilled to bits. Said he: “IBC really is the only forum that attracts a global audience, the most comprehensive exhibition, and the best thought-leaders to spark the debate. Above all else, it is about bringing people together to share knowledge and to do business. It is clear, from the buzz around the whole show, that this has been a great year.”

    It probably had a record participation this year from India too. Specific numbers were not available but they definitely were in excess of 300. CTOs of broadcast majors, cable ops roamed the aisles trying to get to grips the technological upheaval the world of television. OTT, cable TV is going through. Dish TV’s Jawahar Goel, Tata Sky’s Harit Nagpal, Videocon d2h Himanshu Patil were spotted meeting their tech suppliers. GTPL’s Anirudh Singh Jadeja was checking out the latest in STBs and billing solutions.

    Among the major Indian exhibitors figured: Media Guru, Amagi, Wasp3D, Canara Lighting, Tata Elxsi, and Prime Focus Technologies.

    Media Guru’s Sanjay Salil said he had back to back meetings with clients which kept him on his toes throughout the six days.

    According to Goel, the transformation of the industries towards the cloud,IP and streaming services is going to change the way everyone in traditional television delivers and creates content. In the process, this is going to put pressure on vendor pricing – especially those who are continuing to work in the old linear television broadcast ways.

    Amongst the key trends noticed were the increasing shift towards augmented reality, virtual reality filming equipment, processing and VR and AR video delivery. Ultra HD, HDR, OTT platforms and app development and deployment were some of the major key words heard during the six days.

  • IBC to Honour NASA at IBC2016 Awards

    IBC to Honour NASA at IBC2016 Awards

    MUMBAI: IBC announced that it is to give one of its highest awards, the Judges’ Prize, to NASA. Celebrating the achievements of one of the world’s most well known brands, the award will be presented at the ceremony held on Sunday 11 September at the RAI, Amsterdam. NASA’s contribution to the ceremony promises to be literally out of this world.

    From the very beginning, NASA has ensured that every moment of the space exploration programme has been captured, firstly with film cameras and then video, including the globally viewed footage of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon in 1969. Today NASA operates a 4K Ultra HD channel and allows viewers to watch footage on a wide range of televisions and internet connected devices.

    The Judges’ Prize is presented to a company or project displaying a unique creative, technical or commercial imagination and past winners include Stereoscopic 3D coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and DNA’s single frequency networks for HD with DVB-T2, which was awarded in 2011. The award will be accepted by Carlos Fontanot, Imagery Manager for the International Space Station and Kelly O. Humphries, the voice of mission control for more than 50 shuttle missions and hundreds of space station activities.

    “It is impossible to understate the importance of NASA’s film and video efforts,” said Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC. “Their engineers and producers have had to overcome massive technical challenges, which has meant close co-operation with suppliers of equipment and systems. The result has been stunning imagery, which has literally changed our view of the world.”

    The IBC Awards Ceremony will take place on Sunday 11 September, and is free for all IBC attendees. Find out more about the awards at IBC.org/awards and register for your IBC2016 pass at IBC.org/register

  • IBC to Honour NASA at IBC2016 Awards

    IBC to Honour NASA at IBC2016 Awards

    MUMBAI: IBC announced that it is to give one of its highest awards, the Judges’ Prize, to NASA. Celebrating the achievements of one of the world’s most well known brands, the award will be presented at the ceremony held on Sunday 11 September at the RAI, Amsterdam. NASA’s contribution to the ceremony promises to be literally out of this world.

    From the very beginning, NASA has ensured that every moment of the space exploration programme has been captured, firstly with film cameras and then video, including the globally viewed footage of Neil Armstrong setting foot on the moon in 1969. Today NASA operates a 4K Ultra HD channel and allows viewers to watch footage on a wide range of televisions and internet connected devices.

    The Judges’ Prize is presented to a company or project displaying a unique creative, technical or commercial imagination and past winners include Stereoscopic 3D coverage of the 2010 FIFA World Cup and DNA’s single frequency networks for HD with DVB-T2, which was awarded in 2011. The award will be accepted by Carlos Fontanot, Imagery Manager for the International Space Station and Kelly O. Humphries, the voice of mission control for more than 50 shuttle missions and hundreds of space station activities.

    “It is impossible to understate the importance of NASA’s film and video efforts,” said Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC. “Their engineers and producers have had to overcome massive technical challenges, which has meant close co-operation with suppliers of equipment and systems. The result has been stunning imagery, which has literally changed our view of the world.”

    The IBC Awards Ceremony will take place on Sunday 11 September, and is free for all IBC attendees. Find out more about the awards at IBC.org/awards and register for your IBC2016 pass at IBC.org/register