Can Broadcasters Keep Pace With New Media Connectivity?

AmberFin has made a call for new focus on multi-platform delivery workflows, industry-wide training and knowledge sharing programs.
This year more than any other, NAB is a showcase of the latest technology and business developments in all parts of the new convergent electronic media landscape. Throughout the Las Vegas Convention Center’s halls, NAB’s exhibitors will respond to seismic changes within the broadcast and electronic media industries with a renewed emphasis on multiplatform and multiscreen content delivery.
But is this change within NAB keeping pace with market drivers? One senior attendee and exhibitor whose company’s feet are firmly rooted in the new media markets – Bruce Devlin, Chief Technology Officer at AmberFin and co-author of the MXF specification – sounds a cautionary tone in the run up to NAB 2012’s opening.
"Shows like NAB need to be international beacons to shine a light on knowledge and ideas in the broadcasting world irrespective of the channel of delivery and yet there is one over-riding issue that is being overlooked by broadcasters worldwide," stated Bruce Devlin.
"If you plot the rate at which new media viewing platforms are being created and look at the cost of illuminating those platforms with broadcasters’ rich content, then only the companies that radically alter their multi-platform delivery workflows can afford to stay in business," he stated.
"The days of incremental change are behind us. It’s time to learn from the manufacturing industry and industrialise media manufacture."
So, does Devlin believe that broadcasters really understand the potential offered by multi-platform delivery technology today?
"Some do, but some don't," he responded. "In fairness it isn’t purely a technology challenge but one of business models too. For example, mobile technology is evolving very fast with over 1.4 billion devices sold each year, nearly six billion connections worldwide today, and the high likelihood of more phones that connect people globally by the end of 2013. More mobiles are sold every year than PC's, TV's and cars - so there is a lot of change to understand and absorb as networks get faster and devices smarter," Devlin observed.
"The traditional NAB audience is still devoted to linear television," he remarked. "Until we acknowledge this revolutionary change in consumer preferences and adopt a very different approach to multi-platform delivery workflows, there is a danger that content owners and broadcasters will let the most tremendous opportunity of our generation slip through their fingers.
"More worrying still is that many broadcasters will fail to address this sea-change in consumer activity in time and they could lose their core revenue streams and go out of business," Bruce Devlin concluded.
At NAB AmberFin addresses IT workflow issue with elegant product mix and training program
AmberFin’s raison d’être is solving file-based workflow problems for content owners, broadcasters, sports organizations and post-production houses. The company arrives at NAB with a portfolio of new products and enhancements to its iCR family of modular software products that increase choice and enhance workflow efficiency in the widest range of user applications.
Another illustration of its focus on helping organizations adopt this new enabling technology is the company’s continuing investment in a free, non-vendor specific, educational program called Bruce's Shorts. It comprises weekly video shorts that are emailed to subscribers and monthly in-depth webinars covering a broad range of IT workflow industry topics.
The program has been developed and is presented by Bruce Devlin who brings 25 years of experience operating at the leading edge of the broadcast industry, working on standards committees, designing products and developing software algorithms that help organizations create content effectively and efficiently.
"If broadcasters are to embrace multi-platform delivery workflows then their key staff will need to develop new skillsets and this is the purpose of Bruce’s Shorts – to help organizations make this journey into file-based operations," comments Bruce Devlin.
Launched last September and with more than 1000 people worldwide having subscribed, AmberFin will announce at NAB the launch of a second series of Bruce’s Shorts. The company has made a number of refinements including a facility for organisations to bulk upload names and email addresses, saving considerable time when multiple people from one organisation want to subscribe.
www.amberfin.com
(LB)