also under pressure to complete jobs quicker to keep install staffing costs down. Phillips: Probably the most significant change is the client’s expectation of timescale, both for the time allowed in responding to the Tender/Request for Proposal (RFP) and the period taken for the project itself. The best advice is to devote the appropriate amount of time in the design and choice of technology, as this will have a crucial impact on the operating costs and future flexibility of the system. Good foundations are always important. Wainberg: Many. The economic crisis created new pressures to generate business at any cost, so we have taken time to adapt ourselves and remain attractive to our customers.
in association with Jaeger: The services Divitel
offer go much beyond technical innovations. We are looking clearly to business models as well. We see ourselves more as a solution provider. Of course, technical expertise and state-of- the-art products are essential to provide. However, our technical considerations are always built on the foundation of customers’ commercial and business requirements. Moorhouse: SI is techie, but
Kevin Moorhouse: “People are becoming more budget aware and want us to come up with systems/designs to get more facility for their money”
David Phillips: “Content providers continue to invest in new technology, especially in additional HD channels, MAM systems and playout diverse platforms”
We tend to think of Systems Integration as ‘techie’. But do you have contact with production personnel — producers, directors, PAs — concerning what they look for in the ‘ideal’ studio or outside broadcast truck?
Dr. Dirk Jaeger: “The major innovation for the coming period will come from the creation of sophisticated services and applications based on techniques invented during recent years”
Baumanis: We believe that in the future relationships between creative personnel and SIs will grow as technology, such as ‘digital age’ approved standard GUIs and surfaces, will
‘eliminate’ tech savvy operators between creative process and enabling technology. Cleaver: It generally depends on the customer. We do try to engage the producers and end users both before and after the installations, as it is important all understand fully how systems are, or can be, utilised. Those holding the purse strings are normally very nervous about letting the production departments outline their ideal solution. Flay: Yes, we handle this in the detailed design phase where there is a clear need to capture all requirements to ensure customer satisfaction. Production teams have a high level of understanding of broadcast technology and can make informed decisions
on systems that will and won’t work. Hales: Usually we would be
working with our clients’ production staff to match the technology to operational requirements and budgets. However all our key staff come from a broadcast background and have worked for a major broadcaster and therefore have a general understand of technical operations requirements. Haye: We feel that this is a
very important part of our role – especially as we are expected to create/change/introduce new workflows with most of our clients. So a thorough understanding of the way our clients operate gives us a unique opportunity to introduce more efficient ways of working.
nowadays the end user production people have a greater say than 10 years ago. Then systems were designed and built by engineers and then given to production people to use to create their programmes. I think this is great as the systems being built now are more user- friendly for production— and today it’s all about workflows. Phillips: The main contacts
remain the engineering and technical staff of the customer, albeit there are more financial, procurement and legal resources appearing in the discussions, too. However, many customers now recognise the benefit of involving the operators and production staff at an early stage in any project. SIs should never forget they are ultimately providing a service to the end user and the days of creating systems just for the sake of engineering expectations are long gone. There is an emphasis at TSL on education and ensuring that projects involving the roll out of new technology are grounded in a comprehensive well thought out training programme. Wallis: Typically the engineering team still drive what equipment goes in, however we do engage the complete production team from time to time. For example, if we work on a total turnkey facility we will, in addition to the broadcast infrastructure, consult with members of the production team on the overall design.
What impact has OTT, IPTV and other ‘non- traditional’ broadcast technology had on your business?
Baumanis:Great impact! Hannu Pro started its business as a ‘pure’ broadcast oriented SI, but with time moved in to DVB, IPTV, VOD solutions and is now supplying OTT and CDN technology. Expertise in both production and delivery has helped us constantly. Cleaver: For us this has had little impact. We specialise in the technical systems that produce, prepare and playout media. The final platforms that these feed are a small part of our brief. It is true that the interactive element of some platforms are beginning to have an effect higher up the chain and the ability to offer multiple chains all relating to the same transmission can add an extra level of complexity. Dusil:OTT, IPTV and online video services in general have been a tremendous opportunity for Visual Unity. Over recent years broadcasters have turned to us to realise their OTT vision – with a need to connect seamlessly powerful end user interfaces and monetisation portals to their complex back-end systems. Opportunities have not just come from traditional broadcasters, but also from new entrants to the content distribution and monetisation market. In the foreseeable future OTT and Broadcast will coexist, as shown in recent studies showing a steady subscriber use of linear television.