Vendors Promise Major Upgrades for NAB
Better support for multiplatform delivery tops list of upgrades for traffic systems
By George Winslow -- Broadcasting & Cable, 2/28/2011 12:01:00 AM
Traffic Systems Turn to Tablets
As stations and programmers roll out more apps so viewers can
watch their favorite TV shows on tablets, sales people are also finding
tablets to be an increasingly important business tool.
Pilat Media has rolled out an application that allows sales people at one of its clients in Australia to access some of their systems features on iPads, reports Bob Lamb, the company’s CTO. Pilat is currently showing an Americanized version of that app to U.S. clients. “Everyone who has seen it has said ‘wow’,” Lamb notes. “There is a lot of interest in being more efficient and being able to access more information.”
Harris, meanwhile, has developed a mobile application for its NetGain software and is looking to expand those efforts.
“All business systems going forward should have a mobile adjunct,” says Scott Criley, new products director, media software systems at Harris Broadcast Communications. “We want a traffic person to be able to do their job without having to go back to the office to handle an urgent task.”
Those applications will be discussed at the upcoming users conference Harris is hosting in March, adds John Patrick, director of product management, media software solutions, at Harris. “We’re going to demo some applications on the iPad and really talk with our client base about what type of features they would like to see move from the traffic system and be available on the iPad, iPhone and mobile devices,” Patrick says. —GW
Pilat Media has rolled out an application that allows sales people at one of its clients in Australia to access some of their systems features on iPads, reports Bob Lamb, the company’s CTO. Pilat is currently showing an Americanized version of that app to U.S. clients. “Everyone who has seen it has said ‘wow’,” Lamb notes. “There is a lot of interest in being more efficient and being able to access more information.”
Harris, meanwhile, has developed a mobile application for its NetGain software and is looking to expand those efforts.
“All business systems going forward should have a mobile adjunct,” says Scott Criley, new products director, media software systems at Harris Broadcast Communications. “We want a traffic person to be able to do their job without having to go back to the office to handle an urgent task.”
Those applications will be discussed at the upcoming users conference Harris is hosting in March, adds John Patrick, director of product management, media software solutions, at Harris. “We’re going to demo some applications on the iPad and really talk with our client base about what type of features they would like to see move from the traffic system and be available on the iPad, iPhone and mobile devices,” Patrick says. —GW
On the broadcast side, these upgrades will help with the deployment of mobile DTV services later this year, as well as the ongoing push by stations to beef up their online sales.
For cable, some of the upgrades are designed to help programmers and operators handle the deployment of TV Everywhere offerings and will be important in the rollout of advanced solutions for targeted advertising, dynamic VOD ad systems and interactive advertising.
“Systems to manage multiplatform sales campaigns and the management of the delivery of multiplatform delivery” will be very important at NAB, set for April 9–14 in Las Vegas, notes Bob Lamb, CTO of Pilat Media. “People want an integrated system. They don’t want to have to buy three systems—one to do linear, one to do on demand and another for mobile.”
On the broadcast side, some of the interest in traffic systems designed to better handle multiplatform delivery reflects the upcoming launches of mobile digital TV services.
Myers Information Systems has been working with Roundbox and Harris on systems for handling mobile DTV deployments at some public TV stations. Myers recently worked with Howard University’s WHUT in Washington, D.C., on preparing for mobile broadcasts.
“I see a lot more interest on the public TV side than I do on the commercial side of the business, partly because of some of the funding that is taking place to move that forward from CPB,” says Myers President/CEO Crist Myers, who adds that they will be debuting a number of enhancements to their system at NAB.
Harris, which has also been making a number of upgrades in the run-up to NAB, has been working with a number of stations on mobile DTV deployments and has been working on integrating their traffic and billing system with solutions for advanced advertising, notes Scott Criley, new products director, media software systems at Harris Broadcast Communications. Harris has been taking a module approach to its multiplatform and advanced advertising solutions, which allows clients to add new capabilities in stages, Criley adds.
Eric R. Mathewson, founder and CEO of WideOrbit, stresses that his company already offers a robust multiplatform solution, which they are continuing to enhance. “Right now you can run your core TV channels, digital channel, cable network, Websites, radio stations, digital display and mobile off a single block of software,” Mathewson explains.
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