Advertorial: While digital workflows are now commonplace, the need to collaborate across the supply chain has been neglected. Dedicated global media networks can provide a step change in performance.

There’s no doubt about it, the media and broadcast world is shrinking and collaboration in content production and distribution across distance and time has to get much slicker - and quickly.

That’s the view of Mark Wilson-Dunn, BT Media & Broadcast (M&B) vice-president of global sales and marketing.

New economic models mean it’s essential that content is created, produced and distributed in multiple formats in real-time, and this means ‘doing it digitally’.

“Our industry has had a variety of digital workflow solutions for several years. But I believe the Eureka moment, setting a common industry standard, is yet to come” explains Wilson-Dunn.

Most media organisations have some form of digital workflow. But everyone seems to have underestimated the need to seamlessly connect with the rest of the supply chain - both locally and globally.

Pointing to the fragmented, and often compromised, approach to the media and broadcast industry’s networking, Wilson-Dunn continues:

“It’s like investing in the most amazing sports car but being limited to rural roads and then wondering why the experience is poor.”

Wilson-Dunn believes that networks designed for data and telecoms simply don’t offer the levels of performance and functionality to meet the media industry’s needs.

They are not optimised for its specific content contribution, multichannel distribution and live broadcast requirements.

“You could say the network is the Cinderella of today’s media industry”, says Wilson-Dunn.

Fit for purpose

With 30 years’ experience, Wilson-Dunn says: “Time and time again I hear professionals say, ‘It’s simply the network - what can possibly go wrong?’

But that’s the wrong question. People are missing the end-to-end role that networking can, and should, play in today’s media industry - and by overlooking it, the industry will never reach its full potential.”

Dedicated media networks can move content at the right speed and quality to all the right places around the world.

This requires a high degree of specialist engineering at the core - and reliability and resilience beyond that offered by telecoms data networks - plus flexibility, ease of use and, most importantly, low-cost ownership models.

Get it right and the network can boost monetisation and re-monetisation of content all along the creative path.

This is where M&B has been focusing its energies. Although it’s probably best known for running digital TV and client broadcast networks in the UK, M&B has a wide portfolio of IP-based global media network services, purpose-built for the sector.

What’s more, it provides channel contribution and distribution globally for around 400 television and film companies.

“Our dedicated media network carries live-to-air video superbly,” explains Wilson-Dunn.

“The latest addition to our portfolio is Media IP Nexus. It’s a purpose-built, high-bandwidth community collaboration network linking film and television companies with the production and post-production community.”

Providing this secure, low-priced, digital video file exchange service negates the need for courier, post and format transfers.

It is a network-based ecosystem where the whole supply chain can work on content securely and in real-time, which helps the creative players to efficiently monetise their content more often, and more quickly.

The last word goes to Wilson-Dunn: “There’s no doubt about it, dedicated local and global media networks can deliver a step change to the media industry’s success.”

All broadcast companies should be looking at how they can get the most out of ‘doing it digitally’ and Wilson-Dunn’s global team is busy advising organisations on how they can benefit today.

For more information, contact Mark Wilson-Dunn BT Media & Broadcast vice-president, global sales and marketing

E mark.wilson-dunn@bt.com

T 0771 501 4335