IBC 2016: Ericsson and UKTV have unveiled a virtualised playout system that the broadcaster will use to launch live events across its portfolio of channels.

The product, known as Ericsson’s Virtualized Live Playout service, will be unveiled for the first time at IBC.

UKTV director of technology and operations Sinead Greenaway said: “Virtualized Live Playout is the product of a collaboration between UKTV and Ericsson to solve a real business problem – the delivery of a cost effective and flexible solution to support UKTV’s live broadcast ambitions.

“We are delighted to have been part of such an innovative project and look forward to the service becoming an integral part of the broadcast landscape over the coming years.”

The software-based, fully managed service operates in a virtualised cloud environment.

It is designed to carry live content and support graphics and ad insertion.

Virtualized Live Playout features a “highly flexible” commercial and operational model, which allows broadcasters and content owners to rent playout or channel capacity on a daily, pay as you go basis without any long-term commitments, capital expenditure or maintenance costs, Ericsson said.

Ericsson also said it is built and operated to the same standards of reliability as traditional linear services.

The service can be used for ‘pop up’ or temporary live channels or as a disaster recovery service and is a part of Ericsson’s Virtualized Playout portfolio.

Ericsson head of broadcast and media services Thorsten Sauer added: “Our Virtualized Live Playout service is a real-life example of utilizing advances in virtualization and cloud technology.

“It will provide our customers with the flexibility and agility that their programming needs while having ‘linear equivalent’ reliability without the need for dedicated technology investment and the risk of under-utilized capacity.

“This new service complements our industry leading playout portfolio and leverages our vast experience in running live services including high profile sports, entertainment and news events, which we deliver every day for our clients through our playout centers across the globe.”

Ericsson handles UKTV’s playout, video on demand (VOD) and access services contracts. As part of the contract, Ericsson recently announced the migration of UKTV’s VOD preparation services to its end-to-end Package and Deliver managed service, which is powered by Ericsson’s cloud media processing service platform.