LONDON — March 24, 2009 — Pilat Media, a leading global supplier of business management software solutions to the media industry, has announced that Fox International Channels (FIC) has gone live with a new African service using Pilat Media's Integrated Broadcast Management System (IBMS) at their facilities in London.
To launch the service, FIC leveraged their use of IBMS for centralized content management, scheduling, and media asset management. The flexibility of the system made the launch a fast and cost-effective process, only requiring the addition of an interface to the Arqiva playout and satellite platform selected by FIC. Pilat Media delivered the new IBMS-Arqiva interface for testing after only two weeks from the initial request — enabling the rapid deployment and launch of the new channel, Fox Entertainment Africa, on Feb. 16.
"The IBMS system was instrumental in a quick set up for the new channel," said Peter Gyngell, Operations Manager at FIC (UK). "We found the Pilat Media team to be highly responsive and efficient, allowing us to construct the new channel schedule and put the content out through the new distribution platform, reaching for the first time an entirely new audience in Africa. The flexibility of the IBMS architecture also enables us to add more sophisticated features later on quickly, such as ad overlays and other secondary events to enhance the value of our programming."
IBMS streamlines the entire content management workflow from media acquisition and rights management to scheduling, media trafficking, log preparation, and analysis. Because the system leverages a single integrated database, it provides better visibility on inventory utilization and easily enables the user to generate "what if" programming and cost scenarios. Many IBMS features have been designed explicitly to expedite the launch of new channels, including virtual channel templates, flexible rights definition, and the ability to change workflow parameters easily.
"Speedy deployment of new services is the name of the game in challenging economic conditions. This new channel launch by Fox International Channels is an excellent example of a broadcaster leveraging IBMS to capture a new market opportunity cost-effectively," said Avi Engel, CEO of Pilat Media. "The modular, scalable architecture of the IBMS system provides our customers with an economical growth path, enabling them to add new channels, new features, and new delivery platforms whenever business dictates."
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About Fox International Channels
Fox International Channels (FIC) develops and distributes wholly and majority-owned entertainment, factual, sports, and movie channels in all markets across Europe, Africa, Latin America, and Asia. With a stable of 20 channel brands, FIC broadcasts more than 95 television services in 29 languages. These networks and their related mobile, nonlinear and high-definition extensions, reach more than 350 million subscribing households worldwide.
About Pilat Media
Pilat Media Global plc [AIM: PGB] develops, markets, and supports business management software solutions for content and service providers in the media industry. Designed with the direct involvement of top-tier broadcasters, Pilat Media's systems improve business performance, accelerate time to market and enable diversification and growth of content programming, advertising sales, traffic, and media operations for multiplatform linear and on-demand services. More than 50 blue-chip media companies around the world use Pilat Media solutions, including FOX, AT&T, CTV, Virgin Media, Discovery, SABC, Chellomedia, the BBC, Media General, Sky Italia, ESPN Star Sports, Network Ten, TVNZ, Southern Cross, and Foxtel. These and other deployments represent the management of billions of dollars in advertising revenue and programming that reaches hundreds of millions of viewers. More information is available at www.pilatmedia.com.
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