A joint EBU-Advanced Media Workflow Association (AMWA) project that will enable broadcasters to save money and work smarter has won the prestigious Judges' Prize of the International Broadcasting Convention (IBC).
The Framework for Interoperable Media Services (FIMS) is an open standard for Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) for media that, in simple terms, overcomes expensive, disruptive incompatibilities in IT-based broadcast production technologies.
IT-based solutions are supplanting dedicated video and audio equipment as broadcasters seek media format flexibility, metadata management and cost reduction by using general purpose PCs and networks. Yet despite the role of IT in media production, system incompatibilities still cause inefficiencies and drive up costs.
The project has now successfully delivered the FIMS 1.0 specification, which is already operational at Bloomberg. Other industry players are considering following suit.
"A few years ago, I gave a presentation at the IBC conference about Service Oriented Architectures, and I would never have dreamed of results coming to market so quickly,” said EBU FIMS project leader Jean-Pierre Evain. “My colleagues working on FIMS have been exemplary, and the industry has recognized these efforts.”
EBU director of Technology & Innovation Lieven Vermaele noted that the award recognized the work done to date.
“FIMS has now delivered a solid base-layer specification, but it will grow in terms of services and functionalities demanded by new applications and use cases," he added.
The Judges' Prize is presented for innovative projects that have particular creative, technical or commercial imagination. It will be presented Sunday, Sept. 9, during the IBC2012 Awards Ceremony in the RAI Auditorium.
See EBU at IBC2012 Stand 10.F20.
See AMWA at IBC2012 Stand 9.A40b.
