The AMWA (Advanced Media Workflow Association) and EBU (European Broadcasting Union) have announced the release of FIMS Media SOA Framework 1.0. The Framework is now an approved AMWA specification and an approved EBU Technical Document.
Over the last five years, the media industry has seen great changes. The move to file-based operations has freed companies from the linear workflow imposed by videotape. Multi-format delivery to a plethora of consumer devices has created new demands and offers new opportunities.
These developments, along with increased competition from new entrants to the media business, are driving media companies to look for more efficient and agile ways to operate.
In 2010, the AMWA and EBU initiated a project to formulate a framework for interoperable media service (FIMS), which would create a foundation on which to build a service-oriented architecture (SOA) to replace the inflexible systems of the past.
Examples of media services include transfer (move a file), transform (change the resolution or transcode) and capture (ingest). The framework allows a workflow orchestration engine to call upon services through a standard interface. This replaces the complex mesh of custom interfaces that was common in legacy broadcast systems.
The use of reusable, common interfaces to media services allows media companies to build flexible systems that can readily adapt to business needs. The underlying technical processes are derived from the business goals. A broadcaster is more able to rapidly deploy new services to consumers, and is better able to monitor and optimize the workflows and processes of a broadcast operation or a content factory.
