INDUSTRY

Following successful installations in six countries in the European broadcast market over the past two years, Silicon Graphics has launched Silicon Graphics Broadcast Europe under general manager Stephan Schindler. The dedicated media business unit will offer IT-based broadcast solutions and systems integration services to European broadcasters and operate across Europe with offices in London, Copenhagen, Munich, Paris and Amsterdam. Key to its success in Europe, SGI has architected, integrated and provided broadcasters with digital IT infrastructures capable of managing their soaring volumes of data as they move from proprietary video-based facilities to standards-based IT data-centric models. In making their move from analog to digital infrastructures, broadcasters throughout Europe have seen IT as more efficient and cost-effective allowing for the ingestion, sharing and storage of content within and between facilities at speeds faster than real-time. "Broadcasters are looking for an IT solutions provider that understands broadcast workflow. As a high-performance computing company with a heritage in broadcast graphics and video, we have the expertise and technology that fits the bill," said Stephan Schindler, general manager, Silicon Graphics Broadcast Europe, who joined SGI from Avid Technology two years ago. "With our deep systems integration experience in optimizing best-of-breed broadcast applications combined with SGI Media Server systems and storage solutions, we help broadcasters convert their workflow into effective dataflow empowering broadcasters to get news to air faster and make more efficient use of their media assets across their organizations." SGI's digital infrastructure solutions deliver interoperability and integration from ingest and edit to playout and archive in computing, storage, and networking as well as video production. These solutions simplify, accelerate and optimize broadcast workflow allowing staff at broadcast companies to have faster access to archived material and the ability to share video and audio material across multiple operations. With one of the largest broadcast markets in the world, Europe represents a significant growth opportunity for SGI. With the creation of the team, Silicon Graphics Broadcast Europe will build on the successes SGI has already established including current customers: BBC, Czech Television, Danish Broadcasting Corporation (DR), EuroNews, France Televisions Publicite (FTP), M6, France2, France3, TF1, Suedwestrundfunk (SWR) and Sveriges Television (SVT), among others.