Alrai TV Launches Cloud Playout Solution from Imagine Communications

Alrai TV Launches Cloud Playout Solution from Imagine Communications 10 November 2015

Kuwaiti broadcaster utilizes Versio for new channel trials and disaster recovery

DUBAI November 10, 2015 Imagine Communications, a global leader in video and advertising solutions serving the media and entertainment, multichannel video programming distributors and enterprise markets, today announced that it has implemented a proof of concept IP-based playout system at Alrai TV, Kuwait's first privately owned television channel. The broadcaster plans to use the virtualized environment to optimize workflows and speed service introductions, as well as for business continuity protection in the event of a service disruption.

The solution uses the Imagine Communications Versio integrated channel playout solution running in a virtualized environment on a standard HP platform and Nexio Motion and Nexio AMP servers. The playout software also provides branding animation, logo insertion and live switching.

As part of the initiative, in 2015 Alrai TV installed new playout video servers, instant online managers, workflow managers and glue products. Alrai TV has fully integrated its existing physical operations with the new virtual playout facilities. Both solutions are provided by Imagine Communications. This hybrid approach allows common control of existing and new channels and helps ensure both hardware-based and virtualized solutions are kept in synchronization for disaster recovery applications.

We naturally want to move forward rapidly on our transition to IP infrastructures, said Tarek Majdalani, director of engineering and operations at Alrai TV. We see a whole range of advantages in IP, including reduced cost, simplified processes, speed to air and more powerful workflows. For instance, if we needed to quickly set up a channel for a specific event, such as a local election, or to ensure business continuity in the event of a service disruption or to start a completely new channel in a short window of time that traditional hardware infrastructure does not allow we could do so quickly using the Versio virtualized solution.

Majdalani continues, We have enjoyed a long and successful relationship with Imagine Communications and their proven solutions are very robust and reliable. We will continue to invest in Imagine Communications' solutions, as their vision for the future is aligned with ours and they have proved to be an invaluable partner as we develop proof of concept projects to help us to determine our next steps. It is a win-win relationship.

The MENA region is seeing rapid developments in IP implementations, and this first proof of concept in Kuwait is another significant step, said Paul Wallis, sales director for Middle East and Africa (MENA), Imagine Communications. Alrai TV's pioneering use of software-centric broadcast facilities in Kuwait is very important to the entire region. And because of the flexibility of our solution they have also created an instant business continuity solution. Clearly, they are seeing real economic, operational and technical benefits from these advances.

The IP-based playout solution was installed at Alrai TV in July 2015.

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