VRT Embraces Avid Everywhere, Deploying New Media Asset Management Solution

Burlington, MA, 01.07.2015

Avid Interplay MAM enables major Belgian broadcaster to improve collaboration and operational efficiency across the enterprise

Avid® (Nasdaq: AVID) today announced that VRT, the Flemish public broadcaster based in Brussels, Belgium, has embraced Avid Everywhere™ by installing a media asset management system designed and implemented by Avid Global Services as the first phase of the broadcaster’s transition to an HD workflow. The Avid Interplay® | MAM improves operational efficiency and facilitates better internal collaboration.

With HD becoming ubiquitous in broadcast, VRT began the process of planning a phased HD upgrade program across its entire facility. The project began with replacing VRT’s legacy SD database management system with an HD-capable solution that not only manages its existing media and database, but also handles new multimedia assets from its in-house productions, spanning from news and sport to live entertainment and studio shows. The new system enables team collaboration across the facility, while integrating existing third party systems into the production workflow during the transition process and beyond.

"With such a major overhaul of our facility, we were looking for a proven solution that we could rely on to support our requirements today and in the future,” said Wim Willems, HD Program Manager, VRT. "We already use iNEWS® in our newsroom, so we discussed our plans with Avid; were charmed with their solution and their approach. Avid Global Services worked closely with us to map out how we wanted to work, and they developed the Interplay | MAM system and workflow to suit our specific needs. Avid’s team have created a MAM solution that will serve as the cornerstone of our new HD workflow and will grow and develop as our needs evolve.”

“The Interplay | MAM installation is VRT’s first step toward a fully integrated HD production workflow, allowing them to fully exploit new technologies and mould them to their own ways of working,” said Tom Cordiner, VP International Business at Avid. “By working with Avid Global Services and Diginet - the local Avid Elite Partner that supplied and installed the system, providing crucial ‘eyes and ears’ on site almost every day during the installation - VRT now has a MAM system that suits their current and future requirements, and a solid basis for the next phase of its HD workflow.”

The installation was completed in April 2015.