EMG Selects Axon As Strategic Technology Partner

After an extensive investigation and an RFP based selection process, including proof of concepts, EMG (Euro Media Group) has selected Axon out of several vendors to become a strategic technology partner.

At the beginning of 2017, EMG launched a program called OBjective 2020, aimed at designing a new concept for future media production solutions.

Ronald Meyvisch, CTO of the Euro Media Group, said: "What we wanted to achieve was a triple-A solution to produce content Anywhere, Anyhow, Any size. Our goal was to cover both remote production and on site production and to be able to do anything between a small HD production and the biggest UHD show one can think of."

In order to achieve this, the concept needed to be modular and scalable and therefore IP based. Following a data-centre approach, applications can be deployed in a flexible way, according to needs, on an FPGA based platform connected via an extensive network. On this network, quality of service, bandwidth control and full control of the routing are guaranteed.

"In Axon, we found the partner who could provide us both the state-of-the-art and future-proof control system (Axon's Cerebrum control and monitoring solution) as well as a very powerful IP-based video/audio processing platform that will deliver the necessary processing power and gateways to support this distributed media infrastructure we had in mind," Meyvisch added.

As the system can be used in OB trucks, fixed installations as well as flight packs, the first solutions being built following the OBjective 2020 philosophy will be operational at the beginning of 2018 in UHD. Later in the year, EMG plans the roll out of several OB trucks, as well as the renewal of the Italian sports media remote production centre of 3Zero2 - all based on the same technology and concept.

Patrick van den Berg, CFO of EMG, also said: "Thanks to IP, we are now able to harmonise the core technology used in EMG for media production, thus allowing us to share the hardware and exchange the people between our different entities in order to increase our operational efficiency. This is of strategic importance for our group in order to stay ahead of the competition and respond to the market demand for cost effective and flexible solutions."

Jan Eveleens, CEO of Axon concluded: "We are delighted to be working so closely with EMG as strategic technology partner over the coming years, supporting their organisation as it revolutionises media production and leads the way in the successful deployment of IP infrastructure in live broadcast. This partnership also confirms Axon's strategic vision as the requirements of EMG for their OBjective 2020 were a direct match with Axon's on-going product development program and roadmap."

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