IBC to Industry: Yes, IP Solutions Play Well With One Another

New IP Interoperability Zone Will Showcase Broadcast Components from Different Vendors Working Together

Big transitions in the media business can cause big anxiety, as facility owners and operators start to worry about emerging standards going to war with one another, forcing costly investments that might not pay out in long-term returns. IBC is trying to assuage some of those fears this year, bringing the IABM trade association together with the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) in the new IP Interoperability Zone.

"Even just a few months ago, the whole field of IP and interoperability was an alphabet soup of seemingly unrelated organizations," said IBC CEO Michael Crimp in a statement announcing the new 1600-square-foot exhibit space in Hall 8 dedicated to IP workflow. "By creating a dedicated zone at this year's IBC, we are delighted to make a space to show what has been achieved and the standards around which everyone can group."

Suppoerted by industry entities including the AES, AMWA, EBU, SMPTE and VSF, the exhibit will demonstrate work to date on interoperability between IP system components from different vendors, helping broadcast facilities worry a little bit less about how well emerging production solutions are going to play with each other as the transition to IP infrastructure accelerates. 

The AIMS roadmap for open standards in IP technology for the broadcast realm has been endorsed by IABM.

"This shared vision will remove the roadblock that uncertainty over standards and interoperability has put in the way of end-users' decisions to transition to the manu potential operating and cost benefits of IP technology in the broadcast production chain," said IABM CEO Peter White in a prepared statement. "Our own efforts in this direction resultes in the IABM Industry Collaborative Groups Endorsement Program, and it is fitting that we are partnering with the first endorsed group, AIMS, in bringing this exciting initiative to IBC 2016." 

Further information on the IABM's Industry Collaborative Groups program is available at the IABM website.

The IP Interoperability Zone will be open throughout the IBC exhibition and is free to all IBC attendees. In its announcement, IBC also noted that the LiveIP production studio initiative from VRT and the EBU is up for an IBC2016 Innovation Award. The award winners will be named during a presentation on Sunday, September 11, at 6:30 p.m.