Panasonic and GlobeCast Form Global Workflow Technology Partnership

Paris, FRANCE, 21st October 2009 – Panasonic Professional Broadcast and IT Systems (PBITS) and GlobeCast, a leading content management and delivery company, have formalized a technology partnership to integrate Panasonic’s P2 broadcast workflow and production technology with GlobeCast’s Media Sharing Platforms (MSP). The agreement will result in strong compatibility between the technology, software and media asset management platforms that facilitate the seamless exchange of content among broadcast professionals.

This global partnership will drive the development of specialised players and new interfaces between Panasonic’s P2-enabled hardware and GlobeCast’s software and MSP, allowing major broadcast clients to benefit from a unified technology environment. In the newsgathering field, for example, the product synergy resulting from the companies’ agreement will allow P2 camcorder users in the field to ingest footage directly to a GlobeCast distribution platform at the TV studio. Continued development of this technology partnership will empower users further, with GlobeCast’s MSP reading and extracting the metadata wrapped in a P2 file in order to populate an intelligent database and automatically reference the associated video content. The result will be a streamlined workflow from acquisition through worldwide distribution and archiving.

GlobeCast’s Media Sharing Platforms combines the best of the company’s unique expertise in core networks, content acquisition, and content delivery with the advanced media asset management software and integrated archive manager offered by its subsidiary NETIA. Designed to simplify the cataloguing, indexing, archiving, accessing, and distribution of media, the software helps to maximize productivity gains in asset management and the use of rich media, whether broadcast or repurposed and published to platforms such as Web portals and mobile devices.

Working with Panasonic P2 cameras and the GlobeCast MSP with NETIA software, the camera operator will be able to mark key files and scenes with icons to help production staff back at the station identify crucial scenes, thus saving time in post-production. The camera’s ability to send in/out points, playlists, and low-res proxy versions in advance of full-resolution video clips enables managing directors to make the most of available bandwidth, to create rushes or edit decision lists quickly, or to publish video to a catalog with minimal delay.

Welcoming the deal, Jaume Rey, Director of Panasonic PBITS, said: “Eighty five percent of broadcasters in Europe who have expressed an interest in migrating to a tapeless solution have selected Panasonic’s P2 technology over other alternatives. In pursuing this partnership with a global content management company such as GlobeCast, we will continue to reinforce the value of P2 as a true IT-based solution which eliminates the need for tape and enhances the speed and efficiency of the production process.”

Christian Pinon, GlobeCast Chairman and CEO, said: “The integration of Panasonic’s innovative P2 technology with the GlobeCast MSP, including NETIA’s robust digital media asset management software, supports a workflow-oriented, end-to-end delivery concept tailored to the specific requirements of broadcasters and production houses. By enabling a high degree of flexibility in managing media across this workflow, our technology partnership simplifies operations, enhances access to and handling of media, and significantly speeds time to air or market.”

Ends
About GlobeCast

GlobeCast, a subsidiary of France Telecom, is the leading global provider of content management and worldwide transmission services for professional broadcast delivery.

The company operates a secure global satellite and fibre network to manage and transport 10 million hours of video and other rich media each year, providing ingest, aggregation, transmission and repurposing of content for delivery to direct-to-home satellite platforms; cable, IPTV, mobile and broadband headends; as well as corporate and digital signage networks. GlobeCast’s fleet of SNG trucks is deployed globally to support coverage of the biggest news and sporting events each year in SD and HDTV formats.

Borders are non-existent when it comes to GlobeCast’s services, thanks to the company’s 12 teleports and technical operations centres as well as its 18 offices in Europe, North and Latin America, the Middle East, Asia, Africa and Australia.

About Panasonic

The Panasonic Corporation is a world leader in the development and manufacture of electronic products for a broad range of consumer, commercial and industrial applications. The company, based in Osaka, Japan, reported net consolidated earnings of 7 770 billion Japanese yen (roughly 78.4 billion American dollars) for the financial year ending 31 March 2009. The company is listed on the Osaka, Nagoya and New York (NYSE: PC) stock exchanges. More information on Panasonic, the company and brand, can be found at the website http://panasonic.net

About PBITS

Panasonic’s Professional & Broadcast IT Systems Business Unit is part of Panasonic Audio Visual and Computer Systems Europe (PAVCSE), a division of Panasonic Marketing Europe GmbH. The company is a leader in the development of video formats and core products for broadcast and professional AV, including camera-recorders, video recorders, monitors and mixers. Panasonic’s P2HD systems provide the reliability of solid-state production with immediate connectivity to existing IT infrastructures, allowing for completely IT workflows. www.panasonic-broadcast.com

For further information:
Globecast

Tracey Milham

+4420 7753 3617
E-mail: tracey.milham {at} globecast(.)com
Panasonic PBITS HQ

Andoni Larrucea

European Communications Manager

Phone: +34 607655368

E-mail: andoni.larrucea {at} eu.panasonic(.)com
AxiCom for Panasonic

Kevin Connor

Phone: +44 20 8392 4082

E-mail: kevin.connor {at} axicom(.)com