Tom’s Thoughts on IBC 2008
I first attended IBC in 1991, when we at Avid were just introducing the PAL version of the Media Composer. The show has certainly changed through the years and in 2008 it is very apparent that IT-based implementations are increasingly being adopted and put into practice. Unlike the warming sun of last year, it is a typical overcast, rainy Amsterdam but that has not had any effect on the crowds. Booths are busy and there is energy to the crowd unlike at NAB.
HD is certainly forming a large component of what people are looking at, but hardware and software applications to support IPTV and Mobile initiatives are getting their fair share of increased floor presence and associated foot traffic.
The theme for this year’s IBC is “the world of content creation, management, and delivery” and I think particularly we are seeing more emphasis on, in order, delivery and management than ever before. Any content creator who has a volume of content is now seriously looking at how to manage and to keep track of that content—hence must look at both asset management and content management systems. And, files must be distributed to all the locations that require them—to affiliate stations, cable head ends, telcos, and the vast amount of business partners that are part of this ever morphing world of what we call the media and entertainment industry.
One of the clichés in this business is “NAB is hectic and IBC is much more tranquil”. I don’t find that to be the case at all. In 1991, the pace of IBC was very slow. Today, the pace is fast and people are coming to make evaluations and to make decisions!