Strengthening The Chain
Fast, reliable connectivity between a database and its users is a must. For content managers, making sure this happens is Job One at the core of their business. A case in point is Mentat's SkyX Gateway: it resolves the latency problems associated with TCP/IP over satellite by reformatting the data before transmission using its Xpress Transport Protocol (XTP). When combined with data compression and other enhancements, this XTP data is able to minimize latency problems during its 44,480 mile hop through space. At the receiving end, the XTP format is reformatted backed to TCP/IP so that the data can be extracted as easily is if it had been moved over a terrestrial LAN. All branches of the U.S. military, Boeing, ChevronTexaco, ClearChannel, Halliburton, Sony, HBO, and NBC among others are currently using SkyX.
Comtech EF Data focuses on improving TCP/IP performance. A case in point is its turboVR router, which basically accelerates TCP/IP data to minimize delays and session dropouts. "Transparent acceleration of TCP sessions is the best way to increase throughput over satellite links," says Daniel Enns, senior vice president of strategic marketing & business development for Comtech EF Data.
Sometimes a simple solution to content management can help, such as getting more performance from the bandwidth you have. For instance, Radyne ComStream has developed a DVB-S2 upgrade for its DM240 DVB-S satellite modulators. When installed, the S2 upgrade "can give you 30% more bandwidth efficiency," says Steve Eymann, CTO of Radyne ComStream. Content managers can use this efficiency to squeeze the same amount of data into less bandwidth, or increase the amount of data they are pushing through their existing 'pipe.'
ILC's MaxView Monitor & Control (M&C) software helps centralcasters manage their satellite uplink networks. One of MaxView's key selling points is that it is 'technology agnostic.' This means that MaxView can connect to old legacy and new IP-based network systems and make them all talk to each other. For content managers, this means that they can rationalize and optimize their centralcasting operations and add new elements to it as needed.
To date, centralcasters such as DirecTV and CNBC have adopted MaxView. "Our continued growth and local channel initiative makes it imperative that we can integrate new broadcast or uplink facilities into the management and control system without disrupting service," explains Dave Baylor, executive vice president of DirecTV, in a news release at http://www.ilc.com. "MaxView will allow us to continue our expansion in a controlled and efficient manner."
"It is critical that we deliver breaking financial news and information to our viewers immediately," notes Steve Fastook, CNBC's vice president of technical and commercial operations in a third ILC news release. "We cannot afford to wait while technicians get to control panels to make changes, route feeds and monitor."
ScheduALL tackles content management through an integrated software platform; one that handles all aspects of a centralcaster's operations, including broadcast distribution management, resource allocation, event scheduling and staffing. This is why this product is being used in 1,100 media operations worldwide and was adopted by NBC to coordinate the "thousands of hours of content from the Athens Olympics," says Rick Richardson. ScheduALL's client list includes NPR and Sirius Satellite Radio.
KenCast has been helping centralcasters manage content since 1994, when the company's Fazzt Digital Delivery System was introduced. The best way to understand Fazzt is as an enterprise solution to content management and distribution: it is an open architecture system that can get content where it needs to go, with built-in error correction. Fazzt even monitors the progress of data downloads, automatically resending missing data bits without operator intervention. Fazzt is used by major data centralcasters as the U.S. military, the CIA and the DHS. KenCast has recently refined Fazzt so that it can be received on wireless PDAs and other mobile devices, for use by soldiers on the move.
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