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Belgium’s Watch TV opens Iris

Brussels-based Watch TV has installed Genesis Networks' Iris customer control software. The web-based software platform now allows Watch TV to book, reserve, and monitor fibre transmissions instantly for its clients.

Brussels-based Watch TV has installed Genesis Networks’ Iris customer control software. The web-based software platform now allows Watch TV to book, reserve, and monitor fibre transmissions instantly for its clients.

“Formerly, we had used only satellite as our main means of video transmission,” said Pierre-Andr_ Warny, head of finance and administration at Watch TV. “We find that Genesis Networks’ Iris solution is a more cost-effective means for transmitting video, especially since our clients pay for such services. Its web-based platform makes it easy to use, and we can book a transmission almost at a moment’s notice.”

As Brussels is home to the European Commission, the European Parliament, and the Council of the European Union, television reporters from around the world flock to the city to file and send back to their home stations or networks reports on the happenings at these institutions. Many of these reporters utilise the video production, editing, and transmission services Watch TV provides.

Prior to installing the Iris software, Watch TV had just one fibre link, which was used to send video reports to the Radio T_l_vision belge de la Communaut_ fran_aise (RTBF) transmission centre in Brussels, which would then uplink the reports via satellite, usually through the European Broadcasting Union (EBU). Watch TV still uses this fibre-to-satellite method for some clients, but it now has a new fibre link dedicated to Iris. With Iris, as soon as a journalist calls with a date and time he or she needs to transmit a report, Watch TV can make the satellite booking through the software’s interface, which automatically transfers it over fibre to the satellite uplink for transmission. Watch TV’s subsidiary, Videowatch, which operates the studios at the European Commission, also makes use of Iris.

“Watch TV, like many of our customers, is experiencing the next generation of transmission services, and ultimately, it’s all about control,” said Paul Dujardin, president and CEO at Genesis Networks. “No longer do companies such as Watch TV need to depend on outside vendors for uplink services. They have complete control over the bandwidth, routing, and scheduling of their video transmission services, thanks to Genesis Networks’ unique mix of IP, fibre, and satellite.”