Irish national broadcaster Raidió Teilifis Éireann (RTÉ) is close to completing the implementation of FAST, its file acquisition and server technology project. Central to FAST is Mediaflex from TMD, the provider of asset management systems for digital and physical assets. The project includes the first practical implementation of the new Mediaflex CI module (pictured), which enables users to create their own workflows with automated decision-making. RTÉ and TMD will be attending the IT Broadcast Workflow conference in London on 9 July, where Myles Donoghue, project leader at RTÉ, will present a full case study on the FAST project. Mediaflex CI provides the ability to design workflows and business analytics. The use of analytics means that the system itself can make decisions based on metadata and business rules developed by the organisation. In implementing an enterprise-wide asset management system, RTÉ was determined that the system should allow the broadcaster to design and develop its own fully automated workflows. Mediaflex CI enables the user to design the decision-making process that uses metadata, and in turn to create their own automated workflows, using individual elements that are dragged and dropped into place. The FAST project at RTÉ, in conjunction with systems design and integration company Eurotek, sees TMD asset management integrated with a number of sub-systems including Pilat channel management, Snell playout automation, Omneon storage networks, Avid post and Softel access services. TMD already had all these interfaces implemented, eliminating a major source of delay and risk in the project. “TMD’s existing capabilities allowed us to structure the project in a new way,” explained Donoghue. “In phase one TMD provided us with a ‘vanilla’ Mediaflex installation with five workstations which allowed us to develop our own applications and workflows in key areas like promo creation, compliance viewing, quality control, transcoding and delivery. All the interfaces were there and working, so we could focus on allowing the real end users to develop the way they wanted to work, a huge boost for productivity.” “The installation at RTÉ is a revolutionary step-change in the way that asset management and workflow systems are implemented,” said Tony Taylor, chairman and CEO of TMD. “Broadcasters today expect that the groundwork has all been done, allowing seamless interfacing between different vendors. Now they want to focus on tailoring the system to work the way that they want it to, which means giving them simple tools to develop their own workflows. Mediaflex CI is a uniquely advanced offering, and the installation at RTÉ is a great showcase for what should be done.” www.broadcastworkflow.comwww.tmd.tv
