08/09/05 - FBBT Begins Matador™ Deployment at BBC Northern Ireland
Belfast, Northern Ireland (September 8, 2005) - FBBT (Fighting Bull Broadcast Technology (UK) Ltd.) has announced the initial deployment, at BBC Northern Ireland, of MatadorT, the first dedicated Operational Support System (OSS) for broadcasters.
MatadorT provides precise, real-time analysis of the broadcast infrastructure for engineers and production staff, and a wealth of underlying fi nancial and operational
detail for managers.
It builds on 15 years of experience in the telecommunications industry, where OSS is an established technology sector worth over $35 billion a year.
MatadorT enables broadcasters to manage complex infrastructures efficiently. It also helps them to undertake the technology realignment and business practice adjustments necessary to truly embrace digital technology and workflow.
Operations Support Systems perform monitoring, management, inventory,
engineering, planning, and repair functions for
communications service providers and their networks. OSS automates
manual processes and makes operation of a network infrastructure
more error-free and effi cient. It also helps maximize the return on investment
(ROI) in key assets, enabling operators to
reduce costs, provide better service, and accelerate the time to market
for new products and services. |
MatadorT features a 3-D user interface which is a fi rst in the industry. Operators can see at a glance a live, animated representation of the operational status of every individual element of their network. Any problems are immediately highlightedon the screen, and drill-down is available to provide background detail on individual components.
BBC Northern Ireland has been an active partner in the development of MatadorT, and after extensive trials the system will go live in November 2005. MatadorT will monitor each piece of equipment in the service path and display accurate visualizations through the 3D interface. That data will then be collected and various reports on faults, historical configuration and utilization of specifi c devices will be available.
Operations Support Systems perform monitoring, management, inventory, engineering, planning, and repair functions for communications service providers and their networks.
OSS automates manual processes and makes operation of a network infrastructure more error-free and effi cient. It also helps maximize the return on investment (ROI) in key assets, enabling operators to reduce costs, provide better service, and accelerate the time to market for new products and services.
"This is proving to be an effective relationship developing exciting technology," says Robert McCormick, BBC Northern Ireland's Manager, Broadcast Services. "We are keen to progress to the deployment phase of Matador in order to realize the technical and operational improvements we have identified."
The significance of introducing OSS to the broadcast sector is not lost on industry analysts and observers. James Healey, senior analyst of media technologies at Datamonitor, is emphatic: "Matador's ability to visualize and report on the
infrastructure is an essential step forward in creating a truly digital workflow"
Furthermore, systems integrators in the broadcast sector are also attracted by the role Matador can play in the creation of end-to-end solutions. "We have been following the development of Matador with interest," says David MacGregor, Managing Director of Television Systems Ltd. "It addresses a very important technology issue."
Rick Bolin, FBBT's CEO, is very appreciative of BBC NI's role in the development of Matador. "The development phase has gone very smoothly, and we are looking forward to delivering significant improvements in both operating costs and capital
expenditures. MatadorT will give operators theability to strategically manage their business in ways not possible with conventional monitoring technology."
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