Corus Entertainment Selects Siemens to Lead Media Modernization Effort
October 27 2009 - 6:00AM
PR Newswire (US)
Toronto headquarters will set new global standard for broadcast
technology excellence NORWALK, Conn., Oct. 27
/PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Corus Entertainment, one of Canada's most
successful integrated media and entertainment companies, has
selected Siemens IT Solutions and Services, Inc. to be its
technology partner in making the transition into the new Corus Quay
headquarters in Toronto. The consolidation of Corus offices into a
single, integrated facility will be one of the most ambitious and
technologically sophisticated media projects in North America. The
move will be completed and Corus will be live on air by the end of
next year. The multi-million dollar project will bring more than 10
separate offices and more than 1,100 Corus employees together into
a magnificent technologically and architecturally significant
broadcast and production facility on the shores of Lake Ontario.
Corus Quay is destined to become a community landmark and a
broadcasting technology jewel. (Logo:
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGO ) "Siemens
has already shown that it can complete a media integration of
enormous size and complexity," said Scott Dyer, CTO of Corus
Entertainment. "To go live in a new, integrated media environment
we needed a partner with the capability, experience and innovative
thought leadership to help guide our integration and relocation
efforts. We expect that Corus Quay will set a new standard for
Corus, for Toronto and for broadcast providers throughout North
America and we're very pleased that Siemens is the lead systems
integrator for this effort." With a host of television and radio
stations and a global reputation in broadcast animation, Corus
possesses a dynamic entertainment portfolio. This new facility
allows Corus to maximize its production and broadcast content in
ways never before realized. In developing this new facility,
Siemens will draw upon its extensive experience in developing
broadcast technology systems for the BBC. The new facility will
draw from Siemens' experience in delivering Facility Design and
Build projects for major broadcasters in Europe and the Asia
Pacific region. "This is a very complex and demanding media
integration project," said Holger Kormann, Vice President and
General Manager of Siemens IT Solutions and Services Canada. "It
builds upon our extensive experience from migrating the BBC to a
digital environment and affords us an opportunity to dramatically
transform the design and delivery of content for Corus
Entertainment, one of Canada's leading broadcasters. This is a very
aggressive timeframe and the inherent nature of broadcasting means
that there is no margin for error," said Kormann. "But we
appreciate the opportunity to be Corus Entertainment's production
and broadcast technology partner and help them transition to the
next generation of broadcast technology." Siemens will be
responsible for developing and implementing a detailed design of
the broadcast system, resulting in more than 20 standard and high
definition broadcast signals going live from Corus Quay. The system
will include such core broadcast technology as Ingest, Play Out,
Master Control, and scheduling systems. Overall, the new Siemens
broadcast architecture will improve internal workflows, speed
content integration and allow Corus to efficiently distribute
content whenever and wherever there is consumer demand. In the
future, Corus also plans to implement a Digital Asset Management
System that will produce linear and non-linear broadcast content
and more efficiently utilize the vast array of content they own.
"This transition to new technologies in a new facility will allow
us to be far more nimble in responding to market demands," said
Dyer. "The broadcast industry is a very dynamic industry, with
content being consumed in a variety of ways -- from traditional
radio and television viewing to streaming to mobile devices, to
interactive social media. Partnering with Siemens will allow us to
respond to market shifts and quickly deliver high quality content
in a high quality fashion -- anytime; anywhere. It's a very
exciting initiative." About Siemens IT Solutions and Services
Siemens IT Solutions and Services is an internationally leading
provider of IT solutions and services. It covers the entire IT
service chain from a single source, from consulting to system
integration, right through to the management of IT infrastructures.
In addition, Siemens IT Solutions and Services extends the range of
offerings of the Siemens sectors to include software developments
and IT solutions. With its comprehensive know-how and
industry-specific knowledge, Siemens IT Solutions and Services
provides measurable added value for its customers. The Siemens
division employs around 41,000 people and posted annual sales of
about $5.3B Euro in fiscal year 2008. More information at:
http://www.usa.siemens.com/it-solutions. About Corus Entertainment
Inc. Corus Entertainment Inc. is a Canadian-based media and
entertainment company. Corus is a market leader in specialty
television and radio with additional assets in pay television,
advertising services, television broadcasting, children's book
publishing and children's animation. The company's multimedia
entertainment brands include YTV, Treehouse, W Network, CosmoTV,
VIVA, Movie Central, HBO Canada, Nelvana, Kids Can Press and radio
stations including CKNW, CKOI and Q107. Corus creates engaging
branded entertainment experiences for its audiences across multiple
platforms. A publicly traded company, Corus is listed on the
Toronto (CJR.B) and New York (CJR) exchanges. Experience Corus on
the Web at http://www.corusent.com/.
http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGODATASOURCE:
Siemens IT Solutions and Services CONTACT: Scott M. Smith, Siemens,
, +1-678-327-9864 Web Site: http://www.usa.siemens.com/it-solutions
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