The acquisition of Encoda Systems by Harris and the subsequent merge of Harris Automation into the newly formed Harris Software Systems (HSS) has our integrators and dealers asking how it all fits together. Whether its the industry's best-selling ADC system or the premier medium to large scale multi-channel D-Series or Harris' next-generation offering called H-Class Broadcast Presentation Manager (BPM), HSS has a clear strategy and product roadmap for the playout automation and ingest market segments. In order to clarify where we are going with our automation solutions and the market positioning of ADC, D-Series, and H-Class Automation, we went to Ben Peake, the Product Management Director of Automation (all products) for his comment:  

What's the future direction of Harris' automation systems? Providing the right solution to meet all of your customer's operational needs and plans can be very difficult. Harris Software Systems (HSS) offers ingest and automation systems that span the entire spectrum of operations from small, single channel, local operators to the largest, enterprise, multi-channel, play-out centers in operation today. We are able to do this by offering a range of system solutions that can be tailored to meet your customer's specific needs.

Harris is committed to continued development and support of all three automation systems

Lets start with ADC the most widely deployed automation system with customers in over X countries. Earlier this year, new releases of ADC Device Server, Air Client and Media Client were made available.   These releases provide a number of key features and functions including improved failover capability, additions to VACP and VDCP, a wide range of AirClient and MediaClient user interface enhancements and over 20 new and enhanced drivers for graphics devices, master control switchers, subtitlers, routers and video servers. In addition, there are a range of complete system packages available providing economical options whether your customers are just getting started with automation or expanding an existing operation. The ADC-25 system chassis has just had a hardware refresh and provides an excellent entry point for low cost solutions. On the ADC support front, Harris is rolling out a new program that will improve response time to your customers changing needs and operational issues.

As part of our continued commitment to development and support of ADC, our engineers have been busy integrating ADC with H-Class applications from our ingest and asset management product portfolios. These integrations provide the ability for ADC to better support your customers needs as digital content becomes more prevalent and asset management becomes a natural add-on to customers that are dealing with the explosive growth and maintenance of digital content and looking for alternative revenue streams.

Then there is D-Series. here too Harris continues to enhance and upgrade this system. The D-Series system is the leading automation solution for medium to large, multi-channel broadcast, cable and satellite operations. This system has reliability and scaling capabilities that cannot be matched. There are a number of releases of D-Series systems planned for the coming year. The first system wide release will be A7 Version 4 before the end of 2005. Version 4 is hosted on the Linux Operating system. This new LINUX based release of the D-Series line will include many new features including support for gigabit Ethernet, support for increased number of secondary events, additional device drivers, remote playout schedule synchronization for business continuity sites, dual head client workstation, touch screen control panels and additional GUI capabilities for even more effective multi-channel operation. As with ADC, the D-Series engineers have been busy providing improved integration with traffic, scheduling and digital asset management systems. Additionally, Harris is defining the roadmap to make the D-Series product line compliant with the H-Class platform. Our plan is for D-Series to become a part of this new family of solutions.

And finally, H-Class Automation -- the next generation in automation solutions. H-Class Automation is part of the H-Class(TM) Content Delivery Platform, an integrated approach to content management at the enterprise level - from ingest to distribution over a variety of devices or networks. The H-Class Application Suite is designed to enable revenue optimization from new services, while lowering total cost of ownership (TCO) throughout the media management process. Broadcast Presentation Manager (BPM) is the H-Class Automation application suite that provides play-out management for single channel, multi-channel, and multi-region play-out operations. The system provides the ability to support local operations as well as management and control of distributed operations. For integrators, BPM provides the ability to easily integrate with third party systems by way of the H-Class support for standardized open interfaces. BPM is complemented by H-Class Media Ingest which provides a set of tools to handle all of your customers ingest needs including traditional baseband ingest, management and control of scheduled and batch ingest processes as well as fully automated ingest of digital media. BPM and Media Ingest are designed to increase efficiencies within the broadcast facility by streamlining ingest processes, scheduling processes, resource management, and media management processes. BPM and Media Ingest applications will be released in phases over the next year. The first application, Automatic Ingest was released this past month.

As you can see, all of the Harris automation systems continue to evolve and improve to meet the ever changing market and customer demands. Customers can be assured their investment in a Harris Automation system is protected as it has been Harris' longstanding policy to provide every one of our customers a migration strategy to evolve and improve along with us. Harris Software Systems is committed to providing our integrators and dealers with the best solutions and support in the market.