A grouping of broadcast and media industry suppliers have formed a new alliance to promote open standards and interoperability for broadcasters.
The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) brings together Grass Valley, Imagine Communications, Lawo, Snell Advanced Media and Nevion in support of the VSF TR-03/-04, SMPTE 2022-6 and AES67 standards.
AIMS says it will prioritise three key strategies:
- Initiatives that facilitate the education and adoption of open standards
- Facilitation of activities that accelerate the development of solutions that support these open standards
- Nurturing the creation of new standards by supporting standards bodies with participation and testing in real-world environments
“The mission of the Alliance for IP Media Solutions is to endorse open standards and protect the choice that broadcasters and media companies must have when selecting the right solution for their particular needs,” notes Steve Reynolds, CTO, Imagine Communications. Mike Cronk, senior vice president of strategic marketing, Grass Valley, adds, “Our intent is to avoid perpetuating a future where suppliers push their proprietary technologies only to lock media companies into technologies that don’t work well with other systems or are not easily scaled and upgraded.”
Open standards work for the IP transition is already underway by the 74-member Video Services Forum (VSF), with the support of organizations such as SMPTE and the EBU. AIMS endorses the work of the VSF and will continue to lend support in the development of a standard approach to IP. More than 30 broadcast equipment manufacturers are actively testing and validating the VSF’s approach today.
AIMS provides specific guidance in its bylaws to its members and to the media industry via the AIMS Roadmap. The organization endorses an IP transition plan that includes support for SMPTE 2022-6, AES67 and VSF recommendations TR-03 and TR-04.
Membership in AIMS is available to all individuals and companies that support open standards and share a commitment to the group’s founding principles.
