Archive notice: This article was originally published on April 9, 2008. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The ProSiebenSat.1 Group is building its pan-European digital platform together with IBM. The aim is to establish a completely digital, tapeless technological infrastructure that enables TV content to be exploited throughout Europe across all distribution channels.
The two companies have signed a ten-year outsourcing agreement worth more than 200 million euros. IBM will take over and expand all IT business applications and the IT and media systems of ProSiebenSat.1 Produktion. Under this agreement, 170 employees of ProSiebenSat.1 Produktion will transfer to IBM in the first quarter of 2009. Over the next few years, IBM will establish a Broadcast Integration Center and advance the standardisation of processes and business applications for media companies.
At the same time, the ProSiebenSat.1 Group will build a new playout centre in Munich. In future, the group’s TV channels will therefore be broadcast through the central European playout centres in Munich and London-Chiswick. Through its cooperation with IBM and the efficiency gains from a fully digital platform, the ProSiebenSat.1 Group expects savings of around 50 million euros over the next ten years.
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“Innovative technology that allows us to exploit our content across all media and in all countries is crucial to our strategy. With IBM, we have a world-class partner for our new platform and our employees. This creates the foundation for future growth while reducing our IT costs,” says Guillaume de Posch, Chairman of the Executive Board of ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG.
“We are supporting our long-standing customer ProSiebenSat.1 on its transformation journey so that it can manage and deliver its TV content consistently throughout Europe in future,” says Martin Jetter, Chairman of the Management Board of IBM Deutschland GmbH. “To this end, we are deploying our technologies, services and media expertise to advance ProSiebenSat.1’s efficiency and business development sustainably and collaboratively.”
When the service begins, IBM will assume responsibility for planning, technical support and the provision of applications, Internet technologies and IT infrastructure for the Sat.1, ProSieben, kabel eins and N24 channel brands. IBM will modernise ProSiebenSat.1’s core business applications, such as advertising airtime sales, programme scheduling and rights management, and integrate and interconnect them across all distribution channels. The multitude of in-house-developed applications will be reduced and transformed to uniform, open standards to facilitate the integration of international partners. The aim of the transformation is to make the company faster and more flexible in the European media and entertainment market – while also reducing costs.
Further Links:
- ProSiebenSat1
IBM
