Category: MENA

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Chinese Stationery Leader M&G Designated as Official Partner of BFA 2022

SHANGHAI, April 20, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Hainan has witnessed the opening of the 2022 Annual Conference of the Boao Forum for Asia (BFA) on 20th April, under the theme of “The World in COVID-19 & Beyond: Working Together for Global Development and Shared Future”. As the designated stationery partner of the event, Shanghai M&G Stationery Inc. (“M&G” or “The Company”) has been providing BFA with high-quality office stationery products for over a decade.

M&G has been providing BFA high-quality office stationery products for over a decade

M&G has cultivated the Chinese market for more than 30 years, as a beloved and trusted stationery brand for Chinese consumers. The company has established a network of over 80,000 retail terminals in China. With continuous breakthroughs in channels, products and brands, M&G’s products have covered more than 50 countries and regions, with partners all over the world.

In fiscal year 2021, revenue of M&G reached $2.76 billion, up more than 17.9% year on year.

2021 also witnessed the starting year of the company’s new strategy 2021-2025. China-based M&G, one of the world’s largest stationery manufacturers, will be more “consumer-oriented” , and speed up its progress towards a world-class enterprise.

M&G invests more than $15 million every year in product R&D and design to meet consumer needs. It has been granted 841 patents, won four authoritative international industrial design awards, including iF Design Award, Red Dot Design Award, Good Design Award and IDEA Design Award.

At the same time, M&G firmly practices social responsibility as a corporate citizen and follows the national “carbon neutrality” strategy. In its recent annual report released in March 2022, M&G revealed its five-year sustainability strategy with the vision to “write a sustainable business future”. It will continue its efforts in developing sustainable products, addressing climate change, creating a sustainable supply chain, and empowering employees and communities.

In addition, it has acquired and invested in several international brands to expand its brand & product portfolios, including the Norwegian backpack brand Beckmann and the Italian children’ painting & art enlightenment brand CARIOCA.

Based on the company’s overall competitiveness and strength in high quality products, M&G has been providing stationery to many top events, including those of APEC and BFA.

About M&G: www.mgstationery.com

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1800521/image.jpg

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[INVNT GROUP]® Expands Global BrandStory Project® Launches INVNT.ATOM™ – Web3 Focused Digital Innovation Division

New York, NY, April 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — [INVNT GROUP] THE GLOBAL BRANDSTORY PROJECT™, is expanding its global presence and capabilities, launching a Web3-focused digital innovation division, INVNT.ATOM to support brands and organizations navigate, activate and create new storytelling opportunities at the digital frontier. The Singapore-based team of strategists, creators, and community-builders specialize in digital-first campaigns, emergent technologies, and engaging brand experiences calibrated for the new era of Web3.

“Our commitment to brand storytelling and innovation is boundless. Strategy, design and technology continues to drive our Global BrandStory Project. We established INVNT.ATOM to support our clients as they explore and leverage the exciting digital revolution of Web3; ensuring they remain relevant and engage with their most important audiences as new storytelling opportunities emerge. We’re thrilled to welcome Elvin Tan, who joins our team to continue the group’s expansion into APAC, reporting to Laura Roberts, Managing Director of [INVNT GROUP] APAC,” said Scott Cullather, President and CEO, [INVNT GROUP].

Elvin Tan has been appointed Managing Director of INVNT.ATOM. Tan joins [INVNT GROUP] with 20 years of Asia Pacific executive management experience ranging from early-stage startups to big tech; holding positions at Google, YouTube, and most recently Huawei. Tan was also an advisor for Goopal, a Fintech company powering innovative blockchain projects through investment and incubation.

Laura Roberts adds, “We’re excited to welcome Elvin who will lead INVNT.ATOM and our world class Web3-focused team across creative, strategy, project management, accounts, and design to our growing [INVNT GROUP] family. I began my journey in this business as the first INVNT team member back in 2008.  In those days we were known solely as INVNT, which grew into the global live brand storytelling agency.  Since then, we have evolved into the Global BrandStory Project, adding Folk Hero, our brand strategy practice, Meaning, our performance and culture consultancy, HEVĒ, our digital content studio, INVNT Higher Ed supporting colleges and universities around the world, and now INVNT.ATOM, our Web3-focused digital innovation division, leading our clients into the future of brand engagement and global community.”

INVNT.ATOM already counts on a diverse roster of clients and strategic partners launching digital assets and exclusive experiences including:

  • BZAR – Future of Community: [INVNT GROUP]’s patent pending, decentralized, content led metaverse; established as a marketplace for IRL and digital transactions, NFTs, entertainment, social and gaming experiences.
  • Lamborghini: The world’s first 1:1 NFT supercar auction attached to the last physical Lamborghini Aventador Ultimae Coupé, in collaboration with Steve Aoki, Krista Kim, and RM Sotheby’s. For an exclusive preview of the NFT visit marketplace.bzar.com.
  • BlockTrust: The trusted authority in the NFT marketplace, securely and privately digitizing physical assets, while helping creators and brands own their audience data and revenue.
  • Circles.Life: Australia’s groundbreaking first-ever 3D out-of-home digital experience merging technology and data, turning influencers and consumers into avatars.
  • DayAway: Positioned to become the #1 online destination for booking one-of-a-kind luxury hotel experiences.

“I am joining [INVNT GROUP] at a critical time in the strategic evolution of the Global BrandStory Project. With a focus on being the best brand storytelling agency in the world, the launch of INVNT.ATOM couldn’t come at a better time. We live in a rapidly changing and ever-evolving world. More than ever, brands and organizations need to connect with their consumers and audiences, in meaningful, authentic, and engaging ways. That’s what we are here to do at INVNT.ATOM, and I am proud to lead this team into the next great era of brand storytelling, leveraging all things Web3,” said Elvin Tan, Managing Director INVNT.ATOM.

For more information on INVNT.ATOM visit: www.INVNTATOM.com  

Attachment

Jhonathan Mendez de Leon
[INVNT GROUP]
jmendezdeleon@invnt.com
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Interest in Business Schools Survives Cost Perception and “Great Resignation”

Global survey defines pandemic-induced shifts in MBA and Business Master’s degrees

RESTON, Va., April 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) —  The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC), a global association of leading graduate business schools, today released its GMAC Prospective Students Survey – 2022 Summary Report, which explores how candidate preferences have shifted during the COVID-19 pandemic. The report was based on survey responses from more than 6,500 individuals worldwide who expressed interest in graduate business education in 2021. While cost remains a primary concern in today’s dynamic economy with brisk job market and rising inflation, candidates from around the globe continue to perceive graduate management education as a tried-and-true pathway to advance professionally and position themselves to achieve their goals, consistent with pre-pandemic levels. Globally, 4 out of 5 candidates stated that a graduate business degree allows them to stand out at work. Similarly, the full-time MBA program continues to be the most popular program option, with 1 out of 4 of all candidates preferring the two-year full-time format and another 1 in 5 preferring the one-year full time format.

“While the pandemic has altered aspects of the graduate management education landscape, the fundamental perceptions of the value of graduate management education generally and the MBA specifically continue to stay strong,” said Sangeet Chowfla, president and CEO of GMAC. “While there continue to be evolutions in candidates’ preferred study destinations, delivery formats, career paths and perceptions of admissions testing policies, if there were ever any concerns that the pandemic and its effects would diminish business school aspirants’ perceptions of the value of a degree, the latest GMAC findings of the Prospective Students Survey should help put them to rest.”

Other Key Findings

More candidates prefer to study closer to home while the U.S. and Europe intensify their competition for international candidates

More candidates from traditionally mobile markets are opting to study closer to home than they did before the pandemic. For example, among Central and South Asian candidates, the percentage who prefer to study internationally declined from 89 to 73 percent between 2019 and 2021. Among East and Southeast Asian candidates, preference to study internationally also declined from 92 to 87 percent between 2020 and 2021, a possible indication that studying abroad was limited due to the pandemic-fueled travel restrictions.

Among international candidates—candidates whose preferred study destination differs from their country of citizenship—virtually the same proportion said in 2021 that the United States and Western Europe is their preferred destination (39%, respectively). Among international MBA candidates specifically, the U.S. is the preferred destination of half (50%), expanding its lead over second place Western Europe (28%) between 2019 and 2021. In the meantime, Western Europe remains the preferred destination of more than half of international business master’s candidates.

Belief in the value of fully online education remains low while acceptance of hybrid formats increases

Candidates see higher value in the in-person business school experience compared with online as the share of surveyed candidates who prefer fully online programs stays flat. Among global prospective students surveyed in 2021, most disagree that online degree programs offer the same value as on-campus programs (73%). Nearly 4 in 5 disagree that the networking opportunities are equivalent, and 2 in 3 disagree that the career opportunities are the same. However, these negative views softened slightly between 2020 and 2021.

At the same time, preference for hybrid models has gone up significantly across candidate types, especially those who prefer Executive, Part-time, and Flexible MBA programs (44%, from 30% in 2019), but also those who want to study full-time to earn a business master’s (20%, from 13% in 2019) or MBA (13%, from 7% in 2019). Globally, 20 percent of candidates surveyed in 2021 prefer hybrid program delivery, up from 14 percent pre-pandemic. U.S. underrepresented minority candidates (28%) also express interest in hybrid programs, up significantly from the pre-pandemic level.

Consulting continues to top prospective student interests, but tech is still on the rise

Among candidates in the United States, where “the Great Resignation” has shaken up the job market, 42 percent identify themselves as “career switchers” ─ whose goal is to either change industries or job functions by pursuing a business degree ─ significantly higher than global levels at 32 percent. As it was pre-pandemic, consulting continues to be the top industry and job function both men and women candidates aspire to. But there is growing interest in the technology industry, especially among the career switchers (50%) and non-business undergraduate majors (49%). Furthermore, between 2019 and 2021, interest in tech also increased with women (29% to 34%).

“As people perceive work differently after the pandemic, many become more open-minded to the variety of possible career paths they could pursue. It is encouraging to see that more women are pursuing a business degree as a way to build careers in the tech industry,” said Joy Jones, chief product officer and general manager of assessments at GMAC. “Graduate business education continues to be in high demand because it opens the door to a wide array of industries and job functions, including areas that are less thought about or not previously considered by traditional candidates seeking to enter business schools.”

Test optional and waiver policies led to unintended consequences

Globally, most candidates agree that admissions exams improve the fairness and transparency of business school admissions. Most also agree that exams improve schools’ reliability in evaluating applicants and demonstrate the importance they place on the quality of the students they admit. A clear trend in survey responses is that international candidates view admissions testing especially favorably. About half say a school’s use of admissions exams is an indicator of the quality of the program and is an important criterion for considering applying to that school, and twice as many international candidates agree than disagree that admissions exams are an effective way to determine which students to admit. Additionally, about 2 in 5 prospective students agree that the criteria for test waivers are complex and do not apply to a large proportion of applicants, and about 1 in 3 say waivers disproportionately benefit candidates who are less prepared for a graduate business degree program.

“The data shows that prospective applicants have mixed feelings about test waiver and optional policies because of their complexity and perceptions of reduced transparency and fairness. This trend of perception is particularly acute amongst international students,” said Maite Salazar, chief marketing officer at GMAC. “The unintended consequences of test optional and waiver policies might be that they may adversely affect the perception of the commitment to student quality of programs that offer them.”

For more than a decade, the Prospective Students Survey has provided the world’s graduate business schools with critical insights into the decision-making processes of people currently considering applying to a graduate management education program through mba.com—the GMAC website for prospective graduate business students. This year, to increase the breadth and depth of prospective student voices reflected in this report, all individuals who registered for an mba.com account in the month prior were invited to the subsequent month’s survey. Additionally, for the first time, the sample of mba.com registrants was supplemented by prospective students who attended events hosted by The MBA Tour, visited the BusinessBecause website, or registered for the NMAT by GMAC exam in India—all also GMAC properties. Visit GMAC.com to read the full report.

About GMAC

The Graduate Management Admission Council (GMAC) is a mission-driven association of leading graduate business schools worldwide. Founded in 1953, GMAC creates solutions and experiences that enable business schools and candidates to better discover, evaluate, and connect with each other.

GMAC provides world-class research, industry conferences, recruiting tools, and assessments for the graduate management education industry, as well as tools, resources, events, and services that help guide candidates through their higher education journey. Owned and administered by GMAC, the Graduate Management Admission Test™ (GMAT™) exam is the most widely used graduate business school assessment.

More than 12 million prospective students a year trust GMAC’s websites, including mba.com, to learn about MBA and business master’s programs, connect with schools around the world, prepare and register for exams and get advice on successfully applying to MBA and business master’s programs. BusinessBecause and The MBA Tour are subsidiaries of GMAC, a global organization with offices in China, India, the United Kingdom, and the United States.

To learn more about our work, please visit www.gmac.com

Media Contact:

Teresa Hsu
Sr. Manager, Media Relations
202-390-4180 (mobile)
thsu@gmac.com

A PDF accompanying this announcement is available at http://ml.globenewswire.com/Resource/Download/d3170b54-b044-4d0c-8850-b3334540861a

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Zoom Whiteboard, the Collaboration Canvas for Hybrid Teams, Now Available

New Solution Enables Real-time and Asynchronous Dispersed Collaboration

SAN JOSE, Calif., April 19, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Today, Zoom Video Communications, Inc. announced the general availability of Zoom Whiteboard, a modern digital canvas that provides a unified solution for collaboration and creation within the Zoom platform. Users can interact with the Zoom Whiteboard similar to an in-person experience, creating more visually engaging and efficient collaboration. With the global workforce embracing hybrid work environments across industries, there is an increased need for solutions that seamlessly foster ideation and teamwork among co-located and distributed colleagues. Zoom Whiteboard further broadens the capabilities of the Zoom platform for today’s hybrid workforce, including unified communications, Zoom Developer Platform, Zoom Events, Zoom Contact Center, and Zoom IQ for Sales.

“Collaboration tools are in high demand, and Zoom Whiteboard is sure to be a staple in the modern workforce,” said Dan Root, Senior Analyst of Visual Collaboration, Wainhouse Research. “Zoom brings over a decade’s worth of experience in exceptional video communications to this new solution, which businesses need to keep information flowing in a secure and easily-managed fashion.”

“Not only are we supporting customers as they adapt to this new phase of work, but we’re anticipating what comes next, and building platform solutions, like Zoom Whiteboard, to address it,” said Oded Gal, Chief Product Officer of Zoom. “Zoom Whiteboard is arming teams with the power of continuous communication in an easy-to-use solution that provides a virtual space to collaborate before, during, and after a meeting.”

Whiteboard Anytime, From Anywhere
Hybrid work presents challenges for working collaboratively as remote workers can’t see a physical whiteboard in the office and risk being left out. It can also be challenging to transport ideas and information across a broad audience.

Zoom Whiteboard is a visual collaboration tool designed to facilitate asynchronous and real-time collaboration, serving as a virtual space for teams to capture ideas and work together with freedom and flexibility. A web-based solution, users can effortlessly collaborate across a variety of devices – web browser, tablet, desktop, or Zoom Rooms for Touch. Tightly integrated with Zoom Meetings and Zoom Rooms for Touch devices like the DTEN D7 and Neat Board, with support for Zoom Chat coming soon, Zoom Whiteboard extends productivity well beyond the boundaries of a single meeting.

Complement your Zoom Rooms with a dedicated Companion Whiteboard, like the new DTEN ONboard, the first purpose-built interactive touch display for advanced whiteboarding coming soon.

Features Designed for Collaboration
Zoom Whiteboard comes with a host of easy-to-use features including:

  • Dashboard and easy sharing: Create new, manage existing, and share access to whiteboards. Zoom Whiteboard can be shared internally or externally with anyone that has a Zoom account, with the option to export and save.
  • Notes and comments: Use sticky notes to highlight important ideas.
  • Shapes and Connectors: Shapes are easily created, and connectors can be used to instantly attach those shapes.
  • Extendable Canvas: Create up to 12 pages with seamless navigation; users can easily add images.

To learn more about Zoom Whiteboard, please visit the Whiteboard page and read our blog.

About Zoom
Zoom is for you. Zoom is a space where you can connect to others, share ideas, make plans, and build toward a future limited only by your imagination. Our frictionless communications platform is the only one that started with video as its foundation, and we have set the standard for innovation ever since. That is why we are an intuitive, scalable, and secure choice for large enterprises, small businesses, and individuals alike. Founded in 2011, Zoom is publicly traded (NASDAQ:ZM) and headquartered in San Jose, California. Visit zoom.com and follow @zoom.

Zoom Public Relations
Farshad Hashmatulla
Product PR Manager
press@zoom.us

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Casio to Release EDIFICE Collaboration Model with TOM’S, Inspired by Luxury Sports Cars

TOKYO, April 18, 2022 /PRNewswire/ — Casio Computer Co., Ltd. announced today the release of the latest addition to the EDIFICE line based on the brand concept of “Speed and Intelligence.” TOM’S Limited Edition EQB-1100TMS is a collaboration model designed with TOM’S to evoke the luxury sports cars that are the team’s specialty.EQB-1100TMS

TOM’S is a top Japanese racing team competing in the most prestigious races in Japan, with a number of SUPER GT and SUPER FORMULA championships under its belt. The company also brings the technologies it cultivates for racing to its aftermarket parts and custom cars. With the TOM’S team needing watches that would allow members to share precise timing during races, Casio has been a sponsor since 2013 through EDIFICE, its line of timepieces inspired by a motorsports worldview.

The third collaboration between TOM’S and Casio, the EQB-1100TMS is a high-performance timepiece featuring a slim case at just 8.9mm and a design inspired by TOM’S luxury sports cars. The watch features a dial made of the carbon fiber so prevalent in motorsports and is accented with the TOM’S logo, second hand, and indicator hand in gold color for a look of rich luxury. Color gradation around the perimeters of the sapphire crystal and the inset dial at the 6 o’clock position recreates the changing color of a sports car’s titanium tail pipe when the exhaust heat causes the titanium to turn bluish. Every detail was created under TOM’S supervision, including the octagonal bezel finished with black ion plating and the gray ion-plated case and band, for a chic timepiece as impressive as the company’s luxury sports cars.

EQB-1100TMS

The EQB-1100TMS is also equipped with Mobile Link functions that pair via Bluetooth® to a smartphone. When used with the dedicated EDIFICE Connected app, the watch automatically adjusts the time and enables the wearer to use their smartphone to easily select any of approximately 300 cities for world time and display the time in two cities. The Tough Solar charging system converts light to power the watch for practicality and convenience.

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1797749/EQB_1100TMS.jpg

Photo – https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1797751/EQB_1100TMS_1.jpg

TOM’S logo, second hand and indicator hand in gold color

Logo –  https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/1797750/TOM_S_hand_indicator_hand_gold_color.jpg

 

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AI Week brings together the world AI community

Four days of events will feature keynotes and talks from leaders in AI and machine learning

EDMONTON, Alberta, April 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Amii (the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute) has announced the program for AI Week, May 24-27 in Edmonton, Canada. With more than 20 events taking place across four days throughout the city, the celebration of Alberta’s AI excellence will feature an academic keynote from Richard S. Sutton, leading expert in reinforcement learning, who will discuss future research directions in the field.

The jam-packed week also includes panels on AI career paths for kids, AI for competitive advantage and the ethics of AI; a career and talent mixer connecting AI career seekers with top companies; and a full-day academic symposium bringing together the brightest minds in AI. The celebrations are rounded out by a ‘house’ party at a secret, soon-to-be-revealed location and the Amiiversary street party, marking 20 years of AI excellence in Alberta. Learn more about the program at www.ai-week.ca/program

“Over the past 20 years, Alberta has emerged as one of the world’s top destinations for AI research and application,” says Cam Linke, CEO of Amii. “With AI Week, we’re putting a global spotlight on the province and welcoming the world’s AI community to experience what many in the field have known for a long time: that Alberta is at the forefront of the AI revolution. AI Week isn’t just a celebration of 20 years of AI excellence – it’s a launching point for the next 20 years of advancement.”

AI Week has something for everyone – including sessions, networking events and socials for a range of ages and familiarity with AI. Additional keynotes will be delivered by Alona Fyshe, speaking about what brains and AI can tell us about one another, and Martha White, who will present on innovative applications of reinforcement learning. A special AI in Health keynote will highlight the work of Dornoosh Zonoobi and Jacob Jaremko of Medo.ai, which uses machine learning in concert with ultrasound technology to screen infants for hip dysplasia.

Informal networking and social events will help forge connections between members of the research, industry and innovation communities – as well as AI beginners and enthusiasts. Meanwhile, the Amiiversary street party, hosted on Rice Howard Way in Edmonton’s downtown core, will mark 20 years of AI excellence in Alberta. The party will be attended by the who’s-who of Edmonton AI, technology and innovation scenes.

AI Week will be attended by the world’s AI community, with over 500 applicants for travel bursaries from more than 35 different countries. The successful applicants, emerging researchers and industry professionals alike, will have the opportunity to learn alongside leaders in the field at the AI Week Academic Symposium, which is being organized by Amii’s Fellows from the University of Alberta, one of the world’s top academic institutions for AI research. The symposium will include talks and discussions among top experts in AI and machine learning as well as demos and lab showcases from the Amii community.

“I chose to set up in Canada in 2003 because, at the time, Alberta was one of the few places investing in building a community of AI researchers,” says Richard S. Sutton, Amii’s Chief Scientific Advisor, who is also a Professor at the University of Alberta and a Distinguished Research Scientist at DeepMind. “Nearly twenty years later, I am struck by how much we have achieved to advance the field of AI, not only locally but globally. AI Week is an opportunity to celebrate those achievements and showcase some of the brightest minds in AI.”

The event is being put on by Amii, one of Canada’s AI institutes in the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy and will feature event partners and community-led events from across Canada’s AI ecosystem. AI Week is made possible in part by our event partners and talent bursary sponsors: AltaML, Applied Pharmaceutical Innovation, ATB, Attabotics, BDC, CBRE, CIFAR, DeepMind, DrugBank, Explore Edmonton, NeuroSoph, RBC Royal Bank, Samdesk, TELUS and the University of Alberta.

About Amii

One of Canada’s three centres of AI excellence as part of the Pan-Canadian AI Strategy, Amii (the Alberta Machine Intelligence Institute) is an Alberta-based non-profit institute that supports world-leading research in artificial intelligence and machine learning and translates scientific advancement into industry adoption. Amii grows AI capabilities through advancing leading-edge research, delivering exceptional educational offerings and providing business advice – all with the goal of building in-house AI capabilities. For more information, visit amii.ca.

Spencer Murray
Communications & Public Relations
t: 587.415.6100 ext. 109 | c: 780.991.7136
spencer.murray@amii.ca

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Imagine Aviator Maximizes Revenue Potential and Viewing Quality Across Linear and VOD Services

Plan, make and monetize sophisticated content on all screens from a single cloud platform

Denver, April 14, 2022 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — As media companies are challenged to meet growing demand for content on any screen and deliver profitability, Imagine Communications today announces the introduction of Imagine Aviator™, the first truly cloud-native platform that enables broadcasters, MVPDs and digital-first providers to plan, make and monetize premium-quality linear and OTT content from a single, unified platform. The ground-breaking platform ― designed to enable media companies to extract the maximum revenue potential from their assets ― will make its debut at the 2022 NAB Show (24–27 April, Las Vegas Convention Center, booth C2122).

Aviator raises the bar for monetization of content across all screens, enabling media companies to optimize ad delivery, significantly improve the revenue of otherwise under-monetized OTT content and generate greater profitability from their media assets. Architected for an ever-evolving future, Aviator offers flexible subscription and SaaS purchase options that suit new business models and an agile, cloud-based design that allows media companies to continue to deliver and monetize content no matter how consumer viewing habits change.

“We understand the challenges and complexities that premium brands have in today’s fluid media landscape,” says Rob Malcolm, chief product officer at Imagine Communications. “With Aviator, we are bringing together our experience and intellectual property in a unique, cloud-native platform that maximizes monetization of content across broadcast and OTT platforms today ― and readies media companies to adapt and thrive no matter what the future holds.”

Aviator combines the critical capabilities of scheduling, rights management, channel origination, live events, VOD, ad sales, ad placement, ad serving, campaign management, and more into a single cloud platform. It creates a converged solution that delivers linear programming and video-on-demand content with ads and triggers for local and dynamic ad insertion, making it easier for media companies to successfully monetize broadcast, OTT, FAST, pop-up and VOD content. Providing fully automated operation of thematic channels, the new platform also guarantees high audio and video quality on all outlets and supports the demands of premium services.

Running in the public cloud, Aviator requires only a web browser and internet connection to securely access and operate all aspects of the platform, placing control at the operators’ fingertips wherever they are based ― at the office, a remote location or when working from home. It can run either in a media company’s own cloud account, or in Imagine’s SaaS environment, where it is monitored, managed and maintained by Imagine, allowing customers to reap the benefits of operational efficiency, while maintaining control of all creative aspects of their content.

At launch, Aviator will include all the capabilities required to solve the complex needs of delivering premium-quality, sophisticated linear channels with unified origination — originating broadcast and OTT linear streams from a single playlist supporting ad insertion. Its ability to integrate content acquisition from live streams, file sources such as video clips, audio and captions makes Aviator the perfect tool for delivering live sports, news, and scheduled and unscheduled live events workflows.

“We will continue to add functionality on an aggressive roadmap schedule,” Malcolm adds. “Later this year, we will expand the Aviator platform’s monetization capabilities to allow media companies to sell their own ad inventory rather than limiting them to only plugging in a demand-side platform to fill available inventory. This will enable media companies to maximize their yield, which in turn allows them to afford more premium content rights.”

At the heart of Aviator is Imagine’s “audience-first” ad placement engine, which will allow media companies to sell inventory by audience, by context, or by spot ― regardless of the platform or delivery mechanism. New functionality will enable media companies to maximize revenue by targeting commercials to audiences accurately; delivering CPM/CPI-style metrics across all platforms, including broadcast; and monetizing scenarios that are difficult to plan in advance, such as extra time in sporting events and breaking news programming.

Malcolm continues, “As consumers find more ways to watch, the efficiencies of cloud play an important role, making it easier for media companies to address broadening advertising opportunities and create highly impactful and dynamic channels with genuine appeal to viewers. Some aspects of the TV landscape remain uncertain, but making content available on all screens in a way that allows our customers to achieve their full revenue potential requires convergence of content planning, origination and monetization. And that is exactly what Aviator makes possible.”

For more information about Imagine Communications’ products and solutions, please visit https://www.imaginecommunications.com

About Imagine Communications

Imagine Communications empowers the media and entertainment industry through transformative innovation. Broadcasters, networks, video service providers and enterprises around the world rely on our optimized, futureproof, multiscreen video and revenue enablement solutions every day to support their mission-critical operations. Today, nearly half of the world’s video channels traverse our products, and our software solutions drive close to a third of global ad revenue. Through continuous innovation, we are delivering the most advanced IP, cloud-enabled, software-defined network and workflow solutions in the industry. Visit https://www.imaginecommunications.com for more information, and follow us on Twitter @imagine_comms.

Attachments

Meriam Khan
PR Agency for Imagine Communications
+44 (0)7768 022162
meriam@mkm-marcomms.com