International. A group of media industry providers, including Grass Valley, Imagine Communications, Lawo, Snell Advanced Media and Nervión, have collaborated to form the Alliance for IP Media Solution, AIMS, the alliance for the development of IP solutions.
This independent trade association seeks to bring IP solutions to market that offer complete interoperability, based on open standards, and that integrate seamlessly into media workflow environments to foster industry innovation and efficiency. The group's efforts will focus on promoting the adoption, standardization, development and refinement of open protocols for media over IP, with an initial emphasis on VSF TR-03 and TR-04, SMPTE 2022-6 and AES67.
Specifically, AIMS will prioritize three key strategies:
1) Initiatives that facilitate education and the adoption of open standards
2) Facilitate activities that accelerate the development of solutions that support open standards
3) Encourage the creation of new standards by supporting regulatory bodies with participation and testing in real-world environments
Open working standards for IP transition are already underway by the Video Services Forum, VSF, with the support of organisations such as SMPTE and the EBU. AIMS supports the work of VSF and will continue to support the development of a standard for IP. More than 30 broadcasting equipment manufacturers are actively testing and validating the VSF approach today.
AIMS provides specific guidance in its bylaws to its members and the media industry through the AIMS Roadmap. The organization supports an IP transition plan that includes support for SMPTE 2022-6, AES67 and VSF TR-03 and TR-04 recommendations.
A number of solutions are already on the market to help media companies begin the transition by introducing IP components to an SDI workflow. The transition represents a major investment and is not going to happen overnight. An open standards approach allows media companies to apply technology over time and with a transition at the pace that makes sense for their businesses.
MEMBERSHIP in AIMS is available to all individuals and companies that support open standards and share a commitment to the group's founding principles.
For more information visit www.aimsalliance.org
