Ortana Expands Cubix MAM and Media Orchestration Platform

Ortana Media Group is introducing new features to its Cubix media asset management and media orchestration platform. These are scheduled for introduction at BVE 2017 in London, February 28 to March 2. Also on demonstration will be Ortana’s Spot & Spin online content processing service.

Ortana Cubix

Used by major television channels throughout the world, the Ortana Cubix platform can be configured to handle all media-related workflows from inception, ingest, archiving and manipulation right through to billing. Each element of the system can be operated via a highly intuitive unified graphical user interface.

Cubix Tracker & Reporting provides visual displays allowing non-technical staff to review any Cubix taskflow and drill down into detailed file-related information as well as corporate information such as service-level agreements. Additions to the Tracker & Reporting feature set include the ability to track physical assets right through to digital delivery and archiving. This embraces film scanning, barcode generation and management, plus easy image capture of a workflow configuration. Also added are multi-language subtitle support, track-stacking/audio-shuffling, improved audio library and proxy waveform support.

Cubix Taskflow Designer enables system administrators to create their own workflows and design task-specific user interfaces exactly matching their operational requirements.

Cubix operates as a true hybrid cloud platform with native support for Microsoft Azure SQL and Amazon RDS as well as the ability to run ‘remote harness’ automation modules that allow control of remote devices. Cubix also supports various tiers of on-premise and cloud storage, allowing orchestrated rules to be applied on a per client basis within a single instance. Entirely cloud agnostic, Cubix systems can even run across multiple public clouds allowing for media, metadata and services to be backed up in real time, as well as providing numerous models for active-active clustering.

Integral to every Cubix system is an asset management layer supporting a wide range of needs. These include the ability to configure content hierarchies and editorial schemas. Cubix also provides full support for workflows based on discrete media such as tape and film. Incorporating selected market-leading third-party software, it can seamlessly drive devices for applications ranging from bulk ingest and transcoding to OTT fulfilment and playout.

The highly configurable orchestration layer within Cubix works both with the asset management and automation layers, allowing many different workflows to be quickly configured and re-configured as required. It provides support for fully automated operation as well as more complex creative processes. Cubix is securely accessed via multiple web portals for many different use cases, all providing the highest levels of transparency and efficiency.

Spot & Spin

Part of the Ortana Media Group, Spot & Spin offers a range of services for processing tape and film based content. These are focused primarily around fully automated workflows capable of being scaled to handle huge libraries but also including bespoke low-volume rare-format tape and film.

Spot & Spin is staffed by operators with long experience in all aspects of discrete media handling. It provides secure facilities for content storage during the digitisation process. Bulk ingest is configured with industry-standard equipment directly controlled by Ortana’s automation and orchestration to offer configured workflows meeting specific customer requirements.

Spot & Spin allows for completely customised workflows that work right from the order/first-barcode-scan all the way through to content delivery/publishing, with reporting and transparency throughout. This can include such actions as notifications, review and approve links, and transcodes.

Ortana Media Group

Based in London, Ortana Media Group (www.ortana.tv) offers a range of products and services to the media and broadcast sectors. These are designed to solve the headache of support and installation/integration services for vendors and providers, allowing them to focus on product development, service and profitability. Ortana’s approach includes full software integration services and support. By developing SOA-based integration around best-of-breed products, Ortana is able to produce solutions that clients can buy either off the shelf or customer-specific basis.

James Gibson, founder and CEO of Ortana, has over 16 years of experience working within the broadcast and media sector. That includes working within a leading broadcast software vendor (OmniBus), a Tier 1 broadcast provider (Red Bee Media) and facility houses (re:fine and Loft London). This experience of working across the different sectors has provided a clarity regarding which support and service structures work within the ‘four 9s’ SLA environment.

Ortana Expands Cubix MAM and Media Orchestration Platform