Pilat Media: IBMS exceeds expectations for both performance and scalability

Information Release: 18 April 2005

NAB, Las Vegas, 18 April 2005 - Pilat Media's Integrated Broadcasting Management System (IBMS) has once again set industry standards for performance and scalability.

Since it was introduced, IBMS has transformed the world of broadcasting by centralizing sales, traffic and programming operations in a single system. With the market becoming more crowded and more competitive, and with broadcasters under pressure to boost operational productivity and be more responsive to client needs, IBMS provided a bold new solution.

Sensitive to the fact that the broadcasting industry - and the needs of its users - is constantly changing, Pilat Media regularly submits IBMS to rigorous scalability and performance testing. The aim is to ensure that the internal architecture of the system will meet the needs of both small and large broadcasters as IBMS continues to evolve and can perform reliably in even the most demanding customer situation.

In early 2005, Pilat Media decided to undertake a further IBMS benchmark test. This time it used a UNIX SMP platform to show that IBMS can scale to meet the needs of up to 2,000 concurrent users across 60 different channels/stations in a single instance. Unlike competitor systems, IBMS needs no external tools to aggregate data from multiple servers or locations.

To make the test as similar as possible to a real-life broadcasting situation, 60 channels/stations were set up, each one holding schedules for 12 months, including 24 one-hour events for each day. In addition, two billboards and four commercial breaks per hour were added in, accounting for approximately 10 minutes each hour.

That's not all. Four hundred advertisers were simulated for the test, each one with several products to advertise. The first six months of the test 'year' were loaded with 50% of the available commercial time already booked - 1.7 million commercial spots across 60 channels - and the next six months were loaded with 75% of the commercial time-or 2.5 million spots-already booked.

The test showed that in the course of an eight-hour day, over a three-month schedule, IBMS handled 600 concurrent users booking 244,800 spots, at a rate of eights spots per second and 1,000 concurrent users booking 420,480 spots, at a rate of 14 spots per second. At the same time, 1,000 users performed a range of normal operational activities. The system came up trumps, not only meeting the scalability and performance requirements of the largest broadcasters, but exceeding them by a significant margin.

Whatever happens next in the changing world of broadcasting, the scalability of IBMS is tested and proven. Beyond a doubt, the system is equipped to accommodate the needs of broadcasters as they continue to grow.

-Ends-

NOTES TO EDITORS

Pilat Media's IBMS (Integrated Broadcast management System) is a comprehensive software system for managing the business of TV broadcasting. IBMS manages the entire business process including scheduling programs, selling airtime, preparing media for air, downloading media for transmission and digital services. Thus enabling broadcasters under a single system framework to increase cross- departmental harmonization, improve service responsiveness and facilitate more informed business decisions in real time to achieve strategic advantage.

Pilat Media is a six-year old, 140-strong UK software company, now an independent public company following its successful demerger from Pilat Technologies International and floatation on the Alternative Investment Market of the London Stock Exchange in 2002.

The IBMS system was originally developed and successfully implemented by Pilat Media for BSkyB, to support their fast growing multi-channel programming needs. Pilat Media was established in 1999 to further develop and market the system as a generic product. IBMS's scope was subsequently more than doubled by the addition of the sales and traffic functionality in partnership with Network Ten of Australia. Since then Pilat Media has rapidly established itself as a rising force in the market for business management software for broadcasters. Today, Pilat Media's software solutions have been selected by over 30 broadcasters around the world, most of which are outside its UK base.

They represent a wide range of operational/business models, organizational size and transmission technologies - digital and analogue, on terrestrial, cable and satellite platforms. Clients include BSkyB (UK), five (UK), Fox Kids (Europe), digital media centre (Europe), TVNZ (New Zealand), Network Ten (Australia), Sky TechCo Partners (Latin America), Discovery Communications Inc. (International), National Geographic Channels International (USA), Playboy Enterprises, Inc (USA), CTV (Canada), Astro (Malaysia), TV4 (Sweden), Sky Italia (Italy), BBC World (UK) and here! (USA).