BBC Technology and AIST Co-operate on Systems Integration

Business Wire, April 25, 2001

Business Editors

NAB2001

LAS VEGAS--(BUSINESS WIRE)--April 25, 2001

BBC Technology has contracted AIST MediaLab AG to develop a desktop production tool as part of an end-to-end digital system required by the BBC.

AIST will initially deliver 600 workstations as part of the project in the Natural History Unit, internationally known for its wildlife documentaries and the Bristol Factual Departments.

The desktop production tool is based on AIST's MovieX(TM) technology and provides a fully scalable, integrated environment, from the production assistant adding meta data to rushes, to the editor working on finishing a programme. It will be one of the first client/server broadcast tools interfacing with a media asset management system using only centralised storage.

The tool will work on standard PC's running Windows 2000 and will not require any special hardware or Fibre Channel network.

Michele Romaine, the BBC's Director of Production Modernisation said, "We believe the time is right to develop a tapeless production environment from ingest onwards. This will allow the whole production team greater flexibility and enable the BBC to get maximum value from its rushes, its archive and its finished programmes. It is a very exciting project."

Heinrich Noichl, CEO of AIST MediaLab AG said, "AIST feels honoured and is proud to have been chosen by BBC Technology to deliver what we think has the potential to change TV production as we know it."

Note to editors:

BBC Technology Ltd. is a new commercial subsidiary of the BBC which began trading on March 31st 2001.

About AIST:

AIST(R), located in Ampfing near Munich, was founded in 1995 and has been trading under the name AIST MediaLab AG since 2000. AIST is a dynamic innovative German software company developing and distributing advanced software solutions for digital image and video editing. AIST(R)'s key to success is based on revolutionary new programming strategies, a team of highly motivated employees and the fusion of dynamics and efficiency.