SUNNYVALE, CA--(Marketwire - Aug 30, 2012) - Every frame of the latest Hollywood blockbuster or hit TV program has to be ingested, edited, transcoded, and delivered, creating complicated workflows as content is shared across teams and across locations. Streamlining these processes requires greater integration between the front-end software tools used at each step with networks of back-end hardware. Storage is a critical part of this back-end infrastructure, and when integrated with front-end applications, it delivers the capacity, bandwidth, and performance that power broadcast production and content delivery.

NetApp (NASDAQ: [ NTAP ]), a leader in storage and data management, today announced the significant expansion of its media and entertainment technology alliance ecosystem to include new partners [ Actus Digital ], [ Digital Rapids ], [ Marquis Broadcast ], [ MXFserver ], [ Rorke Data (an Avnet Company) ], [ Signiant ], [ Vidispine ], and [ Vizrt. ] These partners join long-standing technology Alliance members [ ATTO Technology ], [ Dalet ], and [ Quantum ] in demonstrating interoperability with NetApp® storage solutions to solve the next generation of content production, management, and delivery challenges. Solutions from the NetApp Technology Alliance Program are on display next week (September 7-11) at the [ International Broadcasting Conference ] (IBC) in Amsterdam.

"NetApp continues to foster and forge strong alliances with technology innovators who share our vision and passion for helping customers simplify workflows and unleash creativity," said Brendon Howe, vice president, Product and Solutions Marketing, NetApp. "An example of the success we are delivering with partners is the petabytes of storage we've deployed through our media and content management solution, which is the storage foundation for several world-class postproduction and broadcast media operations."

NetApp media and entertainment storage platforms include:

• [ Media content management solution ] for high-bandwidth workflows
• Fabric-attached storage ([ FAS ]) for shared application media workflows, media transactions, and analytics
• [ NetApp StorageGRID ]® for cloud or on-premises distributed content repositories

NetApp works with its alliance technology partners to test and integrate these technologies with partner applications. Together, the NetApp ecosystem provides the first compelling combination of enterprise-class IT resiliency and media-class bandwidth, capacity, and cost-effectiveness for media and entertainment workflows. These tested workflows include content ingest, media asset management, edit, transcode, file-based quality control (QC), file delivery, and archive solutions.

MXFserver and NetApp Enable Collaborative Editing Environments
FilmPartners, creator of postproduction management software MXFserver, and NetApp are building out collaborative editing environments with cost-effective enterprise-class open storage. MXFserver works with the top three broadcast editing platforms to consolidate their operations onto efficient and cost-effective scalable NetApp storage. Due to MXFserver's open structure, all media can be easily accessed, transferred, managed, and exchanged without the use of additional software, improving project manageability, while supporting all the project sharing and bin locking edit workgroups are used to.

Signiant and NetApp Speed File Movement
The growing size of media files and the explosion of media delivery platforms are driving the need for highly efficient, file-based content delivery workflows. And the advent of global media companies with reservoirs of content on multiple continents is causing a rethinking of how the storage layer itself should manage the millions, and now billions, of video clips being stored and accessed.

NetApp and Signiant test and confirm tight interoperability between the intelligent file transfer layer and the storage layer. Media organizations have a business-critical need to move and store digital media as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible, while applying enterprise-level security and maintaining complete control over the exchanges. By extending the Signiant file movement workflow to NetApp storage systems, this joint solution helps media companies meet these stringent requirements.

Dalet Collaborates with NetApp on Full-Resolution Workflow Infrastructure
Long-standing NetApp Alliance Partner Dalet recently collaborated with NetApp to install the infrastructure for an end-to-end production workflow with both proxy and high-resolution video into one of the largest national broadcast operations in Europe. The flexible broadcast workflow, built on the NetApp E-Series platform, supports high-bandwidth production groups needing 10,000MB per second.

Additional Resources

• Become a NetApp Alliance Partner: [ http://solutionconnection.netapp.com/solution-listing.aspx ] 
• Learn more about NetApp media and entertainment solutions: [ http://www.netapp.com/us/solutions/industry/media-entertainment/ ]
• Join the NetApp Media and Entertainment Community: [ www.netapp.com/media ]
• Follow NetApp on Twitter: [ www.twitter.com/NetApp ]
• Get the latest on NetApp culture: [ www.facebook.com/NetAppCulture ]
• Join NetApp on Facebook: [ www.facebook.com/NetApp ]
• View NetApp videos on YouTube: [ www.youtube.com/NetAppTV ]
• Connect with NetApp on LinkedIn: [ www.linkedin.com/groups?about=&gid=111681 ]

About NetApp
NetApp creates innovative storage and data management solutions that deliver outstanding cost efficiency and accelerate business breakthroughs. Our commitment to living our core values and consistently being recognized as a great place to work around the world are fundamental to our long-term growth and success, as well as the success of our pathway partners and customers. Use of the word "partner" or "partnership" does not imply a legal partnership between NetApp and any other company. Discover our passion for helping companies around the world go further, faster at [ www.netapp.com ].

NetApp, the NetApp logo, Go further, faster, and StorageGRID are trademarks or registered trademarks of NetApp, Inc. in the United States and/or other countries. All other brands or products are trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective holders and should be treated as such.