Customer focused approach brings outstanding performance in tough market conditions
Quantel today announced its provisional results for its 2008/9 financial year, which ended on 30th September 2009. In some of the toughest market conditions around the world for many years and while some competitors are reporting losses, Quantel increased its turnover by 12% and reported its best operating profit since the company’s Management Buyout in 2000. Quantel also announced that it is currently seeking to recruit 20 graduate-level staff. Most of these are for new positions within the Research and Development Lab where work continues apace on a host of exciting projects.
This outstanding performance has been driven by success in three main areas of business, each carefully addressed by Quantel as a result of customer-focused developments:
Stereo3D – Quantel’s technology leadership in this rapidly developing area has resulted in sales of more than 40 stereo-enabled post production systems in just 18 months. To meet rising consumer demand, more and more cinemas are becoming equipped for Stereo3D and the number of Stereo3D movies being produced is increasing rapidly. As a result, Stereo3D box office revenues were over $1billion in the past year. With TV broadcasters also looking to Stereo3D as a potentially lucrative new revenue stream (for example, BSkyB in the UK is launching a dedicated Stereo3D channel in 2010), this exciting new business will be a major growth area for years to come.
High Definition – HD broadcasting is rapidly gaining momentum around the world. Quantel makes HD easy – all of its systems can produce HD and SD simultaneously and Quantel has enormous experience of fast-turnaround HD production with customers such as ESPN and Rogers Sportsnet. Quantel is ideally placed to help broadcasters make the move to HD; TPC in Switzerland and WDR in Germany are two recent examples.
File-based workflows – the potential efficiencies and economies of file-based workflows are proving irresistible to broadcasters. The benefits of Quantel’s seminal FrameMagic technology have now been extended into the IT file-based world. Now file based workflows can deliver on their full potential. All Quantel’s broadcast sales now demand file-based workflows with tapeless camcorders and the integration of third party applications such as Apple Final Cut Pro. Quantel workflow now extends to third party editors as well as a seamless file transfer between EVS and Quantel servers.
“I’m really proud of what we’ve achieved this year,” said Ray Cross, Quantel CEO. “While many other manufacturers have been reporting substantial contractions in their results, we have grown our business by 12%, which would be a notable achievement even in favourable market conditions. We’ve done it by listening carefully to our customers and focusing squarely on delivering what they need to move their own businesses forward. We have more exciting developments in the R&D pipeline, which is why we’re looking to recruit more talented engineers. Quantel is set to take full advantage of the upturn in the market as it unfolds.”
