BOTHELL, WA.—Membership in the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) has climbed to 96 companies following the alliance’s merger with the Media Networking Alliance (MNA) late last year, AIMS announced today.

[Read: AIMS And MNA Merge]

"Like AIMS, MNA members were committed to adopting a standards-based approach to interoperability. In their case, it was interoperability between various IP-based audio networks via the use of AES67, and they made tremendous strides toward that goal," said Michael Cronk, AIMS chairman of the board.

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More than 20 companies have joined AIMS since the merger, including:

· ALC Networx

· Attero Tech

· Alteros Inc.

· Axis

· BBC

· Bosch

· Digigram

· Direct Out

· DongGuan 3G Audio Technology Co. Ltd.

· Focusrite

· Genelec

· Hangzhou Linker Technology

· Luminex

· LYNX- Technik

· Mellanox

· Merging Technologies

· Ningbo Soundking

· QSC

· Suzhou FITCAN

· TOA

· Ward-Beck Systems

· Wheatstone Corp.

· Yamaha

The AIMS-MNA merger came after nearly two years of collaboration. The merged organization will continue to be called AIMS and will be governed by the AIMS bylaws, the alliance said. AIMS continues to work on common methodologies for transport, registration and discovery, connection management and other areas related to interoperability.

"By merging with AIMS, these companies are having even broader impact on the industries they serve — and they're a driving force behind true industry-wide AV IP interoperability across the broadcast, installed systems, and live sound markets,” said Cronk.

BOTHELL, WASH.—The Alliance for IP Media Solutions is merging with the Media Networking Alliance to form a single trade association, the organizations have announced.

The merger comes after two years of collaborative work promoting IP in the media and entertainment industry, that culminated in the approval of SMPTE-2110 video transport standard in September. 

Full members of both organizations voted to approve the merger Dec. 13, and the joint organization will retain the AIMS name and will be governed by the AIMS bylaws. AIMS member companies that are also members of MNA will now pay only one membership fee.

“The MNA was formed by people and companies who wanted to support interoperability between various IP-based audio networks via the use of AES67. Likewise, AIMS members support standards-based IP audio and video interoperability,” Media Networking Alliance Chairman Rich Zwiebel said in the release. “Now, with the merging of the two organizations, we have a larger voice and a single place for technical and marketing discussions amongst a larger group of industry leaders.”

BOTHELL, WASH.—The Media Network Alliance, like it did at the 2017 NAB Show, will be a key participant in the IP Showcase planned during IBC 2017. Together with AES, AIMS, AMWA, EBU, IABM, SMPTE and VSF, MNA is an official partner of the IP Showcase.

MNA will look to highlight the role of AES67 in defining the audio element of the new SMPTE ST 2110 suite of standards for real-time media transport over IP. Fourteen MNA members will be on hand at the showcase to demonstrate IP interoperability based on the SMPTE ST 2110 standards and AMWA NMOS specifications. The MNA members participating in the IP Showcase include, Artel Video Systems, Calrec Audio, Coveloz Technologies, Digigram, Focusrite Audio Engineering, Lawo AG, Merging Technologies, Riedel Communications, Solid State Logic, Harman International, the Telos Alliance, Ward-Beck Systems, Wheatstone Corporation and Yamaha Commercial Audio.

Also as part of the IP Showcase, a number of MNA members will take part in expert sessions that seek to explain and explore the business, technical and creative benefits of IP workflows.

In addition, 22 MNA members will be located throughout the IBC Show floor exhibiting some of their latest AES67 products.

The IP Showcase will take place in room E.106 during IBC 2017.

BOTHELL, WASH.—The Media Networking Alliance has made some new additions recently, including appointing members to its board and welcoming in Solid State Logic to the alliance.

MNA has confirmed that Rich Zwiebel, vice president of systems strategy at QSC Audio Products LLC, will serve as chairman of the board; Terry Holton, general manager for Yamaha R&D Centre, has been named vice chairman. Marty Sacks, vice president of sales, support and marketing at the Telos Alliance will be financial officer. Bill Scott, vice president of engineering and technology at Bosch Communications Systems, and Andreas Hilmer, director of marketing and communications at Lawo, have also been appointed to the board.

Pro-audio manufacturer Solid State Logic is the most recent audio company to join MNA; other members include the BBC, Digigram, Harman Professional, Lawo, Riedel Communications and Yamaha.

MNA will take part in the 139th AES Convention, which takes place from Oct. 29-Nov. 1 at the Javits Convention Center in New York. The company will be located at booth 344.