HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—PESA Switching Systems has named Gary Herman the director of Channel Partner Management for the company. In his new role, Herman will lead PESA’s channel sales, business development initiatives and FSI Alliances Programs worldwide.

Herman will work to on-board new channel partners as well as work with the company’s existing global partner network to specify and deliver PESA products and services to the federal, state and local government. In the federal government, PESA fills the need for a highly secure video distribution system over IP for command and control centers, briefing rooms and other organizations where video is critical data that needs to be secured.

Howard Sutton, executive chairman of PESA, said in a company statement, “Gary Herman has built a reputation as a solution-oriented sales executive focused on customer consultation and satisfaction. We look forward to leveraging Gary’s experience as we expand the market footprint of our secure video, audio, USB and KVM distribution solution.”

Based in South East Florida, Herman brings more than 20 years of experience in the federal IT and enterprise solutions area in business development and channel partner programs for various companies. Herman was previously director of sales for PESA, with a focus on government and defense contracts. Prior to that, he held director of Global Channel and Public Sector Sales roles at AvePoint, Metalogix and WORX Technologies LLC in the Washington, D.C. and Virginia areas. Herman was also part of the channel partner team at Affigent (a NANA company).

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—PESA Switching Systems promoted Scott Barella to chief technology officer. He will lead PESA’s charge into the secure IP domain, leading a seasoned development team with a track record of developing successful products on schedule. 

Howard Sutton, executive chairman of PESA said in a company statement, “We look forward to leveraging Scott’s experience and vision as we develop and expand our secure video, audio, USB and KVM distribution solution, ensuring sensitive media is safe from both insider and external threats.”

Barella is currently working on PESA’s new flagship product called Secura, which is a video, audio, USB and KVM extension and distribution system over IP.

Based in Colorado, Barella brings more than 22 years of experience in the broadcast and video industry across seven network stations, from transmitters to broadcast routing and IP solutions. During this time, he was also active in the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), as an active voting participant in the 32NF60 (ST 2110) Technical Working Group.  His IP experience extends into the Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) where he was the Vice Chair of the Working Group.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—PESA Switching Systems has named Sara Kudrle as the director of global marketing. In her new role, Kudrle will lead PESA’s marketing initiatives, increasing channel and sales activities.

“Sara Kudrle has a solid reputation in the video broadcast industry and is now showing her strengths in the federal government market,” said Howard Sutton, executive chairman of PESA. “We look forward to leveraging Sara’s experience and creativity as we expand the market footprint of our secure video, audio, USB and KVM distribution solution to the federal and state local government markets.”

Kudrle most recently brought back the original “cats” branding of PESA with the launch of PESA Tiger Fusion, which the company says is the world’s largest 4K-12G/SDI single-link video distribution system.

Based in Princeton, N.J., Kudrle brings nearly 20 years of experience in the broadcast and video industry, from transmitters to broadcast routing and IP solutions. She started her career writing real-time, multithreaded software for TV transmitter control at Continental Electronics. From there she extended her software experience to designing custom protocols and routing control systems, eventually transitioning to product marketing for companies such as Miranda, Grass Valley and Imagine Communications.

Kudrle is active in the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers (SMPTE), achieving the status of SMPTE Fellow, serving on the SMPTE Board of Governors and participating in setting industry standards.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—PESA has released the Tiger Fusion 12G SDI/IP single-link 4K video distribution system for mission-critical command-and-control situations, such as those found in military and government briefing centers, as well as applications on cruise ships and in sports stadiums and post-production houses, the company said.

"Tiger Fusion meets the need for simplified management of large 4K installations via single-link 12G SDI," said PESA CTO Scott Barella. "With our flexible, signal-agnostic control system, Tiger Fusion enables hybrid workspaces utilizing SMPTE ST 2110 IP gateways and HDMI 2.0."

The single-link 4K matrix offers a 12G design to reduce cabling and simplify management. It accommodates a hybrid mix of SDI (1.5G, 3G, 6G and 12G), HDMI (1.4 and 2.0) and SMPTE ST 2110 IP inputs and outputs with an 18RU frame, said PESA.

“PESA's dedication to innovation and creating industry firsts over the years continues today with Tiger Fusion," said Howard Sutton, PESA chairman and CEO. "The unmatched design of Tiger Fusion is a testament to the ability of our development teams to create an extraordinary product."

Tiger Fusion enables the UHD workflows at the heart of mission-critical applications to be reliably managed and routed, the company said.

More information is available on the PESA website.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—With a launch scheduled for Nov. 15, Black News Channel, a 24/7 news channel geared toward African American audiences, is teaming with PESA to assist with the distribution of its news programming to an estimated 33 million cable TV and satellite households in top African American TV markets.

BNC is going with PESA’s Cheetah router, a 576 router that is paired with a DRS audio router to provide dual outputs, minimizing the need for distribution amplifiers and reducing the amount of setup and cabling required. The audio routers also BNC to embed and de-embed audio as needed.

“We were looking for an open standards-based system that will meet our needs today and provide us with a future-ready platform for tomorrow,” said Kenny Eclock, director of engineering and operations for BNC.

BNC is headquartered in Tallahassee, Fla., and has bureaus in Washington, D.C., Atlanta, New York, New Orleans, Chicago and Los Angeles.

AMSTERDAM—At the 2019 IBC Show, PESA will introduce the Secura Media Manager in conjunction with Arista on stand 8.E30.

PESA Secura encompasses both video and audio broadcast signal standards as well as command and control (KVM) standards on one unified platform. SMPTE ST 2110 is being used as a common standard for signal transfer and control.

SMPTE ST 2110 is an open standard for media over IP transport, available on the market today and provides for the transport of video, audio and data, for both compressed and uncompressed streams, while providing ultra-low latency timing combined with real-time control and management.

PESA says its focus has been centered on the security aspect of these systems. PESA’s Secura Media Platform allows users to protect content, including their KVM command control infrastructures.

PESA has integrated the government rated security standard, FIPS140-2 Level 3, into all PESA devices and has added military-grade encryption for streams on an IP network. This provides total control and security even if the first line of IP security is compromised.

Secura Media Manager is ideally suited toward military, government, corporate and broadcast customers.

IBC takes place at the RAI in Amsterdam, Sept. 13-17.

HUNTSVILLE, Ala.—PESA has announced that Joint Interoperability Test Command testing for its Hybrid Media Distribution System is now complete and that it expects to receive both Interoperability certification and Information Assurance accreditation. The Hybrid Media Distribution System includes the 12G Fusion Advanced Connectivity Platform 4K systems, the 3G Cheetah family of SDI router products, the Mobile Digital Video Distribution systems and the PESA Media Management system.

JITC is the group responsible for certifying joint and combined interoperability for all organizations under the Defense Information Systems Agency.

With the newly certified technology, PESA is providing 4K quality images through its products for military and civilian-related needs.

“Our senior military and civilian leadership rely on having extremely detailed video images,” said Scott Barella, PESA CTO. “This pending JITC certification ensures that our military users have up to date choices on the current APL.”

PESA provides high-definition video switching and distribution systems, with some of its customers including the U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force and NASA.

HUNTSVILLE, ALA.—PESA will roll into this year’s GV Expo ready to demonstrate a new software update to its XStream C22 dual-channel H.264 encoder/decoder. The update for the Reflex transmission technology now delivers high quality transmission of video and audio data via the internet.

XStream C22

The new Reflex features an advance packet analytic algorithm that allows the receiving device to identify and correct errors between the encoder and decoder without unnecessary retransmission. The software upgrade is designed to provide the C22 with extended range and improved operating efficiencies.

PESA will also showcase its VidBlox HTR extender and Blade System. The VidBlox HTR is the latest addition to the product line and incorporates HDMI technology, supports SD and HD formats, and can be configured as a transmitter or receiver. The Blade system is managed by PESA’s Cattrax control software and can hold up to 10 cards. It supports two dual-channel H.264 encoding and decoding cards for streaming video based on the C22.

GV Expo 2016 is scheduled for Dec. 7-8 in Washington D.C.

HUNTSVILLE, ALA.—All Mobile Video, a New York-based production company, is prepping for the upcoming U.S. Open tennis tournament and has decided to go with PESA’s Cheetah 288XE coax and fiber routing switcher and DRS digital audio routing system as part of its international distribution system.

AMV will use the PESA router to receive signals from the host broadcaster and distribute them to on-site and off-site United State Tennis Association clients. The production company will house the router in a trailer across from Arthur Ashe Stadium.

The Cheetah router features 288 inputs and 480 outputs. During the tournament AMV expects the router to receive 90 video and audio sources from the host broadcaster, as well as more from on-site broadcasters and monitoring inputs for a total of 272 inputs. This will result in embedding and de-embedding of audio, much of which will be in MADI format. The router supports both fiber and coax I/O for cable management flexibility, and fiber sources can be connected directly to each frame.

The U.S. Open tennis tournament will begin on Aug. 29 at Arthur Ashe Stadium in Flushing Meadows, N.Y.

HUNTSVILLE, ALA.—PESA is sending its own team to Rio for the 2016 Summer Olympics, as it has assigned customer service personnel to the International Broadcast Center in Rio de Janeiro. The personnel will be on hand to support the setup and configuration of PESA’s Cheetah 864XR digital video routing switcher.

The Cheetah system will provide live and pre-recorded video feeds from all of the Olympic venues for local distribution, as well as satellite feeds to the U.S. With 800x800 BNC connections and 64x64 fiber connections, the router will be controlled through a Lawo VSM control and monitoring solution. A separate PESA router will also be utilized in a mobile production truck to handle golf coverage.

PESA’s customer service personnel will be on hand to assist additional customers, including the Korean Broadcast System and Canadian Broadcasting Corporation.

The 2016 Summer Olympics will take place from Aug. 5-21 in Rio de Janeiro.

Read more about how broadcasters are covering the Rio Games at our Live@TheRioOlympics social media hub.

CHAMPAIGN, ILL.—Cobalt Digital and PESA have entered into a global strategic partnership in which the companies will integrate complementary technologies, create synergistic bundled solutions, and utilize joint sales opportunities.

Cobalt Digital and PESA have entered into a global strategic partnership in which the companies will integrate complementary technologies, create synergistic bundled solutions, and utilize joint sales opportunities.

One of the first integrations to come as a result of this new partnership is the integration of the Cobalt BBG-1070 multiviewer and PESA’s Cougar and Cheetah routers. All information and parameters will be displayed on PESA’s Windows-based Cattrax software control GUI. The integration enables plug-and-play functionality for both product groups in an expandable package with routing and monitor display.

“From a business standpoint, we’ll be able to unify our sales teams and open up new market opportunities for both of our respected product lines,” said Bob McAlpine, executive vice president of sales and marketing at Cobalt.

Cobalt is a provider of 3G/HD/SD conversion, terminal, throwdown and multiviewer technology. PESA handles audio and video routing and IP streaming technologies.

The two companies will feature their integration at their respected booths during the 2016 NAB Show; Cobalt at booth N1418 and PESA at booth SL4621.

HUNTSVILLE, ALA.—PESA, a provider of streaming, routing, and AV integration products, has arrived on the campus of Ryerson University, as the Toronto-based school has installed a Cheetah 128NE digital video router for the RTA School of Media. The router was installed in September and manages the audio and video signals throughout the Rogers Communications Centre, as well as the Global Campus Network, an international collaborative student media initiative.

The RTA School of Media at Ryerson University is using a PESA Cheetah 128NE digital video router (inset) to manage audio and video signals throughout the Rogers Communication Centre and the Global Campus Network, an international collaborative student media initiative

The Rogers Communication Centre houses the Ryerson School of Journalism, the School of Professional Communication, and the RTA School of Media. With the Cheetah router, projects from every school can be routed anywhere throughout the building, including the internal digital signage network. The three studios of the RTA School of Media are also connected through the PESA router. The Cheetah is also a component of the school’s Allan Slaight Radio Institute.

Ryerson’s faculty and students use Cattrax, PESA’s Windows-based system control software, to monitor and manage the Cheetah router. The software offers an intuitive, menu-driven interface and salvos, which simplify the execution of a series of operations.

The PESA Cheetah router is a modular system for HD-SDI and 3G-SDI applications. It has a 7RU footprint and features an integrated Matrix Fame Controller, fiber I/O cards, support for redundant power, control, and a hot-swappable cross-point matrix.

PESA XSTREAM

HUNTSVILLE, ALA.—PESA is expanding its reach as it has announced Sydney-based Adimex will now serve as a new distributor for PESA products in Australia and New Zealand. Among the products Adimex will distribute are the PESA XSTREAM multi-channel H.264 hardware encoders and decoders, easyPORT extenders, PESA PRO matrix switchers and converters, and C22 encoding/decoding cards.

PESA is a provider of audio/video baseband and IP connectivity products, including streaming products, routing switchers, matrix switchers, extenders, converters, media extenders and signal processing gear.

HUNTSVILLE, ALA. – Streaming, routing and AV integration developer PESA has announced that JB&A will serve as its master distributor for streaming solutions in North America.

Among the products JB&A will be handling the PESA XSTREAM multi-channel streaming appliances, PESA ACES, and PESA Live Services, which delivers multi-channel viewing experience for Android and iOS devices.

JB&A is a national distributor for the broadcast and IP/streaming markets headquartered in San Rafael, Calif., with offices in Chicago, Dallas, New York, Washington, D.C., Raleigh, N.C., and Folsom, Calif.