NEW YORK—TAG Video Systems, a major supplier of software-based IP end-to-end workflow monitoring, deep probing and real-time visualization, said it has added several new members to its R&D team. 

TAG said the move reflects its deep commitment to developing and delivering precise solutions that keep customers ahead of the constantly evolving technology curve. 

The new R&D team members include a specialist in AI development and an expert in cloud-native applications. Others on the expanded team will focus on enhancing the user experience and ensuring customers optimize their TAG systems. 

“TAG Video Systems’ unwavering focus on customer satisfaction and innovation is reflected in the addition of these new team members,” Kevin Joyce, TAG’s Zer0 Friction officer, said. “By investing in top talent and expanding our team, we continue to strengthen the services we offer and enhance the customer experience. Please join us in welcoming Noa Pavel, Liad, Ella and Maxim to the TAG family. We look forward to their contributions and their participation in driving success for our customers worldwide.”

The new team members are as follows: 

• Noa Magrisso, AI Developer: Magrisso, a software and information systems engineer, has joined TAG as an AI developer, responsible for broadening the company’s AI capabilities. Magrisso, formerly an AI algorithm engineer at Intel, will ensure TAG’s platform incorporates the most cutting-edge AI technology available to maximize customers’ business potential and streamline their operational workflows.
• Pavel Rozentsvet, DevOps Engineer: Rozentsvet brings a significant skill set to TAG, encompassing specialization in cloud-native applications. He will collaborate with the Research & Development team to optimize processes, enhance efficiency and reduce development timelines. This investment in R&D underscores TAG's dedication to delivering innovative solutions that position customers at the forefront of industry advancements.
• Liad Bercovitch, Front-End Software Developer: TAG is ensuring customers experience seamless, intuitive interactions with all elements of the platform by appointing Bercovitch as a front-end software developer. Bercovitch will focus on enhancing the user experience of the TAG platform UI, improving the overall customer experience and ensuring continued customer satisfaction.
• Ella Maudy and Maxim Rybkin, QA Specialists: Rounding out the enhanced R&D team are Maudy and Rybkin, TAG’s newest QA Specialists. Maudy and Rybkin are responsible for ensuring each version of TAG's software releases are packed with new features, functionality, provide format support and work as planned. This attention to detail guarantees that TAG's customers experience the highest quality and can confidently expect the upgrades to function reliably and correctly.

BERLIN—Riedel Communications has announced the opening of its latest engineering hub, the "Technology Hub Berlin," situated at Checkpoint Charlie in Berlin. The hub will be focused on cutting-edge audio systems, the company said.  

This expansion adds to existing hubs in Wuppertal, Eisenberg, Vienna, Zurich, Montreal, and Porto and underscores Riedel's commitment to advancing R&D activities for the broadcast and event industry, the company said. 

"Berlin provides the ideal backdrop for our Technology Hub, offering a diverse pool of talent and fostering an environment conducive to innovation,” said Peter Glättli, executive director R&D, Riedel Communications. “We are excited about the current team of experts and look forward to welcoming additional international talents to contribute to our continued success in developing groundbreaking solutions for the broadcast and event industry.”

Each of Riedel's hubs focuses on specific aspects of engineering and innovation, with a strong emphasis on adapting to industry changes, such as the transition to IP-based transport of media signals in the broadcast industry. 

The Technology Hub Berlin will be working on the development of forward-looking, cutting-edge audio systems. 

It will leverage the expertise of former employees from Jünger Audio — which sold a portion of its divisions to Riedel in 2019—and draw on their expertise in crafting technologically advanced digital audio processors and algorithms for live production, television, radio stations, and streaming services. 

In addition, the hub's Innovation Lab, powered by creative talents, will be spearheading product innovation in software-based media processing, networking, virtualization, and deployment.

The Technology Hub Berlin houses a dedicated system engineering team focused on the definition, system simulation, and development of next-generation wireless communication solutions. With a current team of eight professionals, the hub is actively seeking international talents to join its ranks in the vibrant and culturally rich capital of Germany. The office, designed to accommodate up to 15 people, aims to become a focal point for talent across various specialties, driving product innovation at Riedel, the company said. 

Lawo announced the creation of a CTO Office as part of a larger “customer-centric” strategy of providing innovative and markable solutions for a rapidly changing industry. 

“The CTO Office will implement the execution of our customer-centric strategy across the organization,” Phil Myers, Lawo’s CTO, explained. “Lawo is well aware that the delivery of products involving audio, video, networking, and control infrastructure is no longer enough. Customers increasingly expect seamlessly integrated solutions rather than technically robust assemblies of hardware and software. Lawo customers have jobs to do, and we need to provide intuitive and efficient tools and workflows that span the full gamut of Lawo’s portfolio. Tight integration is the cornerstone of our strategy.”

“Lawo solutions need to be powerful, easy-to-use, quick to deploy, and technically aligned,” Myers continued. “To achieve this, we will ensure that all parts of the organization are in sync and work towards a common goal. The CTO Office is tasked with driving this convergence within the company,”

The new CTO Office will include these executives: 

• Axel Kern, senior director, cloud and infrastructure solutions. Kern is responsible for cloud-based and infrastructure solutions across Lawo’s product landscape and for the further development of HOME, Lawo’s core media infrastructure platform. With more than 30 years of experience in the broadcast and pro audio industry, Axel has spent the last 12 years at Lawo. With a MScEng in media technology, he has held various positions as a product manager in the broadcast sector. His international career includes positions at DHD Audio, Harman International Industries / Studer and Lawo.
• Lucas Zwicker, senior director, workflow & integration. Zwicker has taken on the task of driving innovation by incubating new technologies, while exploring their applicability for current and future products. This especially involves harmonizing workflows and ensuring interoperability across the Lawo portfolio. Lucas Zwicker joined Lawo in 2014, having previously worked as a freelancer in the live sound and entertainment industry for several years. He holds a degree in event technology and a Bachelor of Engineering in electrical engineering and information technology from the University of Applied Sciences in Munich, Germany.
• Henry Bourne, senior director, experience & design. Bourne is responsible for human factors, user interface design, and user experience across the Lawo portfolio. Essentially, he is the counterpart to all the great technology Lawo develops, making sure it works well for people. After a lot of freelance work in recording studios across the UK, Henry focused on broadcast for 10 years at Calrec, gained an MSc in DSP in his spare time, developed web and mobile apps at Sky, and then learned a lot about listening while working on the 800 D4 series speakers at Bowers & Wilkins. He joined the Lawo team in 2019.
• Jeremy Courtney, senior director CTO Office Coordination. As senior director, Jeremy Courtney is deputy chair of the CTO Office and oversees and facilitates all aspects of Lawo’s Product Management and R&D activities. With 28 years of experience within broadcast engineering, Jeremy has held a variety of R&D, product management and business leadership roles, all with a strong focus on video and image processing. He has a proven track record of introducing and successfully launching world-class products into the market. His career includes positions at Snell & Wilcox, Snell Advanced Media and Grass Valley.

NORWALK, Conn.—Frontier has opened its Fiber Innovation Labs as part of an effort to Improve the customer experience and accelerate Frontier’s fiber-first strategy, the company said. 

“The work we are doing in our Fiber Innovation Labs will change the way we serve our customers and will ultimately change the industry,” said Veronica Bloodworth, Frontier’s chief network officer. “We have the best team in the business – they live and breathe innovation. They have been awarded several patents and are in the process of bringing those new inventions to life to deliver the best ‘un-cable’ internet experience to our customers. Be prepared to be amazed.”

The company also noted that its teams at the labs will work to invent and test next-generation technology for fiber deployment and connectivity while also looking for more efficient ways to do installation and repairs.

As part of Frontier’s Fiber Innovation Labs, the company has launched its first-ever outside plant facility in Lewisville, Texas. The facility is designed as a miniature suburban neighborhood that mimics the real-life experiences of its techs serving customers every day. It features roads, sidewalks, a state-of-the-art central office, a small house and a reconstructed manhole system. It also simulates weather elements and temperature changes. 

This will allow Frontier to test and learn new methods in real-world environments to install and maintain its fiber-optic network.

ZAGREB, Croatia—Amagi has announced the opening of its very first European R&D center in Zagreb, Croatia. The new center will improve the quality and speed of the technical support Amagi offers to its European customers while advancing product development efforts, the company said. 

The development center will be led by Igor Marinić, Marko Horvat, and Danijel Perić.

"Our goal has always been to bring more intuitive and intelligent technology into the broadcasting world to help media companies deliver more elevated viewing experiences to their consumers,” said Baskar Subramanian, CEO and co-founder, Amagi. “With a dedicated R&D center in Croatia, we will now be closer to our European customers and will be able to offer them technology support in real-time. Igor and his team are wonderful additions to the Amagi family, and we look forward to growing with them," 

"Amagi could not have chosen a better destination to further its expansion plans in Europe. Croatia has successfully established itself as a country with top talent on the global technology map. We are positive that the newly opened Amagi R&D center will be one of the key drivers of the company's growth and success in the region," adds Igor Marinić, General Manager - Eastern Europe, Amagi.

Amagi is a provider of cloud-based SaaS technology for broadcast and connected TV. It delivers linear channels in over 40 countries around the world, with the majority of clients from the American market. Amagi's customer list includes ABS-CBN, AccuWeather, A+E Networks UK, Cinedigm, Cox Media Group, Crackle Plus, Fremantle, Gannett, Gusto TV, NBCUniversal, Tastemade, The Roku Channel, Vice Media, and numerous other global companies.

ESPOO, Finland—Nokia has announced a major partnership with DOCOMO and NTT to jointly define and develop key technologies for 6G wireless services. 

The companies said that they will focus on two proof-of-concepts for the emerging 6G technologies: an AI native air interface and sub-THz radio access. 

These aim to demonstrate a performance gain with an AI based 6G air interface compared to a conventional air interface, and to show that high-data rate beamformed access can be achieved in a high frequency band at 140 GHz.

Nokia and DOCOMO have a long history of pioneering wireless research that started with 3G in the 1990s and include work on both 4G and newer 5G offering, including 5G O-RAN. 

While deployments of 5G are ongoing and most experts believe 6G is years away, a number of telcos and researchers have been working to refine and develop next generation, 6G, of wireless technologies. 

In announcing the collaboration, Nokia said that it believes 6G will not just build on existing technologies and systems but expand and transform what a network can do, fusing the human, physical and digital worlds.  

To achieve that, Nokia has outlined six key technologies that will be vital components of future 6G networks: new spectrum technologies, AI native air interface, network as a sensor, extreme connectivity, cognitive, automated and specialized architectures, and security and trust.

Among the six key technology components, the initial focus of the partnership is to demonstrate the benefits of AI-based learned waveform in the transmitter with a deep learning receiver in the mid-band, as well as to test high data rate indoor communications in the sub-THz band. 

These technologies have the potential to substantially improve deployment flexibility and to increase network throughput beyond that of 5G in the respective spectrum bands without necessarily increasing energy consumption. 

Providing high-rate access will be important in enabling enhanced and new use cases in the 6G era, such as multi-modal mixed-reality telepresence and remote collaboration, massive twinning and collaborating robots.

The participating companies plan is to set up environments for experiments and demonstrations in DOCOMO and NTT premises in Japan and Nokia premises in Stuttgart, Germany, and to begin performing the desired tests and measurements in 2022.

"DOCOMO has been collaborating with Nokia since 2014 to accelerate the experimental trials for 5G wireless technology and promote the creation of new use cases,” explained 

Naoki Tani, Executive Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at DOCOMO. “We are excited to work with Nokia to realize the 6G concept. DOCOMO and NTT will now start the experimental trials of two 6G proof-of-concepts for high-rate transmission in the sub-THz band and AI native air interface, and contribute to 6G commercialization with vertical industry partners."

Peter Vetter, president Bell Labs Core Research, Nokia, added that “We envision that 6G will unify the human experience across the digital, physical and human worlds. We build on a long tradition of collaborations between the world-leading labs at DOCOMO and Nokia Bell Labs. Nokia is very honored to engage in this collaboration with DOCOMO and NTT, as global leading operators that are always among the first to bring new generations to the market. We look forward to working together and validating key concepts and key technologies to realize the 6G vision.”

BALTIMORE, Md.—Sinclair Broadcast Group has announced that Scott Ehrlich has been named the company’s first chief innovation officer. 

In the newly created role, Ehrlich will create the company’s first dedicated cross functional research and development group to coordinate and accelerate efforts across content, technology, audience development and distribution. 

The new group will also incorporate a corporate strategy function to further innovation and growth across Sinclair and its assets, Sinclair announced. 

Ehrlich, who joined Sinclair in 2017 and was most recently senior vice president of growth networks and content, will retain oversight of the company’s OTA national networks, COMET, CHARGE! and TBD, as well as digital and OTT streaming platforms NewsON and STIRR.

“Scott is a creative and fearless leader with a long history of successful innovation and the skills to develop a startup into a thriving company,” said Chris Ripley, president and CEO of Sinclair. “We are excited for him to expand his role, infusing the pace and imagination of the startup world as we continue to grow Sinclair and evolve our offerings.”

Ehrlich has built a track record of successfully creating new ventures in television, technology and new media platforms, Sinclair reported. He’s held roles spanning licensing, production, creative development, technology, network management and programming.

“I was originally attracted to Sinclair by its rich history of innovation in the broadcast world,” said Ehrlich. “Now, in this new role, I’m excited to carry that forward and cement Sinclair’s place among media companies as a home for fast moving, forward thinking creative talent from all corners of the media industry. Together we’ll light a path to the next generation of media products, a future I’m extremely excited to help steward.”

In a previous role as founder and CEO of Agility Studios, Ehrlich led the development of the award-winning franchise; The Legion of Extraordinary Dancers, created by Jon M. Chu, into a multi-faceted business. 

He also served as executive producer for award winning digital series including “Two Bellmen” and “Business Usual” (Marriott Content Studio), as well as licensing content to and from digital and traditional platforms. 

Before Agility, Ehrlich founded Impulse Media, where he was a strategic advisor to startups and established companies focused on digital video products, distribution and business models. Prior to Impulse, Ehrlich served as Vice President of Media Acquisition and Distribution for RealNetworks.

Earlier in his career, Ehrlich was the senior vice president and executive producer of News America Digital Publishing at News Corporation and director of audience development at NBC Cable. Ehrlich received his master’s degree from The Graduate School of Political Management and his undergraduate degree from Kenyon College.

HOUSTON—Logitek is opening up the doors to a new Research & Development facility in Sydney with the help of its Australian distributor, Logitek Australia. The R&D center will be located in Logitek Australia’s Sydney office, featuring dedicated spaces for development, support, equipment testing and demonstration.

Paul Dengate, managing director of Logitek Australia, will lead the team of software and application designers. In addition, Max Healey has been brought on to serve as system architect, heading up all software development and documentation. Phil Hertenberger, meanwhile, has been promoted from his previous position with Logitek Australia to the role of application developer.

The Logitek Australia R&D team is expected to join Logitek U.S. personnel at the upcoming 2017 NAB Show in Las Vegas at booth C1322.