Shawn MaynardQ. What kind of products or services does your company offer for broadcasters?
Florical Systems, since 1985, has been providing television automation solutions for broadcasters. Florical has earned a reputation for providing the most cutting-edge and innovative technology that has propelled them to the top. Florical was the first automation company to provide a distributed centralcasting architecture in 2001 called ShareCasting, which revolutionized the way broadcasters do business. Our S.M.A.R.T. Central product line continues that tradition by providing broadcasters solutions to minimize operational expenses utilizing technology that is both innovative and reliable.
Q. What's new that you will exhibit at the NAB Show and what should broadcasters look for there?
Florical will be demonstrating a brand new look within our products. We have several new enhancements within the S.M.A.R.T. Central suite of products. S.M.A.R.T. Central is unique within the industry and utilized smart client (.NET 3.5) technology that enhances the workflow and management of the core automation system. We will be demonstrating a new user interface within S.M.A.R.T. Central start page along with new user interfaces within AirBoss and Editor. We will also be featuring a new low-resolution browser called InventoryBrowser that will allow personnel to view proxy copies of their on-air inventory. Florical will also be presenting a new asset management tool called Asset Dispatcher that allows broadcasters to centralize their inventory for both long- and short-form content.
Q. How is your new product offering different from what's available on the market?
S.M.A.R.T. Central is unique within the industry. Most automation systems have a concept of managing the system from designated terminals, which forces a certain workflow. Florical opens the landscape by providing a secure user interface that can be accessed through any PC that can access the Network. The tool will provide the broadcaster complete flexibility to design a workflow that adapts to their changing business model rather than forcing the broadcaster to do business the "old fashioned way.". S.M.A.R.T. Central provides efficiencies in today's workflow with tomorrow's requirements in mind.
Q. How has your company been affected by the current economic situation and what are you doing to get through it?
Florical has not been affected negatively by the falling economy. We have seen an increase of interest in the solutions we can provide. In particular, since Florical has a reputation for being centralcasting experts, we have been talking to several folks about the different types of solutions we can provide. We have several cost-effective options available that enable broadcast groups to switch to a centralized operations model that provide significant operational expense savings.
Q. Where are you based, and how many employees do you have? Anything else we should know about your company?
Florical Systems is based in Gainesville, Fla., and has 25 employees.
