Aspera Powers Digital Asset Infrastructure at Australia’s SBS

SBS, Australia’s Special Broadcasting Service, has launched a new contribution file delivery
and workflow management system that uses Aspera software to automate content ingest,
management and synchronization.

SBS aims to provide all Australians, regardless of geography, age, cultural background or language skills with access to high-quality, independent, culturally-relevant Australian media. Through SBS Radio, SBS Television and SBS Online, they broadcast in over 68 languages on radio, more than 60 on television and more than 50 online. The company’s requirements included allowing remote journalists to use a simple web interface to upload and download assets in the field, synchronizing data across disparate storage platforms, and centrally managing the entire system from a single location.
Working under extreme conditions including disaster situations and warzones, field reporters needed guaranteed data transmission and delivery, from all locations with any connectivity. The whole system also required centralized management from a single interface that would provide detailed information about historical, current and scheduled transfers, plus reporting on multiple interfaces with the system. Data also needed to be synchronized between Isilon, Omneon, and Windows Storage Servers in Sydney, Melbourne and Canberra, as well as a remote disaster recovery site, allowing immediate data access from any SBS location.
To meet these requirements, Aspera designed a system to transfer data at high speeds to deliver and share digital assets several different interfaces, without requiring editors and content creators to use multiple logins, maintaining a high level of security and data integrity. It is based on the faspex file exchange and distribution platform that bridges enterprise and cloud storage, with mobile client applications for iPhone, iPad and Android devices. Cargo, the automatic desktop downloader for receiving faspex packages directly was added to avoid delays. The Aspera Console is used to centrally manage the infrastructure including all Aspera transfers from any location, with detailed and customer-specific configurable reports, event-based auditing, with automatic and scalable database maintenance. Aspera Sync, a high-speed, multi-directional synchronization software, links the different storage systems used across the SBS network. According to Rohit Kumar, broadcast IT manager at SBS, installation and configuration was straightforward, and included some initial on-site assistance and training from the Aspera team. www.asperasoft.com