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When
CNBC India, now rechristened CNBC TV 18, launched its Indian operations
in the late 1990s, it needed to have adequate data support. In Keeping
with its internationally acclaimed image of being a leading source
of financial news, the company required to ensure the availability
of not only accurate but real time data as well.
What
did it do? It relied on Beehive Systems to provide it with a solution
that would ensure accurate and real-time financial information.
The solution was fin'wiz application from Beehive Systems
Ltd., which is an automated financial graphics application package
capable of generating a wide spectrum of financial graphics and
analysis. By extracting data from the wire services, fin'wiz collates
all the information sought as part of the query and displays it
on request. Additionally, the application also ensures on-line updation,
which means the data gets updated even while on air.
Beehive
System's Office |
According
to the Bombay Stock Exchange-listed Television Eighteen Ltd managing
director and promoter Raghav Behl: "Beehive's solution has given
us the indisputable advantage in delivering accurate and the latest
financial data. The automation of the graphics production and the
ease of its usage has lent incredible gain to the channel's contents."
It may be construed as being pompous by some, but there is truth
in the fact. Beehive, co-founder and director,Tushar Kothari, who
is based in Noida on the outskirts of Delhi, told indiantelevison.com:
"Our competitors are all foreign companies operating in India through
distributors."
Beehive
Systems Limited is a global software solutions and services company
catering to the broadcast industry worldwide. Founded in 1989, Beehive
Systems provides innovative solutions in the areas of digital video
systems, digital newsroom solutions, automated data graphics, and
custom software solutions for the broadcasters.
Because
the Beehive products are 100 per cent software-based, hardware-independent
news production tools that provide broadcasters with effective solutions
to enhance their content-delivery capabilities as well as their
bottomline at a fraction of the cost of those currently available
in the marketplace, the products are catching the fancy of broadcasters,
especially Indian most of who are in an expansion mode.
Pointing
out that since most products of the company are software based and
they help cut down costs, Kothari said increasingly the broadcasters
and media companies are realising that technology has thrown up
alternatives to the traditional way of doing business.
Take,
for example, the company's flagship product vid'link that is a comprehensive
newsgathering solution for broadcasters. The PC based solution for
video gathering enables collection of news clippings and video conferencing
between remote sites and a central production center. The Windows
NTT application uses IP multicasting technology to dispatch MPEG
video streams across leased lines and satellite links. The MPEG
encoder meets the most demanding requirements to provide a 24/7
hour operation. PAL / NTSC formats are supported at screen resolutions
ranging from MPEG-1 SIF to MPEG-2 full D-1.
"This
first-of-its-kind product was formulated because the conventional
method of V-Sat (very small aperture terminals) networks was proving
to be expensive for those who wanted a wider area of coverage through
their own network," explains Beehive vice-president (business development)
Ajay Pal Singh.
So,
when the management of Eenadu TV was on an expansion spree with
plans to launch several channels in various Indian languages, it
went in for vid'link.
The
company that has an impressive client list including the likes of
NDTV, Star News, CNBC TV 18, Zee, ESPN, CTV of Taiwan and Doordarshan
has also done extensive work on events and election graphics.
It has provided this solution to some leading broadcast channels
including CTV, Doordarshan and Eenadu TV. Additionally, Beehive
Systems has also proven capabilities in delivering Interactive Voice
Response (IVR) based solutions to gather and provide real time information
and have integrate IVR with its real-time on-air graphics solution.
Along
with the content management of statistical data of matches and players,
Beehive also provides teams for live sports events. The on-site
team does data collection, provides analysis, and generates graphics
for live events.
The
solution includes scoring system interfaces for control of live
graphics systems as well as interfaces for scoring databases. The
application can be used for various sports - soccer, tennis, cricket
etc.
It
was Beehive that Star News turned to when it was looking for backup
support for the revamped news channel. The completely overhauled
Star News channel is equipped with a world-class technology to impeccably
deliver its content. Beehive Systems' vid'linkMOBILE has empowered
its correspondents with lightning fast newsgathering system. Star
News has bought 14 software licenses of the product and the system
has been successfully used for the coverage of the Iraq conflict.
Offering
matchless video quality, vid'linkMOBILE is the latest technology,
claims Singh, for cost-effective and rapid newsgathering. It allows
journalists to transmit live video and audio content to broadcasters
via a satellite phone or traditional Internet connection. Facilitated
by an advanced video codec, vid'linkMOBILE is based on the latest
video technology that combines mobility with faster transmission
of high-quality broadcast video. It is unique in its ability to
transmit high quality video over low bandwidth allowing for transmissions
70 per cent faster than other compression standards.
As
Kothari points out, "The broad trend in content production, worldwide
and in India too, is that traditional ways are getting replaced
by desktop IT-based solutions. That's where we fit in." If the investment
on newsgathering and/or production is coming down to Rs 100 million
from Rs 400 million, then why not such solutions?
THE
BEGINNING
Tushar Kothari |
Kothari
and Ganesh Rajamani started Beehive Systems in 1989 and the latter
is the director of technology in the company.
In
2000, according to Kothari, Citibank, through its private equity
group, picked up a 30 per cent equity stake in Beehive by investing
over $ 1 million. This was done as Beehive was seen to be as a software
house that is targeting broadcasters exclusively coming out with
products to suit their needs, Singh points out, adding that the
"effort now is to replicate the model and success story in the US."
Beehive
has a state-of-the-art development center in India with a team strength
of about 70 professionals and a presence in around 16 countries
worldwide with sales offices in India and the Americas.
As
the company established itself in India and spread its wings to
some east Asian countries --- the testing ground for us go global,
as Singh points out --- it started looking for partners and distributors
abroad.
THE
FUTURE
In
the US, Beehive hitched up with SignaSys, Inc. that provides concept-to-completion
systems integration and consultation services to the professional
media industry. So with SignaSys as its reseller and systems integrator
in the USA, Beehive started introducing its products there where
the market size is estimated by Kothari to be worth approximately
$ 2 billion.
Ganesh
Rajamani |
Commenting
on the global business plan, Kothari says,"Having strengthened our
product portfolio with the powerful new generation solutions, we
are looking towards stepping up the business by expanding into different
geographies. Our partnership with SignaSys is a step in that direction.
Leveraging their market reach, and leadership in system integration,
we are poised to lead the way in the fast changing television news
terrain."
Already
there are some enquiries for Beehive product in the US and if their
next big bang product, digi'newz, clicks, Beehive would be really
be on air, as they say. digi'newz is a tapeless end-to-end solution
or the newsroom and is likely to be unveiled next month sans any
hype. "We want to test market it with a client before we start talking
about it," Singh said.
But
for the immediate future, it's the regional media houses that Beehive
wants to tap because according to their estimates local channels
would spring up to cater to the local needs of viewers and advertisers.
"The
likes of Dainik Bhaskar group are potential media house to turn
into broadcasters to run local channels and it is such groups that
we'd be now targeting as also companies in South India," Kothari
explains. But will that happen? Kothari and Singh are very bullish
on the fact.
With the tech spend of Indian companies going to be close to Rs
500 crore (Rs 5000 million) this financial year ending March 2004,
Kothari feels that not only their target turnover of Rs. 25 crore
(Rs. 250 million) is possible, but also the expansion. "Now when
you can start a channel for just Rs. 10 crore, any media house would
be tempted to do so with technology helping them to bring down the
investments," he adds.
What
are the trends of the future? According to Kothari it would be video
on mobile and interactivity where the revenue model is still being
worked out globally as it's a nascent industry and delivery of digital
content that would define the way business is done in the future.
"Already
the likes of Hutch are doing things in this regard and it would
only grow over the years," he explains.
It
seems that the buzz about Beehive is only getting stronger.
Also
read:
Beehive
System
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