IBC 2010: VidyoCast To Launch Under Direction of Industry Vet Jim O’Brien

Vidyo has appointed Jim O’Brien as General Manager of Vidyo’s new VidyoCast business unit. VidyoCast, a line of products and services for broadcast transmission and contribution, offers SD/HD video encoding and transport at one-tenth the cost of satellite. The product suite will formally be launched in September at the IBC Conference in the Netherlands.

“Vidyo is fortunate to have recruited a top industry expert with such deep domain expertise and relationships to lead our efforts in the broadcast market,” says Ofer Shapiro, co-founder and CEO of Vidyo.  “As broadcasters are under increased pressure to deliver news, sports and entertainment around the clock, they are looking for less expensive and more versatile solutions than what has been available until now. Vidyo is forging a new category of products and services that achieve a level of functionality that provide broadcasters with more flexibility and creativity with their productions. Jim O’Brien’s experience, knowledge and networks in broadcasting and technology will work well to position VidyoCast as a formidable new entry in this arena.”

Jim O’Brien has over 42 years of experience in the broadcast, cable, and broadband industries, with special expertise in the software control of television networks, TV production and playout automation, video servers, ad insertion, and streaming media. O’Brien joins Vidyo from his position as president at Building4Media where his largest customers included CNN, CBS, The Weather Channel, NFL, Comcast, Star News, Sun TV, PCCW. Jim also served as Global Director, Streaming, Media & Entertainment for Digital Island/Cable & Wireless; Global Director, Sales and Business Development for Channelmatic; Product Manager at ASC/Leitch, work with Alamar, Utah Scientific, Time Warner and Jones Intercable-Comcast. O’Brien has set up sales channels and built broadcast systems in 37 countries.

“Vidyo has developed world-class technology that’s a major jump forward in serving broadcasters,” says O’Brien. “I’m honored and excited to work with this groundbreaking team and am confident we’ll make a significant contribution to the TV industry around the world.”