Dalet Unveils Dalet Galaxy, the Next Step in MAM Technology

Scheduled for release later this year, Dalet Digital Media Systems’ Dalet Galaxy media-asset–management (MAM) platform will feature a high-value, BPMN 2.0-compliant workflow engine that dramatically boosts productivity and agility while improving operational and business visibility across the media enterprise.

Other features include a new modern-looking graphical user interface; Dalet One Cut, a built-in, multitrack video-editing framework; more-customizable data models; advanced tools for searching and indexing; increased interoperability with NLE systems; and support for upcoming industry standards, such as AS-02 and FIMS.

Dalet Galaxy will become the foundation for the company’s enterprise MAM solutions, which include the purpose-built workgroup packages Dalet Media Life for program prep and archiving, Dalet News Suite for news production and distribution, Dalet Sports Factory for live event and sports production, and Dalet Radio Suite for multiplatform news and music programming. Dalet Galaxy and the portfolio of Dalet solutions can be previewed at the Dalet booth (SL4615) during the NAB Show in Las Vegas this week.

“Dalet Galaxy takes our Dalet Enterprise Edition MAM platform to the next level and will offer many benefits to our customers,” says COO Stephane Schlayen. “With Dalet Galaxy, we’ve incorporated an advanced, industry-standard business-process–management workflow engine into our core MAM product and tailored it to meet the needs of broadcast and media companies. Dalet Galaxy adds important new dimensions to the MAM, making it the first open and fully integrated platform for managing media and workflows in a convergent world. With the capability to manipulate any type of digital object, including video, audio, text, and graphics, the possibilities are endless. All the operational and business processes are now fully visible and monitored across the enterprise, in real time. Advanced reporting capabilities provide the means to improve efficiencies and workflows based on actual metrics coming from the system. Customers can control their processes at all levels — horizontally and vertically. This kind of insight and agility will be increasingly important in our fast-changing business environment.”

The new BPM workflow engine in Dalet Galaxy provides tools for designing and modeling workflows and for orchestrating human tasks as well as automated processes (transcoding, file transfers, etc.). This comes with contextual “To Do”-list capability, which adds even greater productivity to the workflow and transparency to the operators. Managers can prioritize and re-assign tasks and make sure deadlines are met.

“This breakthrough technology goes well beyond automation,” explains Kevin Savina, director of product management. “With BPM, you can see the totality of the workflow, and, at the same time, you can identify the internal progress of each workflow step at a granular level — see where assets are in the workflow, check statuses, change priorities, and pinpoint bottlenecks. Other business sectors have already benefited greatly from BPM, and now we are bringing the same potential to the broadcast and media industry. There will also be many new and significant workflow enhancements in Dalet Galaxy, such as the new user interface and Dalet One Cut, our fully integrated multitrack video editor.”

Dalet One Cut real-time, multitrack video- and audio-editing platform is suitable for multimedia journalists and content-prep operators. It can be configured to match the complexity of different tasks and the proficiency of the users. Clips can be stored in the Dalet Clip Bin, where they can be shared, assembled, and storyboarded.

Dalet Xtend module enables seamless exchanges of videos, shot lists, EDLs, and their metadata between NLEs and the Dalet MAM and is now available for Avid Media Composer and NewsCutter and Apple Final Cut Pro. It will shortly be available for Adobe Premiere editing systems.

With Dalet WebSpace and Google gadgets, Dalet Galaxy makes content and tools even more accessible. WebSpace enables authorized local and remote users to share content and access Dalet toolsets via a standard Web browser. It is also possible to expose content and tools such as Dalet Preview, Media Logger, and Storyboarder directly onto customer portals using Google gadget technology.

Dalet Media Life leverages IT standards and infrastructure to meet the complex production and asset-management needs of multiplatform content providers, such as networks, thematic channels, and promo departments that deal with high volumes of video and audio programming. Media Life features a flexible, comprehensive data model; support for managing all types of media, including still images; and a workflow engine for managing human and automated tasks. A complete set of functional tools for pre-editing, storyboarding, subtitling, captioning, versioning, etc., is accessible from the same user interface. Media Life is designed to integrate with third-party systems, such as NLEs, automation devices, archives, and business systems. It is an open platform with a variety of data-exchange and integration paths, including using SOA-compliant tools, such as Web Services APIs.

Dalet News Suite integrated end-to-end, MAM-based newsroom production system improves efficiency, productivity, and collaboration with its advanced design and smart tools. With fully integrated desktop scripting, video, graphic and multimedia tools, journalists are engaged in a smooth and intuitive workflow that allows them to concentrate on producing high-quality content for broadcast and new-media outlets. Content and metadata are enriched at every step — from ingest through automated playout, archives, and multiplatform delivery. Dalet News Suite facilitates story-centric production and fosters collaboration among departments — from the news desk, planning, and production to the control room and new-media units. The Dalet MAM platform tracks it all, and the workflow engine automates many background tasks. With full media and metadata tracking, the MAM platform provides a robust framework for managing assets and leveraging content to take advantage of new business opportunities.

Dalet Sports Factory offers fast sports-production tools, fully integrated within an enterprise MAM platform. Its highlights and replay components cover logging, play-by-play highlights and playback, and instant replay with multiple camera angles and slow motion. Media are logged once and immediately available for use in programs and packages. Unlike typical sports-production tools, Dalet Sports Factory integrates production archives and media management, ensuring that all enriched media assets are at your fingertips during and after the game. Designed on the open Dalet MAM platform, Sports Factory integrates with industry-standard NLEs and other broadcast- and sports-production systems.