IBC 2013: Primestream FORK 4.5 allows users to visualise workflows
Primestream has announced details of FORK 4.5, the latest version of its acclaimed FORK Production Suite for managing and automating broadcast workflows. FORK 4.5 features Workflow Manager 1.0, a new add-on module for designing internal video production processes across multiple departments of an organisation. Simplifying task management enables content creators to focus on decision-making, communicating and creating — while connecting administrators, engineers and support staff to the workflow for staying informed and controlling the efficiency of the production process. FORK 4.5 with Workflow Manager is suited for all IT infrastructures, including broadcast, postproduction and corporate enterprise.
“Operations run more efficiently when managers can see everything that’s going on in the system and track all the tasks under the system’s control, which is exactly what we designed Workflow Manager to do,” says Claudio Lisman, Primestream president and CEO. “Now managers have a comprehensive overview of their operations that shows and logs the what, when, who, and where of every step in a process — information that can help improve workflows and increase productivity.”
Workflow Manager allows users to design, control, and automate production processes that span multiple departments and groups within the organization. This capability enables the module to: improve communication and response time from engineering and support staff; provide a global view of the tasks and processes being worked on; assign tasks to specific groups or users; and log every step of the process with information for analytics.
In addition to the new Workflow Manager module, FORK 4.5 features further enhancements to codec support and third-party hardware, as well as craft editor integrations. FORK features new archiving workflows with SGL, Quantum and Atempo — so FORK users can continue to navigate/browse, search, and filter through content inside Content Navigator, even when media is offline. Other benefits include partial file restore and LTO robotics control. FORK 4.5 also features “edit-while-capturing” workflows with popular craft editors such as Adobe Premiere Pro, Apple Final Cut Pro, and Avid Media Composer. Robust four-channel HD Playout solutions utilising FORK Live Assist, together with Cisco Unified Computing Server (UCS) and Harmonic MediaGrid, will also be on display. FORK is available for Mac and Windows OS as well as mixed hybrid environments.
Primestream will demonstrate FORK 4.5 with Workflow Manager at IBC2013 in Stand 7.D21. FORK 4.5 will be available in the fourth quarter.