Quantum: Storage Protection in Amsterdam

Alex Grossman, Vice President, Media and Entertainment at Quantum, a leading expert in scale-out storage, archive and data protection, and more, gives insight into IBC 2015.

Quantum: Storage Protection in Amsterdam
Why should attendees visit your booth at the show & what can they expect to see? Do you have a specific product you are showcasing this year? (If so, please give us details.)
This year is very exciting for Quantum and our users.

We will show a complete workflow-optimized storage solution, based our StorNext 5 intelligent collaboration platform, that is designed to enhance the efficiency of every stage of a production workflow from ingest to archive. With higher-resolution workflows and OTT demands growing, most facilities cannot afford to make IT-centric generic storage “fit” their media creation needs. We have a better way and will be demonstrating it at IBC2015.

We will also show Artico, a new class of archive product that brings sought-after StorNext 5 archive capabilities to non-StorNext and production NAS workflows. Artico enables seamless archive to Quantum’s Q-Cloud public cloud service, Quantum Lattus object storage, and Scalar LTO tape libraries. Artico is fully compatible with the extensive StorNext partner ecosystem and integrates with all popular MAM, PAM and production automation systems to make archive simple and cost-effective.

Last, but certainly not least, we will have StorNext Pro Solutions in our booth. Since their introduction last year, StorNext Pro Solutions have provided an easy way for facilities to realize a complete storage workflow, regardless of business size or workload. For companies from small post houses to large broadcaster facilities working with high-resolution workflows, StorNext Pro Solutions have become the go-to collaborative workflow solution.
Any tech trends you see on the horizon?
Trends come and go, but today we are seeing 4K move from a trend into the mainstream and HDR-enabled 4K becoming the latest trend — and one gaining significant traction as users see it providing a better viewing experience.

We are also seeing a push for better integration of applications into the workflow and for better tools with which to manage workflow components, streamline processes, ensure uptime and meet more challenging deadlines. This integration also serves our customers’ desire to be better informed. In our case, they care about the statistics around their storage. Quantum has been ahead of this trend with StorNext Connect, a simple way to discover, monitor and manage the entire StorNext storage environment.
What are your thoughts on 4K? Pro? Cons? Overrated?
4K is real. Or at least it’s real in production and OTT delivery. We see more and more productions moving to 4K and more and more producers demanding that post facilities handle it end-to-end. Traditional broadcast is not there yet, and it’s hard to say whether they ever will fully be there.

Are there any specific events/exhibitors you can't wait to see at the show? If so, which ones? IBC2015 offers an overwhelming number of events and so many great products and concepts that I really can’t say that there is one event that stands out more than others.
Anything else you would like to add?
Just that the buzz around the upcoming IBC2015 show is tremendous. With high-resolution workflows, cloud enablement, and a huge push toward greater efficiency to meet growing demand, there is so much more excitement than there has been in the past few years. It’s great to see the market healthy. We look forward to seeing everyone at IBC2015!