The BBC and IBM have formed a strategic alliance to work on several joint projects including a new video search system and an exploration of more efficient ways of working for the broadcaster’s creative teams.

The search project will focus on applying image and video search technologies to Cbeebies and CBBC programmes, based on IBM’s research system, code-named
Marvel. Marvel can visually analyse images or video and categorise the content based on appearance, making it more searchable.

The aim is to create a set of multimedia interactive search experiences for accessing BBC children’s content online and will help unlock content in the broadcaster’s archive.

Paul Cheesbrough, controller of digital medial at the BBC, said: ‘The new search technology will add a lot more contextual information around content as Marvel will automatically generate additional information. By enriching the data about content that people can search on, we will be able to create powerful journeys across BBC content and third-party content in the Web 2.0 world.’

The BBC currently uses standard search technology and hopes the new system will unlock relevant content from over 800,000 hours of archive material.

‘Our current search model is static and searches the web in a traditional way, but search will be more dynamic in line with Web 2.0. Marvel will help create the information that powers that world,’ said Cheesebrough.

IBM will also work with the BBC’s technology partner Siemens to deploy a pilot of its Media Hub technology to trail new business processes and ways of working amongst the BBC’s creative teams.

The pilot follows Siemens deployment of IBM’s WebSphere products for the BBC, which sit at the centre of its service oriented architecture.

‘The way we make programmes at present is like creating handmade chocolates - it is proprietary and expensive. Media Hub will add more intelligence around the creative process, enabling making, sharing and collaborating around content,’ said Cheesbrough.

‘From a business point of view, it will add flexibility to the creative process enabling us to share and deliver content in a timely fashion. For example, while a television team is editing offsite, a broadband team will be able to view and create content for the website at the same time,’ he said.

IBM is also discussing potential collaboration projects with the BBC in areas including content distribution, customer relations management, joint research and rights management.