ITV invests in new data system to preserve digital content

ITV looks to shift away from legacy systems for looking after classic shows

Commercial television network ITV has confirmed it's invested in two new storage systems in a bid to preserve its digital assets and content in the long-term.

The company has selected two Spectra BlackPearl Converged Storage Systems and two Spectra T950 Tape Libraries to manage its content.

A sign that the broadcaster is shifting away from legacy systems, this technology will provide ITV with the ability to store its digital assets in dispersed data centre locations on different media types.

ITV said it's investing in these systems to "assure the ultimate safety and security of their content with a genetically diverse data preservation strategy".

Marcel Mester, senior project manager of ITV, said that the company had been exploring ways that it can use technology to ensure that its content is available for future generations.

"Spectra has met all of ITV's criteria, providing a simple, affordable and easy-to-use digital archive that is purpose-built to meet our needs," said Mester.

"We are confident in the ability of our Spectra solution to preserve our video content for future generations."

As an integrated producer-broadcaster, ITV creates, owns and distributes video content across an array of platforms. But the firm said storing it has been an issue over the years.

Because it produces massives amount of content, ITV needed a solution that was "high-capacity, durable and scalable to support their current needs and future growth".

It also wanted to invest in a platform that was "non-proprietary, open standard and highly flexible" to give its creative departments easy and quick access to content.

The Spectra systems will be utilised in data centres in Greenwich, South-East London and Leeds. In the Greenwich facility, the company is using a BlackPearl and T950 with IBM TS1150 drives.

Meanwhile, in Leeds the company has deployed a BlackPearl and T950 with LTO-7 tape drives. Producers can move content to and from the ITV archive automatically through Blackpearl.

Brian Grainger, chief sales officer of Spectra Logic, said: "As an existing Spectra customer, ITV was familiar with Spectra's products and services and confident in our ability to deliver exactly what they needed in a digital archive solution.

"The combination of Spectra's BlackPearl and tape libraries streamlines ITV's digital workflow, eliminating costly middleware and simpli­fying the management of their assets.

"It keeps their content safe and secure, while still allowing creative departments to quickly access data as needed."