Partnership will focus on developing multi-company, rapid proof-of-concept catalyst projects
Elly Yates-Roberts |
Media, entertainment and technology event IBC and global industry association TM Forum are embarking on a new collaboration to drive open innovation between the telecoms and media industries.
The collaboration will include a focus on developing multi-company, rapid proof-of-concept catalyst projects to be showcased at the company’s events and a range of joint marketing and content sharing activities.
“Viewers now have the ability to watch, share and even create content where and how they like, and telcos have played a key role in enabling this fundamental change,” said Michael Crimp, CEO of IBC. “With the media and telecoms sectors more closely intertwined than ever before, it makes perfect sense for IBC and the TM Forum to collaborate and in doing so, we will ensure that both of our communities continue to advance together. As the world’s most influential media, entertainment and technology show, IBC has always been a showcase for the latest innovation and this collaboration will help us remain at the cutting edge.”
Now in its 51st year, IBC brings together over 57,000 attendees from 170 countries to Amsterdam, the Netherlands, each year. The collaboration with TM Forum provides an opportunity for the co-creation of value for the senior members of each company’s communities.
TM Forum, which is comprised of over 850-member companies worldwide, has successfully pioneered a multi-company open innovation catalyst programme for over 10 years, bringing together technology companies and communication service providers to solve current industry challenges. At this year’s event, more than 120 companies are taking part in 25 catalyst projects, with the results showcased at TM Forum’s Digital Transformation World conference in Nice, France.
“Media is an increasingly important sector for our global membership as the boundaries between telecoms and media continue to blur,” said Nik Willetts, CEO of TM Forum. “The digital age is changing the landscape for creation, distribution and consumption of media, and we believe that through industry collaboration we can drive a new wave of innovation and growth. We’re delighted to collaborate with IBC, and to extend the catalyst model to explore the convergence of telecoms and broadcasting.”