The first of the NAB takeovers and acquisitions has surfaced, with the news that Avid has swooped in to snap up Dallas-based automation and device control software specialist Sundance Digital for approximately $12m in cash.
“For more than a decade, Sundance Digital has been committed to developing leading-edge technologies that automate and control a broad range of playout devices, enabling broadcasters to operate more efficiently and deliver a higher degree of error-free transmissions,” said Chas Smith, vice president and general manager of Avid’s Video division. “Sundance has built a successful business with a family of open solutions that interoperate with major traffic and production systems from many companies. We plan to maintain this distinct advantage while also exploring opportunities to extend the powerful automation capabilities that Sundance already provides for our own transmission products. With Sundance systems in our portfolio, Avid will offer more open and streamlined broadcast production workflows across the entire spectrum of media acquisition, production, and transmission.”
Sundance Digital has been in operation since 1984 and its portfolio includes Titan, FastBreak NXT Automation and FastBreak NXT XPress, Intelli-Sat, Digital Delivery Management System (DDMS), NewsLink, and Sundance Seeker. The company’s automation systems already integrate smoothly with a range of Avid broadcast kit, meaning there’s at least one less task to be accomplished after the purchase.
Robert C. Johnson, president of Sundance Digital, said: “Sundance and Avid share a common vision: to help broadcasters transition into the world of all-digital production. Our award-winning systems – currently in use by many Avid clients – are the perfect complement to Avid’s news creation tools.
Now, broadcasters searching for the most seamless production and automation workflows will be able to rely on a single vendor. With Sundance systems in its mix, Avid will offer more comprehensive automation control over the entire media production process and further empower broadcasters to run their operations with greater precision and agility.”
