Sony unveils new Media Cloud Services subsidiary alongside Ci, a collaboration platform for creatives

Sony has entered the cloud-based services market in a big way today, launching a new set of tools that it hopes will help creative professionals work with “revolutionary” media applications over the Internet.

The scalable coud platform is called Ci (pronounced ‘see’) and will give production studios, broadcasters, marketing teams and the like a one-stop solution for finding, producing and archiving high-quality content.

The platform is being led by a new subsidiary, called Sony Media Cloud Services, and includes a number of applications which are designed to work in conjunction with one another to create the Ci platform.

The first is Ci MediaBox, which is a studio-designed cloud storage solution built to collect, organize, share and archive every media type used by creative professionals.

Sight and sound

It’s joined by Ci VideoLog, which enables “logging of frame-accurate events to prepare content for downstream opportunities, distribution and playout automation.” Think high-level broadcasters such as the BBC, who need to queue up material so that it’s ready to be played on a news programme, panel show or uploaded to the Internet.

Ci AudioSync is for all of the professional audiophiles out there, offering analysis algorithms of audio patterns to reduce non-creative editing work. This could mean looking for static or noise in an interview, or adjusting the volume when the speaker steps away from the microphone.

Collaboration is critical

Collaboration is key to any cloud-based service, so Sony’s new platform has been rounded off with Ci Review Approve, which gives colleagues the ability to review, annotate and collaborate on media files in real-time, simultaneously. That’s arguably the most compelling feature of the suite, as it supports employees working remotely, out in the field or separate offices.

“Every day, creative professionals around the world spend numerous hours and resources on non-creative tasks like moving and sharing content, figuring out how and where to store it, and getting the right assets to the right places and in the right hands,” said Naomi Climer , President, Sony Media Cloud Services.

“Sony understands these complex challenges, which is why we designed Ci as a functionally rich, scalable and secure, media-focused cloud platform that can enhance and streamline traditional production workflows to make it easier to collaborate more effectively.”

Release

Ci is in beta production at the moment, but is available to creative professionals in the US and Europe. Sony says it will be launching additional features throughout the year.