IBC2019 is almost here. Between now and then Radio World will conduct several short Q&As with manufacturers about their plans and offerings, to help you get the most out of the big annual trade show. Charlie Gawley is V.P. sales APAC & EMEA at Tieline.
Radio World: How has business been for the company since IBC2018?
Charlie Gawley: The international market for us has been very strong. We have seen significant growth in both the European and Asia Pacific markets, in particular France, as customers are increasingly seeing the reliability of our products over the most challenging IP networks.
Radio World: What are you hearing from your customers about their business outlook this year? In what areas should we expect growth or the most interesting projects?
Gawley: We are seeing more and more customers migrating their audio transmission and distribution networks off circuit switched-based networks such as ISDN and E1 as well as satellite IP to terrestrial-based IP networks. For Outside Broadcasts we are increasingly seeing more customers demanding aggregation of IP data to provide more reliable bandwidth.
Radio World: Stepping away from your particular segment, what is your feeling for the overall health of the radio industry?
Gawley: From a global perspective it is pretty good, the United States is flat and there is a mood of decline, whereas in Europe and APAC there is growth. In particular revenues are growing in the United Kingdom and Australia. We put this down to bodies with a sole focus on promoting radio as a medium.
Radio World: You’ve been active in the audio codecs market for over a decade now. What’s the biggest problem or challenge facing users in this segment right now?
Gawley: For our segment it’s the last dash to get an alternative for ISDN. We have been well positioned to support customers in the transition to IP and SIP for over 10 years, when European broadcasters first foresaw the cord being cut. No two codecs are the same and it pays to do your research on what’s out there. For us, nothing beats learning what our customers use. We deliver solutions for dozens of top-tier broadcasters using Tieline for big events and at the end of the day it’s the IP in your IP streaming that wins the game, and that has been our focus for over a decade in supporting broadcasters through the transition to IP from other technologies.
Radio World: What new goodies will your company be showing? Why should attendees visit your booth?
Gawley: We will be showcasing on Booth 8.E74 the ease with which broadcasters can fully remote control codecs that are on the other side of the world being used by non-technical talent. In particular we’ll emphasize our new TieLink Traversal Server with its Global Address book, and the recently released Cloud Codec Controller. We’ll also show our internal Dual Active SIM 4G LTE module for the ViA codec, bringing the number of possible IP interfaces in this codec to seven.
We will also introduce a whole swag of new features and functionalities in an upcoming new firmware release, and there is always an ace up our sleeve to show attendees. So there is every reason for customers new and old to drop by to see the newest and most innovative solutions we offer.
[IBC Sneak Peek: Tieline Launches TieLink Traversal Server]
Radio World: What do you anticipate will be the most significant technology trend at IBC2019?
Gawley: Increasingly more and more glass in the studio as we move toward virtualization of the studio and cloud-based software/control. The next big thing will be 5G broadcasting and what that can deliver — and we are geared up and ready for it.
Radio World: How do your international sales and marketing efforts differ from your U.S. efforts?
Gawley: While the two markets can be best described as being like chalk and cheese, in essence their sense of passion for the delivery of their content is the same. As a customer orientated organization, our approach is the same; we listen and then we act on their requirements and this is what attracts a lot of customers to us.
Radio World: You’re a show veteran, how has the show changed since your first visit?
Gawley: With the exception of location and format, the technology, platforms and trends continue to progress. And, in addition to a few more grey hairs, familiar faces evolve and new ones arrive.
Radio World: What’s your favorite thing about this show?
Gawley: Without a doubt it’s the opportunity to directly discuss our products with clients and get a lot of feedback over a short period of time. This is integral to the ongoing evolution of our products and it’s what our customers like.
