Avid Technology

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"Avid" redirects here. For the "Advancement Via Individual Determination" educational program, see AVID.
Avid Technology, Inc
Type of Company Public
Founded 1987
Headquarters Tewksbury, Massachusetts, USA
Industry Audio/Video
Products Hardware & Software
Revenue 775.44M
Operating income 36.75M
Net income 33.98M
Employees 2,613
Website http://www.avid.com

Avid Technology, Inc NASDAQ: AVID is an American company specializing in video and audio production technology; specifically, digital non-linear media editing (NLE) systems, management and distribution services. It was created in 1987 and became a publicly traded company in 1993. Avid is headquartered in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

Serving the industries that "Make, Manage and Move Media," Avid Technology, Inc. is the world leader in digital nonlinear media creation, management and distribution solutions, enabling film, video, audio, animation, games, and broadcast news professionals to work more efficiently, productively and creatively. Avid products and services won several awards such as an Oscar, Grammy, and Emmy.

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[edit] History

Founded by a marketing manager from Apollo Computer, Inc., William J. Warner, a prototype of their first digital nonlinear editing system (the Avid/1) was shown in a private suite at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in April 1988. The Avid/1 was based around an Apple Macintosh II computer, with special hardware and software of Avid's own design installed.

At the NAB show in April of 1989, the Avid/1 was publicly introduced. The first system shipped (Serial # 001) was to Alan Miller at Rebo Studio in New York in June 1989. He, along with four other beta sites, tested it until its formal release date in December 1989. The University of Hawaii was the first educational institution to receive the Avid for its Media Lab run by Patricia Amaral, also in 1989. Anthony Pennings, now at New York University, was the first academic to teach the Avid.

By the early 90's, Avid products began to replace such tools as the Moviola, allowing editors to handle their film creations with greater ease. In 1994 only two feature films used the new digital editing system. By 1995 dozens were, and it signaled the beginning of the end of cutting celluloid. In 1996 Walter Murch accepted the Academy Award for editing The English Patient (which also won best picture), which he cut on the Avid. This was the first Editing Oscar awarded to a digitally-edited film.

Many television shows, feature films, commercials and other media are now created with an Avid product. Avid has released home versions of their professional line of editors, such as their Xpress DV. They have also released Avid Free DV to allow people to familiarize themselves with the Avid editing style.

In 1994 Avid introduced Open Media Framework (OMF)as an open standard file format for sharing media and related metadata.

In recent years the company extended its business expertise towards the storage and management of media files. In that way Avid became a major player and vendor for the broadcast industry. Key products for that development have been the shared storage solution Avid Unity, recently with the new ISIS product. In 2006 Avid launches the Avid Interplay that will help to simplify workflow and media data management tremendously for the broadcast as well as the post-production industry.

[edit] Developer Programs

  • Avid AVX
  • MetaSync Developer Program
  • Unity Workgroups APIs
  • iNEWS APIs
  • FireWire Device Certification Program

[edit] Products

Notable discontinued products:

[edit] Acquisitions

  • 1994: Basys (ITN's newsrooms system sold to DEC then Avid).
  • 1995: Parallax Software Limited and 3 Space Software Limited (together “Parallax Software”). (makers of Matador, Illusion and Jester (ink-and-paint software)).
  • 1998: [Create strategic alliance with Tektronix - then owners of Lightworks].
  • 2000: The Motion Factory.
  • 2000: Pluto Technology.
  • 2003: Rocket Networks.
  • 2005, August: Wizoo.
  • 2006, January: Medéa Corporation.
  • 2006, April: Sundance Digital.

[edit] Executive Team

  • David A. Krall, President and Chief Executive Officer
  • Graham Sharp, Vice President and General Manager, Avid Video
  • Paul J. Milbury, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
  • Jeffrey S. Hastings, Vice President and General Manager, Pinnacle Systems
  • David M. Lebolt, Vice President and General Manager, Digidesign
  • Michael J. Rockwell, Chief Technology Officer & Vice President of Software Engineering
  • Patricia A. Baker, Vice President of Human Resources
  • Sharad Rastogi, Vice President of Corporate Development

[edit] Discussion groups

[edit] See also

[edit] External links

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