Innovative Software Platform Expands to Streamline and Simplify Cloud-Based Collaboration
Levels Beyond/Reach Engine
IBC Hall 5, Stand C21
September 11, 2015 (Denver, CO/London UK) Levels Beyond will introduce Reach Engine Collaborate at IBC2015. The new Collaborate toolset will be available to all users of Reach Engine, Levels Beyond's software platform providing streamlined media management, distribution, optimization and monetization capabilities. Collaborate eliminates the common file sharing problems associated with today's complex digital workflows for Reach Engine users.
Danny Gold, CTO of Levels Beyond, commented, "Collaborate extends Reach Engine's onsite platform into our cloud platform. People might be hesitant about cloud-based production and content management, but the truth is that almost everyone is sharing content through email, FTP, or via third party tools. And while that gets the job done, it is not a real process. The way that many users are sharing content takes too many steps, is not secure, and the audit chain is broken every time content is moved out of Reach Engine. With Collaborate's file sharing and Review & Approve tools, users can share content in context, tracked against everything else they're doing, and secured against the same workflows they are using on premise. From basic actions to sophisticated content sharing, Collaborate puts a solid process in place."
Reach Engine's new Collaborate toolset bundles three primary tasks in a single collaboration hub, allowing users to easily share and review content with external sources. When a Reach Engine user needs to share content outside of their internal network, they can initiate the action from their dashboard with the input of an email address, and the end user will receive an email with a secure link to view or download the intended content. As the link will direct the external party to a Collaborate dashboard, they will be able to view the content in the context of the request - who sent it, what the project is, when the link will expire, etc.
Reach Engine users also have the ability to request files from parties outside of their firewall with Collaborate. They can easily initiate a request via email to outside team members, independent contractors, and partners to load content directly into their Reach Engine with a secure link via a simple "drag and drop" process. In addition to eliminating the use of multiple steps on multiple systems, Collaborate allows users to set up metadata parameters in advance, the completion of which are mandatory to the upload, ensuring that all required metadata is in place.
"Whether you are sending approved photos to the press, selecting images from a photographer, or delivering media files to an editor, Collaborate will enhance your workflow," noted Gold. "There's no back and forth, no phone calls, no personal emails, no technical difficulties, no Excel spreadsheets for metadata. It's a truly automated process. Collaborate also has accelerated upload and download built in, which is important as our users are often dealing with very large media files."
Reach Engine's popular Review & Approve tool is also moving into the task-based Collaborate hub. The tool will be easily accessible from the Collaborate dashboard, and users will immediately be able to see their upload requests, items ready for download, and any requests for review and approval.
"Collaborate was conceived as an extension of both our onsite platform and our cloud-based platform, to build a secure, auditable, easily navigable bridge between our users and the outside partners they 'collaborate' with," Gold concluded. "We understand how our users need to work, so we looked at the technology we had built, laid real world business logic on top of it, and leveraged our platform to give users even more control over their content."
Reach Engine, Levels Beyond's media inventory platform, serves a number of content creation and distribution businesses, including advertising, sports, media and entertainment, and publishing. Their diverse client list includes BBC Studios and Post Production, The New York Times, The Mill UK, M&C Saatchi, and World Rugby. For more information on Levels Beyond, or to receive a demonstration of Reach Engine, please visit IBC Hall 5 Stand C21, visit www.reachengine.com, or call 001 720 508 8946.
