Microsoft Helps Media and Entertainment Companies Move Into the Digital Distribution Age

Microsoft Helps Media and Entertainment Companies Move Into the Digital Distribution Age

New Microsoft Dynamics solutions help track and distribute contracts, streamline broadcast program and ad sales management, and manage intellectual property rights and royalties.

LAS VEGAS, April 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- This week at the NAB Show 2008, Microsoft Corp. is showcasing several innovative deployments of Microsoft Dynamics AX and Microsoft Dynamics CRM that help enable media and entertainment companies to streamline and automate manually intensive processes in the digital supply chain. These deployments span the film, broadcast and music industries, all of which share common challenges arising from the explosion of digital media. Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply chain management solutions that help businesses work more effectively.

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"The need for integrated business systems is more critical than ever as the media and entertainment industry transitions from distributing content through single channels to repurposing and delivering content for multiple user experiences," said Gabriele Di Piazza, managing director for Media and Entertainment in the Communications Sector at Microsoft. "Integrating automated business processes and systems, such as accounting, contracts, licensing and broadcast program management, with content workflows helps media companies react more quickly and intelligently to changing consumer demands, and can enable them to more effectively distribute and monetize content."

"We have worked with our partners to create new Microsoft Dynamics solutions specifically tailored for the media and entertainment industry, and we've enhanced the functionality of our Microsoft Dynamics ERP products to directly address the business management issues faced by film studios, broadcasters, music publishers and advertising agencies," said Mogens Elsberg, general manager for Microsoft Dynamics ERP, Microsoft Business Solutions.

Paramount Manages Digital Distribution With Microsoft Dynamics CRM

Paramount Pictures launched its digital business in June 2006 to capitalize on new media opportunities and partnerships resulting from the evolution of how content is consumed. These opportunities have created new challenges in content production and delivery, deal tracking, and maintaining real-time insight into digital content licensing and distribution across multiple business models and territories.

"Our business has become much more dynamic as a result of the growth of media distribution channels through broadband and mobile devices," said Abe Wong, chief information officer of Paramount Pictures. "It was clear that we needed to move away from manual processes and invest in a system that could facilitate the delivery of a variety of content through new distribution outlets to help us transition into the digital world. With its Microsoft Dynamics CRM solution, Microsoft has helped simplify and streamline this transition, as we can easily track our customer interactions, contracts and rights, while allowing us to focus on developing our digital entertainment business."

DSF Anticipates Cost Savings of 25 Percent With Dynamics AX-Based Solution From S4M

With 2,500 primary and secondary events relating to program management, license management, media management and program planning, German sports broadcaster Deutsches SportFernsehen GmbH (DSF) needed a flexible and scalable broadcast management system. S4M - Solutions for Media, a Microsoft Dynamics partner that develops and distributes customized software solutions for broadcasters, developed Dynamics Media for Microsoft Dynamics AX.

Dynamics Media for Microsoft Dynamics AX seamlessly integrates with DSF systems running on-air automation, reconciliation processes and audience meters. The system automates standard workflows and tasks and increases the level of collaboration among different departments at the sports broadcaster. DSF anticipates cost savings of 25 percent annually in the near term and an additional 10 percent to 15 percent in the longer term as it more fully leverages the full capabilities of the system.

This June, DSF will further extend its use of Dynamics Media for Microsoft Dynamics AX with the deployment of the S4M AdSales module. DSF will use the system for inventory management, customer relationship management, contract and campaign management, traffic, invoicing, and reporting. DSF is planning to use Microsoft Dynamics AX as the central environment through which it will implement further business-critical applications such as resource planning, budget planning and business intelligence.

"The changing economics of the media industry is forcing the companies we work with to re-examine every facet of business, from sales and marketing to product development and finance, and everything in between," said Frank Winkler, director at S4M. "The opportunity of change gives us the ability to creatively utilize the capabilities of Microsoft Dynamics to help solve the critical business questions facing media companies."

Buma/Stemra Manages Music Rights and Royalties With a Microsoft Dynamics AX-Based Solution From Accenture

Buma/Stemra, which collects and distributes the remunerations for Dutch music authors and publishers, is using the Rights & Royalties Service Center (RRSC) from Accenture, which is based on Microsoft Dynamics AX, to streamline its back-office and IT activities. The service, hosted and completely managed by Accenture, provides Buma/Stemra with an end-to-end process that manages all facets of rights and royalties management -- from acquiring the rights and selling the licenses to collecting fees and paying the rights holders. RRSC adds transparency and total control over the administration of all rights through an easy-to-access Web portal. Buma/Stemra's clients, primarily music authors and publishers, are given real-time insight into usage data.

Microsoft Studios Consolidates the Workflow Process With Microsoft Dynamics AX-Based Solution From Avanade

Microsoft Studios, a complete studio and postproduction facility located on Microsoft's Redmond campus, relies on digital systems and tools to help facilitate the delivery of more than 2,000 projects each year. Microsoft Studios faced a challenge common to the major Hollywood studios: Its disparate systems were not well integrated, requiring manual steps to be taken between processes, which resulted in higher costs and longer production times. To overcome this issue, Microsoft Studios worked with Avanade Inc., a global business solutions company, to implement a Microsoft Dynamics AX-based solution, which enabled it to consolidate critical business functions such as quoting, scheduling, project management and billing. As a result, Microsoft Studios can provide better service to its customers and partners cost-effectively.

Microsoft and Ascent Media Group Form Strategic Alliance

Microsoft today announced a strategic alliance with Ascent Media Group that will result in new solutions that will automate and streamline the supply chain for the media and entertainment industry and help it transition to the digital age. Composed of new media and entertainment functionality built on the Microsoft Dynamics AX platform, the new solution will integrate and streamline media production processes. Ascent will offer a hosted version of this solution along with integrated managed services to film studios, broadcasters, global media enterprises and advertising agencies, all of which are demanding capabilities that allow the immediate distribution of digital content to outlets around the world. A full press release is available at www.microsoft.com/presspass/press/2008/apr08/04-14NABEntertainmentPR.mspx.

The S4M-DSF and Microsoft Studios-Avanade solutions are being demonstrated at the NAB Show in the Microsoft booth SL5520. The Accenture Rights & Royalties Service Center can be seen live in the Accenture booth SL8012.

More information about Microsoft's presence at the NAB Show 2008 is available at http://www.microsoft.com/media/nab2008.

About Microsoft Dynamics

Microsoft Dynamics is a line of financial, customer relationship and supply-chain management solutions that helps businesses work more effectively. Delivered through a network of channel partners providing specialized services, these integrated, adaptable business management solutions work like and with familiar Microsoft software to streamline processes across an entire business. For more information, visit http://www.microsoft.com/dynamics.

About Microsoft

Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) is the worldwide leader in software, services and solutions that help people and businesses realize their full potential.

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