Avid Technology

Avid acquires the news division of BASYS Automation Systems and SofTECH Systems Inc. Avid Technology Inc. is a pioneer in the development of digital video editing systems and provides the tools to help Hollywood studios, post-production houses, and newsrooms make the transition from analog film to digital video. Through acquisitions the company has acquired the technology to provide digital audio and newsroom automation systems. In addition to professional-level systems, Avid also publishes video editing software for amateurs and novices for use on Macintosh and Windows operating systems. With the growth of streaming media on the Internet, Avid has dedicated itself to providing Internet-based solutions for video, audio, and other high-bandwidth streaming media. Avid Technology Inc. was founded in 1987 by William J Warner. He developed a system to copy video footage in real time to digital hard disks to allow editors to more easily view shots and quickly make trial cuts and changes. Warner originally designed the system on an Apollo computer. When Warner's preliminary system came to the attention of Apple Computer Inc. in the fall of 1988, he was persuaded to switch to a Macintosh computer. Avid and Apple became informal partners, with Avid receiving marketing help, technical support, and distribution matching from Apple. At the time the Apple Development Group was working with some 10,000 similar companies that were developing hardware and software for the Macintosh. Warner served as president and CEO of Avid until May 1991, when Curt A. Rawley was hired as president and COO. Warner retained his CEO title until September 1991, when Rawley was promoted to president and CEO. In 1992 Warner established and became chairman of Wildfire Communications, Inc., a developer of personal communications products. He remained a part-time employee of Avid. In April 1992 Avid released its Open Media Framework (OMF) into the public domain. According to PC Week, 'Industry analysts describe OMF as a high-end version of Apple Computer Inc.'s QuickTime, which synchronizes video and audio.' Later in the year Silicon Graphics Inc. (SGI) and Avid announced an agreement whereby SGI would bundle OMF with its Iris RISC workstations to provide users with a multimedia platform. Upon its release OMF received support from some 20 companies, among them Eastman Kodak Co., Polaroid Corp., and C-Cube Microsystems Inc. By this time Avid's Media Composer system for professional TV and film post-production was in use at nearly 1,000 sites. In 1993 Avid's Media Suite Pro was described by Computer Graphics World as 'in a class by itself' and 'the closest thing to real-time, non-linear video production available.' The turnkey system for Apple's QuickTime consisted of the Media Suite Pro software, a NuVista video board, a CD-quality audio board, and an SCSI accelerator board for pre-approved hard drives. In its review of the Media Suite Pro 1.1 digital video editing system, priced at $9,995, PC Week said it 'offers sophisticated editing tools for both novices and experienced users and sets a new standard for desktop video post-production.' Also in 1993 Avid entered into a six-year partnership with Lucasfilm Ltd. to develop a better nonlinear editor. The project would involve combining features developed by Star Wars producer George Lucas with Avid's existing editors. The new editor would be based on Silicon Graphics computers, which indicated Avid's commitment to serve a variety of computer platforms. During 1993 Avid and SGI continued to work together to create Open Media Framework Interchange standards for computer graphic and editing products, which would become a key enabling technology for all-digital post-production. This industry-standard file format permitted the exchange of digital media among different platforms and applications. For home video enthusiasts, Avid introduced VideoShop 2.0 for $499. This QuickTime movie-editing program was originally pro