VBrick’s Advanced IP-Video Distribution Technology Keeps Government Agencies, the Media and Residents in the Hurricane Zone Abreast of the Latest Storm Information
Wallingford, Conn. – Aug. 17, 2009 – As the U.S. moves into the busiest part of the 2009 hurricane season, VBrick announced today that America’s Emergency Network (AEN) has deployed VBrick to power its satellite-based emergency video distribution system. AEN’s system is designed to continue working after a disaster to keep government agencies and residents informed even when all land-based power and communication lines have been knocked out. Working with VBrick, AEN has syndicated live hurricane video feeds to media Web sites across the U.S.
Bryan Norcross, president and chief executive officer of AEN and former hurricane analyst for the CBS network, has recognized the critical role VBrick plays in helping AEN carry out its mission. Said Norcross: “IP video transmission is in many cases the only way for emergency managers at the state level, in large counties, or in small towns, to distribute critical information to the public when hurricanes threaten. VBrick enables us to fill this critical communications gap in the U.S. emergency communications system with a complete solution that manages the entire process from encoding of video through to distribution to the public, the media, and other government officials.”?
AEN chose VBrick over competitive solutions because only VBrick’s open standards allow video to be distributed to an unlimited number and type of users and locations. VBrick allows AEN to easily encode video to a digital format and disseminate the content to television and radio stations at the same time it is displayed on subscribing media Web sites. The AEN network includes a satellite-based video distribution path, which is essential when broadcasting emergency communications as land-based infrastructure such as cell phone towers and power lines can be destroyed during hurricanes or earthquakes.
AEN has also joined forces with Weather Decision Technologies (WDT), an advanced weather-data delivery and content provider, whose clients include many of the leading media outlets and their partner websites. With AEN’s groundbreaking access to LIVE video updates from the National Hurricane Center, and WDT’s extraordinary reach into weather-related media outlets, the opportunities to reach more people with this vital information have grown exponentially. WDT is currently in the process of connecting AEN’s feeds to their extensive network of media websites.
Real-Time Video Transmission to the Media
During hurricane season 2008, AEN distributed government video feeds to a number of top newspapers in Florida, including The Miami Herald, The South Florida Sun Sentinel and The Florida Times Union. All of these newspapers broadcast on their Web sites a direct transmission from the
Florida Division of Emergency Management
including news briefings from the governor. These updates keep residents informed of emergency information and serve as a key audience-building strategy for newspapers and television stations eager to embrace new strategies for driving traffic to their Web sites.
“Working with AEN has been an especially rewarding experience and we applaud their commitment to use video – an easily consumed communications medium – to keep key constituents abreast of breaking weather emergencies,”? said Vince Graziani, chief executive officer, VBrick. “We look forward to a long relationship with AEN. And we will continue to provide the advanced, scalable and easy-to-use IP-video transmission technology they need to fulfill their mission.”?
About America’s Emergency Network
AEN’s goal is to be sure that every emergency manager, whether from a large county or small town, has an outlet to reach the public, the media and other government officials. The AEN satellite-based video distribution system is designed to continue to work after a disaster when all power and communications lines are knocked out. For the first time, emergency managers and other public officials have a direct conduit to the public and the media to explain what has happened and how the government is responding. See
for more information.
About VBrick Systems, Inc.
VBrick is the leader in Enterprise IP Video solutions. With over 6,000 customers and 60,000 installations worldwide – including 50 of the Fortune 500 – VBrick enables rich media communications to employees, customers, partners and shareholders. Examples of live and on-demand applications include executive broadcasts, distributed training, digital signage, TV distribution and Web 2.0 marketing. Headquartered in Wallingford, CT, VBrick’s products and services are available through industry-leading value-added resellers. For more information, visit
