Graphic Image Technologies (GIT), in partnership with Grintek Telecom, recently provided the Free State Department of Health with a technology solution enabling the department to distribute video content to various remote locations.
The solution sees the Free State Department of Health distributing content such as important communiqu'es, meetings, and specific high importance training to 40 remote hospitals instantly.
Says Willie Hattingh, manager of satellite systems and eCommerce at Grintek Telecom: "The Free State Department of Health needed video material delivered to 40 remote sites distributed through the Free State in real-time. The traditional way of broadcasting - which requires 2Mbps or higher for good quality video and audio distribution - was not a viable option so we had to find a high quality but cost-effective alternative."
According to Hattingh, the biggest challenge was finding equipment that would work over a terrestrial network of close to 550km.
"We had to look for equipment that was able to capture raw audio and video, encode and compress it and package it into multicast IP packets for streaming across any broadband network," he says.
GIT stepped in, supplying the necessary equipment - streaming equipment and expertise on the transmit side, as well as the video play out cards that were used at the receiving sites.
Says Mark Chertkow, MD of GIT: "We implemented an IP over DVB solution. This solution has both a live video stream and an integrated store and forward capability, allowing the Free State Department of Health to record content and store it for later distribution to hospitals. It also has data multicast capabilities, allowing them to stream content to multiple sites via one stream in real time."
"Overall, the solution is a great success, and everyone is very happy with the result. There are already 14 departmental clients making use of the system, including the directorate of finance and the radiographers association," says Hattingh.
The content distributed to the hospitals range from pre-recorded videos, to live meetings, and also creates a real-time interactive learning environment for students at these sites.
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Graphic Image Technologies is a media-focused company operating in the digital video, advanced Web and multimedia environment.
The GIT Multimedia Bureau produces presentations, CD-ROMs and kiosks. In addition, it develops Web applications and provides database and e-commerce integration.
In the video arena, GIT is focused on offering a vast array of solutions, ranging from broadcasting video over satellite and ATM, to multicast applications for use in the corporate LAN and WAN and Internet streaming environments.
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