Latest news with #JonWilson
Broadcast Pro
05-08-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Grass Valley to bring GVMU innovations at IBC 2025
Grass Valley will present the technologies behind its strong organic growth, with significant year-over-year increases in bookings and revenue across its portfolio. Grass Valley will be bringing the full power of the Grass Valley Media Universe (GVMU) to IBC 2025 with major new innovations that cover every stage of the media production workflow. Alongside its GV Alliance partners, the company will demonstrate the end-to-end solutions empowering media organisations around the world, setting the pace for industry transformation. The company will welcome visitors to its familiar Hall 9 home (booth 9.A01) to share the success stories behind its organic growth, including strong year-over-year gains in bookings and revenue across its product portfolio. This momentum is driven by Grass Valley's commitment to innovation, the rapid adoption of its AMPP ecosystem (with bookings up over 120% YoY), and the continued success of core products like the newly updated Karerra and K-Frame VXP production switchers, and the refreshed LDX-100 series camera range including the new LDX 180 Super 35 system camera. All of these solutions will be showcased in Amsterdam, as part of the broader GV Media Universe ecosystem. 'Our organic growth story, underpinned by true innovation with the GVMU and AMPP ecosystems, is setting the pace for industry transformation as media businesses transition to new and more sustainable ways of operating,' said Grass Valley's Chief Executive Officer, Jon Wilson. 'Our next-generation innovations are powering a new era of agile, sustainable, and cost-effective production and distribution capabilities for organizations globally to transform their operations. Alongside our Alliance partners we're looking forward to sharing these success stories, and our major new developments, from our IBC 2025 booth.' Fresh from its launch at NAB Show in April, the landmark LDX 180 camera will make its European debut in Amsterdam. Boasting an in-house-developed 10K Super 35 Xenios imager, the new camera combines true cinematic depth-of-field with the speed and precision required for live production, giving media companies the ability to completely redefine storytelling with native UHD output in better quality. Grass Valley will also preview a brand‑new addition to the LDX portfolio exclusively at IBC 2025. Also on display will be the K-Frame VXP production switcher and Karerra V2 control panels, which debuted at IBC 2024 and are now available for shipping. The agile, virtualised systems are designed for production teams working in space-and budget-conscious environments and have quickly become the trusted foundation for hybrid and software-based operations, transforming the way many forward-thinking companies work. 'We're not here to choose sides; whether your operation is grounded in hardware, cloud, or hybrid workflows, Grass Valley has a-la-carte solutions that fit,' added Chief Product Officer, Adam Marshall. 'Our newest networking solutions reflect this approach by combining high‑density FPGA processing with the flexibility of virtualization and software-defined workflows across hybrid compute platforms—all managed through a single control layer. The goal is to give customers full control and flexibility, so they can decide how, where, and when to deploy their infrastructure.' Debuting at IBC 2025, this new networking portfolio seamlessly connects traditional SDI and IP workflows, whether used as a high-density gateway or as a bridge to the AMPP GRID fabric. It delivers better scalability, density, and efficiency for virtualised workflows. By bridging hardware and virtualised environments, these solutions give media organizations the flexibility to simplify infrastructure and optimize resources—on their own terms. GVMU's ability to orchestrate the entire production chain, from first cue to final cut, will be demonstrated by major new developments in integrated replay and end-to-end production automation. Alongside upgrades to LiveTouch X replay system and the Framelight X ingest and content management platform, Grass Valley will showcase how the core capabilities of AMPP OS are providing tightly integrated workflows that reduce effort, increase flexibility and deliver measurable efficiency. The company will also showcase its instantly deployable Playout and FAST offerings that provide media organisations with the tools to launch, adapt and scale with ease. These solutions are developed in close collaboration with key GV Alliance partners, with new partnership announcements to be revealed in the lead-up to the show. 'We're introducing, enhancing, and scaling solutions across the entire GVMU ecosystem,' continued Wilson, 'and we're doing so with a steady, global rhythm that reflects our commitment to empowering customers with the tools they need to navigate the accelerating pace of operational change.' Those solutions and the drive for technology transformation across the industry will be major discussion points at this year's GV Forum, which takes place on Thursday, September 11 at the Rosarium, Amstelpark. Wilson will lead insight from the company's leadership team with strategic industry perspectives and updates on the latest innovations in software-defined technology. Stand 9.A01
Broadcast Pro
14-07-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
Grass Valley and Daktronics forge strategic partnership
Together, they aim to make venue content more immersive and simplify the entire production-to-presentation workflow. Grass Valley and Daktronics have announced a strategic technology partnership aimed at transforming the live production landscape for sports and entertainment venues. By combining Grass Valley's expertise in live video production with Daktronics' leadership in large-scale LED display technology, the collaboration delivers fully integrated, end-to-end solutions designed to enhance content creation, boost production efficiency and elevate real-time presentation for fans. The alliance reflects a shared vision between the two industry leaders to drive innovation in live event technology and respond to the evolving demands of modern stadiums and arenas. Together, the companies are setting a new benchmark for immersive fan engagement and scalable, future-ready infrastructure. Brad Wiemann, Interim CEO and President of Daktronics, said: 'This partnership with Grass Valley represents a powerful alignment of complementary technologies. Together, we're helping venues deliver fully immersive, end-to-end experiences that transform how fans engage with live events.' Jon Wilson, CEO of Grass Valley, added: 'Joining forces with Daktronics allows us to push the boundaries of what's possible in live production and venue presentation. With two of the industry's leading brands, we're excited about what this means for the future of integrated, scalable solutions in the world's top venues.' Several collaborative projects are already underway, utilising Daktronics' display and control technology, such as Camino, alongside Grass Valley's IP-based live production tools. These early initiatives aim to create seamless production workflows while enriching the in-venue fan experience. Specifics on these joint deployments are expected to be revealed in the coming months. The partnership will be spotlighted at the IDEA Conference, set to take place in Boston from July 13 to 16, 2025, where both companies will present the first look at their integrated solutions to industry stakeholders.
Broadcast Pro
18-04-2025
- Business
- Broadcast Pro
New Leadership, Same Strategy, Sharpened Focus
Grass Valley's new CEO Jon Wilson talks growth, the Middle East and customer success. At NAB 2025, Grass Valley made a bold yet well-prepared announcement: Jon Wilson officially stepped into the CEO role, succeeding Louis Hernandez Jr. But this wasn't a sudden move. In fact, as Wilson reveals, it was all part of a long-term plan. 'When I joined 18 months ago, the expectation was that we were going to get to this day,' Wilson shared. 'But Louis made it clear – you have to earn it.' That meant not just personal growth, but collective proof. 'We, as a leadership team and as a business, had to show we were ready.' Nine months ago, that transition was formally approved by Hernandez Jr. and the board. Since then, Wilson had already been leading the team, making NAB the perfect moment for a formal announcement. 'Louis has been a fantastic mentor and has given us the space to take control and prove ourselves,' he said. Wilson isn't here to upend a strategy that's working. And it is working. 'The fantastic thing about the past 12 months is that reality has caught up with the strategy,' he explained.' Bookings are up 25%. Our camera business grew 70%. That's not a small unit – we're talking tens of millions of dollars. Switchers grew 20%. And AAMP was up 300%.' This growth comes on the back of long-term platform development. 'Especially with AAMP, we spent time developing the platform and new applications. Now, customers have moved into commercial deployments across tier-one applications.' So no, the strategy doesn't change – but Wilson plans to sharpen its execution. 'What I'm bringing in is a relentless focus on customer success,' Wilson emphasised. A major move on that front was hiring Claudio Szabas as the new head of customer success. Szabas brings a rich mix of experience: broadcast, SaaS and a stint as a customer himself. 'He knows Grass Valley. He knows what our customers need and he's bringing SaaS-level thinking back into our environment.' That focus extends to operations as well. 'Operational excellence is high on my list – doing what we say we're going to do, optimising the organisation, and force-multiplying the impact we can all have.' Middle East: A Strategic Growth Market Among the top three growth markets identified by Grass Valley are South Asia, the Americas and the Middle East. And the numbers back it up. 'The Middle East grew about 30% last year,' said Wilson. 'It's one of our most strategic markets.' But he believes there's room for more. 'That's why we've added more resources and focused on partner-led go-to-market strategies.' Grass Valley's partner network in the region is robust: First Gulf and QVEST are key players, with Broadcast Solutions also active across Europe and the Middle East. 'And beyond that, we've got a number of local partners who've been incredibly supportive – and we plan to continue that support.' Despite only hiring one new person in the region last year, Wilson confirmed they're actively exploring more investment. 'With the momentum we're seeing, we know we need more on-the-ground presence.' So, what's unique about the Middle East? Wilson is quick to point out that while the challenges may feel regional, they're often global. 'A lot of customers are dealing with infrastructure that's nearing end-of-life. I hesitate to call it 'legacy' – these are still modern systems – but technology has moved quickly.' For Wilson, that's where Grass Valley can help. 'Modernisation can't happen the same way it used to – with bespoke hardware everywhere. There has to be a mindset shift. But that means we also need to help bridge the gap between technology teams and operations – the internal customers. That's a core focus for us.' Asked if he had a message for the Middle East, Wilson didn't hesitate: 'Grass Valley is committed to the region.' But commitment, he said, must be pragmatic. 'We're not in a 'spend no matter what' economy. But we do need to invest thoughtfully – early enough to grow, not so early that we outpace the revenue curve.' Wilson also underscored his personal approach to customer engagement. 'If a customer wants to reach out to me directly, they should. After the transition announcement on LinkedIn, someone did just that. I gave them my email and said, 'Let's talk.' I want to hear what's working – and what's not.' Jon Wilson is hoping to chart a future rooted in continuity, with a clear eye on modernisation and operational impact. If the past year's numbers are anything to go by, reality won't just catch up with strategy – it might just surpass it.
