Hollywood moves to the Cloud: Personif harnesses power of Windows Azure to help find the next AMERICAN IDOL
NEW YORK, Sept. 12, 2012 /CNW/ - With the popularity of online video auditions exploding, Hollywood turned to the Cloud for help in more effectively handling the flood of entries and to provide a more inclusive opportunity for IDOL hopefuls across the nation.
The Personif platform, built by Microsoft partner Infusion and hosted in the Cloud on Windows Azure, is a Microsoft solution that can scale quickly and easily, empowering some of the entertainment world's most popular competition shows to widen the net in discovering new talent.
"Hosted in the Cloud, Personif makes sorting tens of thousands of video auditions simple," says Sheldon Fernandez, Director and CTO, Infusion. "Through its unique video technology, the platform enhanced AMERICAN IDOL's nationwide open call auditions for Season 12, opening up the audition process to tens of thousands more entrants in different parts of the country. The platform rapidly organized and triaged thousands of videos in just minutes to help view a plethora of auditions. This simply would not have been possible without the flexibility and scalability of Windows Azure."
Infusion worked closely with AMERICAN IDOL producers FremantleMedia North America, Inc. and 19 Entertainment to launch the next generation of online casting. Having launched earlier this month, Personif allowed AMERICAN IDOL to run two different types of casting at once: the first enabled users to audition by recording and uploading their own videos using a webcam; the second enabled users to "Nominate An Idol," by uploading videos of friends and family singing. Both auditions consisted of multiple video questions which were then seamlessly stitched together to create a real "conversation."
AMERICAN IDOL's online auditions hosted by Personif gave more people the added opportunity to be discovered through the platform's interactive guided process.
Infusion was recently awarded Microsoft Cloud Partner of the Year at Microsoft Worldwide Partner Conference 2012 in Toronto for its work with Personif.
About Infusion
Infusion is a global innovation firm with offices in New York, Toronto, Boston, London, Dubai, Houston and Poland. Infusion delivers a combination of enterprise development, innovative strategy and creative and a commitment to emerging technologies that meet your immediate objectives and prepare you for the future.
About Personif
Personif is a new Windows Azure-based video platform that intersects at the web's strengths: video, user-generated content, social media and user data. Personif enables brands and enterprises to deliver marketing content and interactive experiences. With this full-service multi-media platform, you can engage users by soliciting and managing co-generated content. Scenarios include: video feedback, surveys, reviews, internal communications recruiting, casting and contests. www.personif.com
AMERICAN IDOL is produced by 19 Entertainment, a division of Core Media Group, and FremantleMedia North America, Inc.
SOURCE: Infusion
Kayla Spiess, Manager, Global Marketing & Communications, Infusion
[email protected] | 1-416-595-4062
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