A year in Review: 2024

And what a year it’s been…

Happy Birthday to Us

Of course, the biggest news this year has been the fact that we’ve celebrated our 20^th birthday. Whilst most people tend to devote just a single day to celebrating their repeated spins around the sun, we decided to make a year of it, and a celebratory attitude has infused all of our activities – both in-office and out and about.

IBC and NAB

Our attendance at IBC has become something of a well-oiled machine, hitting the popular notes year-in and year-out; a prime location in Hall One, our much-enjoyed river cruises with partners and customers, dinners and cigars on the terrace of the Apollo, a morning fun run (met with various degrees of enthusiasm), and of course, tech demos which continue to lead the way, particularly in the field of IP production and distribution.

But that doesn’t mean there isn’t still a little space for spontaneity and surprise. First and foremost – with it being our 20^th birthday, a little champagne and cake was definitely in order. And a TV Tech Best of Show award was also a lovely little present to receive. Combine that with the truly unique connections and conversations that we forge at every single show, and what results is always a new and vibrant trade show experience.

And as for NAB in Las Vegas? Well, you know how the saying goes…

Beyond business

A key theme this year has been a move to be more vocal not only about what we do, but the way we do it: a move beyond the tightly technical to the values that sit at the heart of it. At the beginning of the year Gry attended the SVG Europe Women’s event, and brought back with her a perspective which reminded us of the importance of fostering connections and communities outside of our own doors; ones which provide mentorship and support to our team members and take into account their own unique paths, experiences and contexts.

Indeed, later in the year a series of articles highlighted the individual voices of some of our key team members from both engineering and sales, and we’ve also been called upon by a range of publications to speak in more depth about our attitudes towards sustainability, with a focus on the idea that reducing energy use and waste equipment is in-built in the very concept of Bridge products.

We should stress, these values and practices aren’t new – they’ve informed the way we do business from the very start because they are built into our cultural DNA (arguably a symptom of Bridge’s Norwegian roots).

But, just as we have spent the last 20 years being ‘IP evangelists’ – with a responsibility as thought leaders to guide the industry towards a new IP-orientated mindset, we have recognised this year that when it comes to social and environmental sustainability issues, we also need to speak out. It’s perhaps not so much a case of ‘practicing what we preach’ as ‘preaching what we practice’.

Collaboration for innovation

All of that ties in nicely with the other major message we’ve been focusing on this year: collaboration over competition (or at least alongside it). As we said above, right from the start we felt a responsibility to lead the industry and show them how fundamental IP would be to the future of broadcast. And twenty years later, they’re certainly convinced! But how is that kind of progress best achieved?

Of course, a bit of healthy competition is a good mechanism for change: people see the rewards reaped and seek to emulate the same kinds of success. But too much competition results in the gatekeeping of information, which can slow down and even stagnate a market. For us, sharing ideas, knowledge and experience is crucial: the reciprocal insight we gain from our partners enhances our own products, but it also pushes the industry forward as a whole.

We’ve put this in action this year through a number of collaborations and partnerships. 2024 has seen us make the power of our VB330 fully accessible through the Zabbix interface, integrate both Pixotope’s solutions and Chromorama’s ORIONconvert colour management technology into the VB440, and become a member of the RAVENNA community. And perhaps most significantly, we just scooped the IABM award for Partnership of the Year for our enduring and endlessly productive relationship with Dataminer, who we have been collaborating with for more than a decade.

Product progression

While collaborations have been pivotal in expanding our product capabilities, some of the most remarkable advancements this year have come from within driven by our talented engineers squirrelled away and hard at work in our office attic extension. Notable in-house developments include the introduction of sADM monitoring for live, immersive audio on the VB440, a significant capacity boost with the latest release, and the innovative Canvas interface, which redefines how production tools are used.

The VB330 has also evolved with the addition of StreamOverview, offering new ways to interact with data, whilst our MicroBitrate analytics tool provides deeper insights into network performance. It pinpoints the root causes of disruptions even when per-second averages suggest all metrics are within operational limits, addressing scenarios where viewers still experience image issues.

Furthermore, we’ve enhanced the VB258 and VB278 for satellite, terrestrial, and cable monitoring. These upgrades reflect our commitment to supporting the transition from legacy and hybrid infrastructures to IP-based systems, or indeed ensuring that operational quality is maintained in cases where IP distribution isn’t feasible. Ultimately, the Bridge message remains clear: effective monitoring is the backbone of reliable and consistent broadcast delivery, regardless of network design.

And here’s to another 20…

And so, with our Christmas party the final activity of the year to enjoy (or endure?), we move into 2025 and the 21^st year of our existence (which presumably means we’ll finally be able to enjoy our customary glass of NAB champagne as a ‘legal adult’).

To everybody who has contributed to such an astounding year for us, and indeed to all of those who have been there for the 19 years leading up to it, we want to say the biggest thank you. And of course, to wish you a Merry Christmas and a prosperous New Year.