One of the longest established technology suppliers to the broadcast system camera market, Hitachi Kokusai Electric Europe, has opened up IBC 2012 with an announcement that will sting many of its competitors. Hitachi has formed a strategic sales and market development agreement with international broadcast rental, project solutions, systems integration, equipment sales and outside broadcast company, Gearhouse Broadcast. The agreement provides Gearhouse Broadcast with prime distribution rights to all Hitachi broadcast cameras in many international territories.
Under the conditions of the agreement, Gearhouse Broadcast will enhance Hitachi customers’ pre- and post-sales experience by making available its market-leading engineering facilities and offering an extensive rental inventory of Hitachi camera systems. Hitachi believes that through this partnership, the two companies will improve the quality of ownership and enhance the perception of the Hitachi brand within the international broadcast market.
“Our stated intention is clear: we are determined to become regarded as the leading supplier of 3G and future camera technologies. New ventures, such as our relationship with Gearhouse Broadcast are fundamental to support our growing presence in world broadcasting,” commented Masahiko Kato, General Manager, Global Business Division of Hitachi Kokusai Electric Inc.
“This is an ambitious goal and one that we will achieve,” continued Kato. “If we wish to become perceived as the best in the market, then we need support in key markets from the best company in the business. This is why we have selected Gearhouse Broadcast.”
A leading international broadcast solution provider, Gearhouse Broadcast has well established project solutions, outside broadcast, rental and systems integration operations and was previously one of Europe’s biggest and long-standing users of Sony camera technology. This agreement sees Gearhouse Broadcast moving to offer the market a fresh option in the form of these new Hitachi cameras.
“Hitachi’s pedigree in the broadcast camera market is outstanding and in developing their new family of HD and 3G systems cameras they have demonstrated that they have lost none of their skills and experience. The new Hitachi cameras are well engineered, robust and reliable,” reported Eamonn Dowdall, Business Development Director at Gravity Media Group, the parent company of Gearhouse Broadcast. “Our relationship with Hitachi is both practical and strategic. The facilities and services that we provide at Gearhouse Broadcast offer the level of support that Hitachi broadcast customers, and indeed all broadcast camera users expect and demand.”
“We’ve been using the Hitachi cameras in our rental fleet and on numerous major sports projects for some time and we are tremendously impressed by their build quality and technical sophistication. We predict a great deal of interest in the coming months and years,” Dowdall concluded.