Message from Irene Nesbit, President Nesbit Systems Inc.

Seasons Greetings! Each year at this time I look forward to wishing you a happy holiday season and giving a brief year end review of our business year, our industry and thoughts on the year to come.

This past year was a very good one for Nesbit Systems. We added some important new customers who implemented our Media Library System in innovative ways and helped us to enhance the product. We redesigned the interface of the system and gave it a new look, and increased the functionality of the Web based version of MLS. We designed and coded our first link to traffic so we are keeping our hand in that side of the business. And of course we continue to evaluate the role of digital asset management in the context of physical asset management and have established new partnerships with some of the industry leaders in DAM.

We had many discussions with customers about what the future holds for managing their assets, digital, analog and what will work for them. Everyone wants affordable, practical media solutions. I wish I had a crystal ball, but even if I did I think it would be a little cloudy at this point. We are poised to respond to whatever standards and direction works for our installed base and future clients. We will continue to solicit feedback from our clients in helping us define this path and include all of the factors which will determine a successful convergence of digital and analog asset management.

So we thank you for your feedback and input into our efforts to provide you with the best technology solutions for your company. In closing, I would like to present a brief testimonial from our friends at ‘The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer’ on their use of the Media Library System. I visited their offices a few months ago. It is an impressive facility. They have a large archive, and depend on MLS for many key aspects of the production. Annette Miller, the Director of Research is the executive in charge, and Debra Butler, the Video Archives Manager, run the operations. Debra wrote:

"The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer’s videotape library plays an integral role in the production of the show on a daily basis. The NewsHour airs Monday through Friday on PBS and is composed of several segments each night. Many of the segments are videotape productions or have a video element to setup a discussion segment. More often than not, these videotape pieces require footage that exists in the NewsHour tape library. That is where the Nesbit Media Library System comes in. Nearly all the video that makes its way to the NewsHour is entered into the library system. This makes it very easy to find. When a tape is entered into the system it is given a title, date, category, description and several keywords that make it possible to retrieve the tape right away. There are so many different ways to search for a tape that if the tape is entered into the library system, it will be found. The system is not only used by the videotape library staff, but after brief tutorials, the production assistants and desk assistants use it as well. Because it is used by several people, the tape scanning feature is extremely useful. It’s always good to know who has possession of a tape because, inevitably, while they have it, someone else is looking for it.

The Nesbit Library System has really helped to get the NewsHour Videotape Library in order and makes it user friendly for all concerned."

HAPPY HOLIDAYS AND THE BEST FOR A PEACEFUL AND PROSPEROUS NEW YEAR!