Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/398272
RESELLER NEWS www.postmagazine.com 13 POST OCTOBER 2014 CUTTING EDGE EXPANDS TO L.A., ADDS ZEKE MARGOLIS LOS ANGELES — San Francisco-based media technology reseller and system integrator Cutting Edge has launched a new office in Los Angeles, which is headed by Zeke Margolis. He brings more than 20 years of experience in the LA professional media market, and most recently worked with Key Code Media as a senior account manager. Margolis is tasked with growing the LA business and providing innovative solutions for media content creation, storage and distribution. Cutting Edge LA offers sales, con- sultation, training and support, and rep- resents over 400 manufacturers' lines. Margolis will be working with customers in film, television and emerging digital and Internet media production. Addi- tionally, Cutting Edge LA will serve as a new media resource for a much broader range of markets that includes sports, event management, education, mobile and corporate. PROMAX DELIVERS WORKFLOW SERVER THROUGH US & INTERNATIONAL PARTNER NETWORK SANTA ANA, CA — Recently, Promax (www.promax.com) was at IBC, sup- porting their European channel part- ners with the launch of Platform Series 4 and Platform Portable Workflow Servers. According to Promax, the Plat- form Series 4 are the company's most advanced workflow servers, boasting new features designed to accelerate and improve the content creation pro- cess for video professionals. Several of Promax's Europe- an-based reseller partners joined the manufacturer on the IBC floor for demos of the new workflow servers. Platform Series 4 now includes new media asset management tools, a built-in transcoding engine for media conversion and proxy generation, and an all-new Web interface that enables access to the system from anywhere on the network. Platform Series 4 also provides true, full-resolution 4K editing with up to 10 total streams of ProRes 422 Ultra HD. ProMAX reseller partners are currently taking advance orders for the sys- tems, with ship dates slated for the middle of this month. SIM GROUP LAUNCHES OPERATION IN NORTHERN ONTARIO TORONTO — The SIM Group (www.simgroup.com), a Canadian supplier of technology to the film and television industry, is opening a new location in Northern Ontario. Located at the Muskoka North Film Studios in Parry Sound, Ontario, the new office will feature products and services from each of the SIM Group's operating units: SIM Digital, a supplier of cameras and other production gear; PS Production Services, a supplier of light- ing, grip, generator and specialty products; and Bling Digital, a specialist in post production technology and services. The office will serve stu- dios working on film and television productions in Northern Ontario and throughout the region. The Muskoka North Film Studios features an 8,000-square-foot studio. The SIM Group will provide a variety of services to the facility, including support for its grid and greenscreen set up. "We are thrilled to have SIM Group at Muskoka North Film Studios," says Muskoka North Film Studios' president Wendy Morrow. "Having the grid and greenscreen set up will encourage more productions to maximize production value by filming in our ideal soundstage. Having easy access to a package truck and generators, along with locally-trained technicians, will ease productions' requirements for film supplies in Parry Sound and across Northern Ontario." Parry Sound and other northern production centres have recently ex- perienced a spike in production activity due to enticing grants from The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, which supports the local film and televi- sion industry. SIM Group's SIM Digital and PS Production Services units have been working with local production crews in Northern Ontario for more than five years. FRONT PORCH DIGITAL & IMAGINE COMMUNICATIONS INK DEAL LAFAYETTE, CO — Front Porch Digital (fpdigital.com), a cloud-based content storage management (CSM) solutions company, and Imagine Communications (www. imaginecommunications.com), a media software and video infrastructure solutions company that serves the global broadcast, multichannel video programming distributor, and enterprise markets, announced that they have signed a reseller agreement. Going forward, Imagine Communications will offer Front Porch Digi- tal's DIVArchive CSM system as part of its digital asset management (DAM) portfolio, with a focus on service providers in the government, telecommunications, media and entertainment, and sports markets worldwide. While the deal creates new business opportunities for Front Porch Digital, it enables Imagine Communi- cations to expand its offerings of advanced storage capabilities and archiving solutions from one of the industry's premier CSM companies. "This is a natural fit for both companies and a win for Imagine Communications' customers," says John McNamara, VP of global business development for Imagine. "By adding Front Porch Digital's expertise in the storage domain to our DAM capabilities, we are able to offer a true end-to-end solution." WESTLAKE PRO LAUNCHES E-COMMERCE WEBSITE LOS ANGELES — Westlake Pro (www.westlakepro. com), a retailer of professional audio tools, recording gear, live sound equipment, and technical services, has launched a new Website and online store. The company launched the site by hosting a sweepstakes during September, giving away 30 prizes from top brands such as AKG, API, Apogee, Audio Technica, Furman, JBL, MOTU, Sennheiser, Shure, and SSL. The grand prize was an Avid Pro Tools|HD Native Thun- derbolt System with an Omni Interface, Pro Tools 11 and a premium Avid plug-in. "Our company has been growing by leaps and bounds over the past two years," notes George Adjieff, chief operating offi- cer of Westlake Pro. "This new Website is an extension of that growth and allows us to bring our products and services to even more people, regardless of where they live."