When most people see the name Technicolor they probably think of “The Wizard of Oz,” “Gone With The Wind,” and other classics from Hollywood’s golden age. Today however, Technicolor is doing much more than simply capturing indelible movie images and Dell is providing the infrastructure and cloud client-computing solutions to help create the latest on-screen magic.
Technicolor was an early pioneer in photographic processes and constant innovator that transitioned to an all-digital workflow in 2013. To achieve the change-over from traditional 35mm film, the company needed a dynamic, elastic infrastructure that was streamlined for operational efficiency. Technicolor’s network and data storage also needed to be highly-secure, in order to safeguard works in progress even as the storied Hollywood firm added multiple access points and expanded its global footprint.
These challenges were compounded by technology trends reshaping the entertainment industry. Having largely embraced a 4K high-definition standard, content creation and editing had become enormously CPU and storage-intensive. While an hour of standard-definition digital video required roughly 13GB of storage or nearly 217MB per minute, an hour of high-definition 4K digital content could require as much as 110GB of storage – eight times as much – or approximately 2GB per minute. With larger file sizes, creating effects, dropping in new sequences, moving media, and watching seamless edits in “native 4K” required huge processor power, significant networking bandwidth, and redundant storage capabilities that most VDI solutions are not equipped to handle.
That’s why Technicolor relies on Dell’s powerful 13G PowerEdge servers to handle the processing load of rendering and editing and our Wyse thin and zero client endpoints to help keep their clients’ intellectual property and production workflows secure and safe from prying eyes. Specifically, our Dell private cloud architecture and desktop virtualization options provide a single vendor, end-to-end solution that lets Technicolor dazzle directors, producers, and ultimately audiences with many of today’s most compelling entertainment, video game, and VR experiences.
Leveraging our trusted and purpose-built cloud solutions and Wyse endpoints, Dell helps the 100-year old company stay on the cutting edge of visuals and sound, while expanding its capabilities in the U.S. and overseas. Dell also helps Technicolor strengthen its security posture in an industry that has seen its share of hacking and data incursions. In the same way, Dell’s cloud client-computing infrastructure is trusted by Technicolor’s primary customers, which include the largest media and entertainment firms in Hollywood including Universal, Sony Pictures, Paramount, Disney, 20th Century Fox, and Warner Bros., who need to know that their I.P. will be safe during the all-important post-production interval before the curtains can rise at a theater near you.
To learn more about how Dell’s Could Client-Computing solutions can help your business with data security and CPU-intensive applications, visit dell.com/wyse
