CCM E-Media Receives $550,000 (In-Kind) Contribution from NorCom Information Technology, Inc.

Students in the Division of Electronic Media (“E-Media”) at the University of Cincinnati College-Conservatory of Music (“CCM”) will receive training in state-of-the-art, professional multimedia management software thanks to a generous gift from NorCom Information Technology, Inc. (“NorCom”)

The gift, valued at $550,000, is an in-kind contribution of the software NCPower Pro, an IT-based information hub designed for broadcasting and media companies. The functions of NCPower Pro involve the planning, digitization, production and archiving of all media types, including text, graphics, audio and video.

Practical applications for professional users include, but are not limited to, shortened production times, seamless translation of news stories from one language to another, and the ability to migrate on-air content to the Web at the push of a button. Already in use in Europe and Asia, the gift to CCM E-Media marks NCPower Pro’s introduction in North America.

“The establishment of NCPower Pro media production software at CCM E-Media sustains CCM as a national leader in electronic media and performing arts,” says Douglas Knehans, dean of CCM. “CCM E-Media has always been unique, innovative, powerful and award-winning: all of the same core values held by this great company. We therefore feel that these values mutually held by CCM E-Media and NorCom will drive and sustain developments of this technology. Our mutually-invested development of industry-leading graduates from CCM E-Media will enrich and strengthen the industry as we enter the exciting future of convergent media technologies.”

“E-Media is honored to be selected by NorCom, Inc. as their North American educational partner for the inaugural launch of NCPower Pro,” says Manfred Wolfram, professor and head of CCM E-Media. “This generous contribution will strengthen our curriculum by introducing leading edge, innovative technology in the area of multimedia content management, so essential in today’s professional production environment.”

Headquartered in Munich, Germany, NorCom (www.norcom.de) offers solutions for the production and processing of multimedia content for all distribution channels, from conventional broadcasting to internet protocol television (“IPTV”) as well as corporate and mobile TV and radio stations.

CCM E-Media was chosen by NorCom as the result of an ongoing professional partnership between the two entities. E-Media has an existing academic presence in Munich, offering a special undergraduate course of study there during the summer months. After being introduced to NorCom executives while teaching in Germany, Wolfram engaged the company to provide internship opportunities for participating students, opening the door to discussions about future collaborations.

This alliance is a natural fit, according to Liliana Nordbakk, CEO of NorCom’s North American Operations. “A close relationship to international universities and educational institutes is very important for us,” she says. “We believe that the generation of new ideas related to the development of the media industry can only work with the original, powerful tools of a real broadcasting system at your hands.”

E-Media will integrate NCPower Pro into two courses in its academic curriculum at UC—a news-writing class and the “Uptown” News television magazine production class—giving students the opportunity to use the technology first-hand.

Students will gain additional experience with the product by being involved in demonstrations of NCPower Pro to potential U.S. customers at national trade shows and marketing events. Further, CCM E-Media will serve as a demonstration site for NCPower Pro for the purposes of introducing the software to local and regional broadcast and media companies.

The terms of the donation extend for three years with the option to renew upon agreement between NorCom and CCM E-Media.