Streamworks

Markus Ickstadt, EMEA Director of Sales, and Tim Santhouse, Head of International Operations, Global Media Services, have joined as Director of News and Director of Operations respectively. This is the first of what is expected to be a raft of big-name hires by Streamworks in the areas of sales, operational and technical senior management.

Streamworks is a specialist in delivering global, live real-time breaking news, for clients including AP, the UN, on platforms like YouTube. Events streamed by the company include the capture of Ghadafi, events surrounding the Arab Spring (including the Tunisian, Egyptian, Libyan, Bahrainian and Syrian uprisings), the Japanese tsunami, the Leveson enquiry, Hurricane Irene, Whitney Houston’s funeral, the UK riots, the anniversary of 9/11, the UN General Assembly, the Queen’s Jubilee and the UK Royal Wedding.

Ickstadt had been at AP for 15 years, starting as a product manager before progressing to Director of Sales and MD of AP Germany GmbH. He was responsible for direct sales, as well revenue generated by regional distribution agreements and overseeing the executive sales team. Prior to joining AP, Ickstadt was a producer at Deutsche Welle TV.

At Streamworks, his new position will involve overseeing the acquisition of content and building and managing sales/distribution channels. Ickstadt will work with news agencies, broadcasters and publishers from around the world like AP, the UNTV, Daily Telegraph, MSN and The Daily Mail.

Santhouse is currently Head of International Operations for AP’s Global Media Services, in charge of 40+ global staff and manager of all live resources for AP’s extensive TV infrastructure. He is a senior manager with more than 15 years global experience in the broadcast and news sectors, with a clear vision of how media benefits from new technology.

One of only two people given responsibility by Clarence House to organize live facilities for non-UK broadcasters for the Royal Wedding, Santhouse has also overseen the delivery of the Olympics infrastructure. At Streamworks he will be in charge of all existing technical assets, as well as the operational aspects of designing, building and managing expansion of the company’s global network.

Ray Mia, CEO, Streamworks International, commented: “I started off my broadcasting career in news, so I know it’s rare to find individuals who are commercially driven, technologically savvy and politically creative. Markus and Tim both possess a wealth of understanding of both the commercial and the technical sides of the industry, and combine all these with a genuine focus to break new ground.”

“Markus is a leading sales director, coming from the oldest news agency in the world. Hiring him is a massive statement of intent from Streamworks in terms of our commitment to commercialising live breaking news – it is at the core of what we do and the future of our business.

By also hiring Tim, we are adding a phenomenal talent to our already market-leading technology department. His skillset is second-to-none, with a deep global understanding of broadcasting and digital video. Both these gentlemen are at the top of their game, and see that what we are building at Streamworks is significant for the broadcast world, and for the internet-enabled device industry.”

Markus Ickstadt, Director of News, Streamworks International, added: "This is a fantastic opportunity for me to put my two decades of news-industry experience to work in a leading-edge technology company. Streamworks' news-video streaming solutions are the perfect fit for the digital positioning of broadcast news brands, or anyone else looking to harness the communicative clarity and power of streamed real-time news events online."

Tim Santhouse, Director of Operations, Streamworks, added: "I know of no other company that combines Streamworks’ depth of broadcast experience with such impressive technological innovation – I am joining a talented and visionary team, in a company that is shaping the future of broadcasting. Streamworks is the ideal place for me to apply my 20 years’ experience in connecting audiences to live event coverage.”

About Streamworks

Streamworks are a trusted specialist in delivering frontline breaking news. We capture decisive moments in video faster and more accurately than anyone else, and our clients rely on us to deliver content in as near to real-time as is possible - to any device, anywhere at anytime.

Recent highlights from the list of news content delivered around the world by Streamworks include the capture of Ghadafi, events surrounding the Arab Spring (including the Tunisian, Egyptian, Libyan, Bahrainian and Syrian uprisings), the Japanese tsunami, the Leveson enquiry, Hurricane Irene, Whitney Houston’s funeral, the UK riots, the anniversary of 9/11, the UN General Assembly, the Queen’s Jubilee and the UK Royal Wedding.

Our proprietary technology allows us to provide real-time video at a reduced bandwidth of up to 30%.

Streamworks clients include AP, UN, YouTube, The Daily Mail, The Daily Telegraph, The Axel Springer Group, MSN, Ekstra Bladet, Nelonen, Dwango, WRC, LTA, MLG and The Metropolitan Police.

For more information visit www.streamworksint.com.