A project to replace storage underpinning edit suites and video storage at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is not going smoothly, with newly-acquired storage systems shelved before user acceptability testing.

The Register understands that Hitachi Data Systems (HDS) is the main player in a four-company consortium that is rebuilding video storage at the ABC, and that the project has a budget of between AU$3m and AU$4m. That's a significant sum in the context of the corporation's $1bn annual budget.

The Register has learned, from people familiar with operation of the system, that early testing has yielded persistent and frequent glitches that freeze delivery of video to editors. So persistent have those freezes become that already-installed edit suites were held back from user acceptability testing. We further understand that HDS has been unable to identify the reason for the freezes.

Older storage systems remain in operation while tweaks are made to the HDS-based rig. We understand the older systems are considered well beyond their working lives and that the supplier no longer manufactures or supports the equipment.

An ABC spokesperson told us the Corporation “and a consortium of technology suppliers, including Hitachi Data Systems, remains focused on delivering a world-class solution. During the current testing and implementation phases various components are being moved in and out of frontline deployments. The final environment will be confirmed and implemented once testing is completed.”

An HDS spokesperson said that “As with all projects of this scale, there have been the typical integration challenges of a 'brown ocean' production and broadcast system.”

“We need to consider the format of media being used and how it has evolved over 50 years. This was not only a technical challenge but one that steers an iconic, heritage-rich Australian organisation into a streamlined digital challenger. The project is a complex one, and like all complex IT projects we are encountering challenges that are being addressed. There are strong commitments from both the consortium members and the customer to work together to resolve challenges as they are arise.” HDS would not confirm that the systems it has provided have been taken out of frontline operations, replying that such information is “commercial in confidence to HDS” and pertains to “complex project matters.”

“As such, we are not in a position to discuss them publicly.” ®