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EXTRA >> Audinate: Sounds like a global Aussie success
EXTRA >>
THERE is a little Aussie connecting just about every major public event worldwide right now. Audinate, the first technology spin-off from National ICT Australia (NICTA) program, has developed a cabling, software and hardware system called Dante that is transforming audio management at major events.
Locations such as Lords Cricket Ground in London, Wimbledon and travelling major concert events including Paul McCartney and the Foo Fighters have made the switch. Even the audio systems accompanying Pope Francis utilise the Dante system.
Audinate takes the ‘traditional bundle of audio cables that characterise at concerts or are installed in office buildings, and reduces them to a single network cable that be controlled through software. 
The brainchild of musician, research and development engineer and IT professional, Aidan Williams, he describes the transformation for the professional audio industry as “the equivalent of moving from telephone switchboard operators from the early 20th century, to the modern voice over IP (VoIP) phones we use today”.
After Mr Williams came up with the concept of controlling audio over long distances, to multiple locations, without needing a mess of analogue audio cables, he and a team of researchers developed the system over a three year period with backing of government-funded NICTA.
The key to success for the Dante technology is it delivers professional quality audio over a standard computer network, with perfect synchronisation and near-zero latency.
More than 225 manufacturers including Dolby, Yamaha, Bose and Shure, embed Audinate’s Dante technology in their flagship products. It has become the de facto standard for commercial audio installed in stadiums, hotels, theme parks, and major live events.
Now Audinate, led by CEO Lee Ellison, is making a series of strategic fast-growth moves to support the growing demand for its Dante networking solution.
Sydney-based Audinate has rocketed past 500 Dante-enabled products and opened a new office in Hong Kong, headed up by newly appointed sales director for Asia Pacific, Ben Wong. There are currently 44 Dante licensees in Asia – and about half of these have signed on in the last year.
“The 500th Dante-enabled product represents a significant milestone for Audinate and our Dante OEM partners,” Mr Ellison said.
“Customer research tell us that the single biggest factor when selecting an audio networking solution, is the number of available products on the market. With hundreds of products launched in the past 12 months, Dante has reached the tipping point and has become the industry standard for audio over IP networking.”
According to InfoComm, Asia-Pacific is the fastest growing market in the professional audio-visual industry, and that holds true for Audinate as well. Audinate now has 44 Dante licensees in Asia, and 47 percent of those manufacturers have signed on in just the past 12 months.
Audinate’s new Hong Kong office will provide business development, technical sales and customer support.
“The fast adoption of Dante among AV manufacturers in Asia is truly exciting, and is proof that Dante has become the de facto standard in audio networking,” Mr Wong said.
“These manufacturers are selecting Dante to ensure their products have guaranteed interoperability with the hundreds of other Dante-enabled products available worldwide.”
Audinate has seen fast growth since 2006, when it span out of NICTA. It has since secured investment from Starfish Ventures and Innovation Capital, and has opened offices in Sydney, Portland, London and now Hong Kong.
* In 2006, Audinate became the first company to spin out from NICTA, the government–funded research lab and since then, has secured investment from Starfish Ventures and Innovation Capital, opening offices in Sydney, Portland, London and Hong Kong. 
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