The Bothell, Wash.-based, Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS) announced Alun Fryer of Ross Video will serve as chair of the new AIMS Education Working Group (EWG) and AIMS board member Andrew Starks of Macnica will serve as the chair of the AIMS Marketing Working Group (MWG). Reena Mathews-Rutherford of Imagine Communications will continue in her role as MWG deputy chair.
“Alun has been one of the key contributors in the formation of the EWG, which is already building considerable momentum, and we’re pleased to welcome him as the group’s inaugural chair,” says AIMS chairman of the board Steve Reynolds.
“AIMS board member Andrew Starks has also taken on new responsibilities in the MWG leadership position, offering an energetic agenda that will certainly help drive a lot of interest at the 2022 NAB Show and beyond. This should be an exciting year for AIMS, and I’m confident that Alun and Andrew will help the alliance continue its remarkable progress in fostering adoption of media over IP.”
Fryer is a technical marketing lead for HyperConverged Solutions at Ross Video, where he provides leadership across product roadmaps, customer insights, industry, and technology trends. In addition to providing internal guidance at Ross, Fryer also contributes his time and expertise to broadcast media industry organizations and initiatives.
As the new EWG chair, he will oversee work to define what is needed to improve training and expand educational opportunities. The AIMS group also will collaborate with other industry organizations to develop programs and certifications to rapidly expand the base of qualified engineers and operators to meet the growing demand for IP expertise.
“As the IP technology stack has come of age, education and training of industry professionals is crucial to drive successful deployment,” says Fryer. “I’m excited to be part of the AIMS initiative to remove barriers and enable professional development of IP media networking expertise.”
Starks serves as the director of product management for Macnica, where he leads the company’s standards efforts. In addition to being an AIMS board member, he has been a significant contributor to the IPMX initiative, including the development of the IPMX roadmap and its marketing plan.
As chair of the Marketing Working Group, Starks will continue AIMS’ efforts to make the broadcast and Pro AV communities aware of the resources and events being made available by the alliance and its membership.
“I’m honored and excited to take on this new role,” says Starks. “My goal is to continue the great work of past MWG chairs and to explore new ways to bring standards-based IP technology to more industries.”
