Business

Broadcasting company Pi Communications launches new conference technology

Managing Directors Norah Anne Barron and Conor O’Brien pictured in their new conference van, the OB3.
Managing Directors Norah Anne Barron and Conor O’Brien pictured in their new conference van, the OB3. Managing Directors Norah Anne Barron and Conor O’Brien pictured in their new conference van, the OB3.

DUNMURRY-based broadcasting company Pi Communications is to develop a state-of-the-art broadcasting truck, aimed at servicing the north’s burgeoning conference sector.

It is responsible for recording and streaming meetings of the Stormont Assembly and the Irish Parliament, launching and managing the Oireachtas TV channel in 2011, and also services conferences around the world.

Conference van the OB3, which comes with a £250,000 price tag, will employ robotic technology to direct multiple cameras and stream events live anywhere around the world.

Pi Communications was founded in 2001 by Norah Anne Barron and her husband Conor O’Brien and employs 45 staff between its offices in Belfast and Dublin.

It has previously partnered with Invest NI and many international companies to provide multi-platform marketing and short-film production.

Pi is the only independent production company to broadcast on TV seven days a week and is involved in nearly every aspect of the industry, from webcasting and post-production to newsgathering and management.

Norah Anne, who serves as the company’s managing director, said the company’s vast experience allows them to provide bespoke services to match each customer’s specifications in an ever-changing business.

“Our investment in technology and ability to adapt quickly to any client requirements mean that we are unique in the marketplace when it comes to providing tailored solutions,” she said.

“Viewing platforms are constantly evolving, revolutionising how and where we watch TV, requiring us to produce television for every screen across multiple platforms.

“As technology develops, individual requirements change so we are constantly researching and investing in the latest developments in this fast-changing industry.”