BBC partners with IBM

The BBC and IBM have forged a partnership which will see the corporation develop new technologies across its departments.

The first of the joint initiatives is the creation of a state-of-the-art image/video content search system for CBeebies and CBBC programmes.

Code-named "Marvel", it has the ability to visually analyse images and categorise the content based on appearance too make it more searchable.

Ashley Highfield, BBC director of future media and technology, said: "This alliance with IBM will offer new and genuinely innovative services to our audiences.

"For example, combining the BBC's massive TV and radio archive with IBM's cutting-edge research into video and audio search technology should provide the means to unlocking huge latent value in our long tail of content."

In addition, IBM will work with Siemens, the BBC's official technology partner, on a pilot of its Media Hub technology, and trial new business processes and ways of working among BBC creative teams.

Steve Canepa, IBM's vice president for media and entertainment, said: "IBM's combination of media and entertainment industry solution capability, R&D investment, services skills and technologies will help us to ensure that the BBC remains one of the most advanced media companies in the world."

IBM is also discussing potential collaboration projects with the BBC in areas including content distribution, customer relations management, joint research and rights management.