The Budget - and the Games Industry

Amongst many other items, our coalition Government's emergency budget today announced the previously agreed (but not yet implemented) tax breaks for UK games companies will not now take place. See below the link to the BBC news item. ELSPA (which we are members of) had campaigned hard for this and it will be a blow for all the UK based games companies. The tax advantages for those based in North America, and some parts of Europe are far greater than here and that is just one of the reasons why Canada is such a popular choice as the hub for the games industry. The risk is obviously that the UK which has always been especially strong in this sector will lose a lot of it's creative talent overseas.

All of that said, the predicted growth for the games industry is still very positive news. A lot of this is in DLC (downloadable content) at CD Team Limited we continue to service this industry and help with USB delivery where some disc based solutions are in decline. The meeting I had today at a leading global games developer and publisher demonstrates how we continue to work in partnership with companies to transition from one delivery method to another. We welcome the opportunity to discuss DLC, in many cases there is a continued need for a physical format and security features for DLC and plug-ins at the pre-release and QA stages.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/10374867.stm

Please contact me to discuss your individual requirements, or with any queries.

Author: Jo Fone, Managing Director

Optical discs with 200x the capacity of Blu-ray!

Various reports have picked up recently on an article in which Japanese researchers describe their discovery of a metal oxide that could be used to create an optical data storage medium holding 200 times the amount of information stored on Blu-ray discs. The compound discovered by University of Tokyo professor Shinichi Okoshi and others. could, it is said, be produced in larger quantities and for a much cheaper price than alloys used in Blu-ray discs and DVD's. Results of the group's research were published in the May edition of the science journal 'Nature Chemistry'

Want to be kept up to date with the latest Blu-ray developments? Then sign up to our monthly email newsletter. Please visit our web site and complete the 'How can we help' form on the left or send an email to: enquiries@cdteam.co.uk.

Author: Clive Wilkinson

A new look for CD Team

The CD Team brand re-launch has been a work in progress for several months and we are really interested to hear what you think of our new look.

We believe the new branding reflects the products and services CD Team provide today and at the same time defines our future proposition. Whether distributing or storing your content on optical disc, USB flash drives, hard disk drives or flash memory cards, CD Team deliver tailor-made solutions that utilise the very latest technology.    

CD is certainly still very much our core business, as is DVD and Blu-ray.
However, we are also increasingly advising, supplying and project managing the delivery of content on other physical formats and therefore it was time for our name, CD Team, to reflect this wider range of products and services. Over our 15 years of trading, we have built up strong brand recognition and are well known within the industry as a trustworthy company, so by adding Content Delivery rather than a complete name change we are able to encompass optical discs and other digital delivery methods within a familiar brand that many of you have come to depend upon.

Team is also at the heart of our business.
As many of you know, being a CD Team customer allows you access to our team of experts: you work closely with your friendly account manager; get advice from our technical specialists and graphics designers. Our team ethos extends to all aspects of our business. This enables us to retain dedicated and enthusiastic team members needed to provide you with the excellent service you expect.

Content Delivery Team
Having already invested in high capacity dual layer DVD-R and Blu-ray (BD-R) disc equipment we have expanded our duplication facility to include all forms of USB flash drives and flash memory cards such as SDHC (Secure Digital High Capacity) so we can offer a range alternative delivery methods to optical discs and ensure that we can continue to meet seemingly impossible deadlines, securely, across a wide range of media formats. Whatever the format, our services are always flexible and reliable. We offer practical solutions for business requirements today and into the future.

New Website - http://www.cdteam.co.uk/
By launching our NEW look brand in conjunction with a new website, designed specifically to provide the information you need quickly and easily, I believe this demonstrates our continued commitment to meet your needs and exceed your expectations every time you choose to use our products and services.

If you would like to talk to me, or a member of the team about finding the right content delivery solution for your business, please call today on 01491 636373 or visit our website and complete the new 'how can we help' form. If you have any feedback on our re-branding or the new website we are always interested to hear your views.

Author: Jo Fone, Managing Director

Calling all Blu-ray boffins...

There are some interesting advances going on in the world of Blu-ray technology so we thought we'd share them with you...

Blu-ray is no longer the preserve of games developers and the big film studios; independent publishers – even the smaller ones – are coming on board as well.  Already in the UK, Blu-ray accounts for 26% of 'District 9' disc sales, 23% of 'Terminator Salvation' sales and 22% of 'Inglourious Basterds' and ‘Star Trek 11.  The ever increasing size of data files for certain evidence data and the security sector is pushing the uptake of Blu-ray recordable drives and media into the professional non-entertainment markets too.  This was the same pattern for DVD in the early days with transition from CD to the next generation larger capacity format.



The forthcoming Blu-ray Disc Academy forum at Frankfurt on 19 May will be Europe’s first event showcasing 'live' advanced Blu-ray features and BD-Live applications that push the creative boundaries of the high-definition format, and how these can unlock commercial opportunities.  Such as a BD disc linking Internet-based social networks; a BD player communicating with WiFi-enabled smart devices; a pay-per-view video delivery service that lets users rent movies via their BD player; a low-cost ’out-of-the-box’ BD-Live content management solution with back office server; a copying software added to a Pure Audio Blu-ray service; an application which allows mobile phone users to send videos to any BD-Live-enabled BD player. Not to mention the arrival of 3D on Blu-ray.  There are also a few early examples of BD-live being used for business-to-business applications.

The Blu-ray Disc Association (BDA) has announced two new media specifications that use Blu-ray Disc technology.  These provide targeted functionality for commercial and consumer applications. The specifications for BDXL (High Capacity Recordable and Rewritable discs) and IH-BD (Intra-Hybrid Blu-ray Discs) are expected in the next few months.

 

The BDXL specification, targeted primarily at commercial segments such as broadcasting, medical and document imaging enterprises with significant archiving needs, will provide customers with write-once options on 100GB and 128GB capacity discs and rewritable capability on 100GB discs. The discs reach these capacities by incorporating three to four recordable layers. A consumer version of BDXL is also expected, particularly in those regions where BD recorders have achieved broad consumer acceptance.

 

Professional industries have expressed a desire to find optical disc solutions that enable them to transition away from magnetic media for their archiving needs.  The Blu-ray Disc Association Global Promotions Committee chair. "Leveraging Blu-ray Disc to meet this need provides professional enterprises with a compact, stable and long-term solution for archiving large amounts of sensitive data, video and graphic images using a proven and widely accepted optical technology."



The IH-BD incorporates a single BD-ROM layer and a single BD-RE layer so as to enable the user to view, but not overwrite, critical published data while providing the flexibility to include relevant personal data on the same physical disc. This allows for consumer specific applications where combining published content with related user data on a convenient, single volume is desirable. Both the ROM and the RE layers on IH-BD discs provide 25GB of capacity.



As both BDXL and IH-BD are specially designed formats with specific market segments in mind, newly designed hardware is required to play back or record BDXL or IH-BD media. However, because the new media specifications are extensions of current Blu-ray Disc technology, future BDXL and IH-BD devices can be designed to support existing 25GB and 50GB Blu-ray Discs.

Should you have any queries with regards to Blu-ray and how it could benefit you please call today on 01491 636373 or email our technical team on technical@cdteam.co.uk

Author: Alex Ashur, Technical Manager

Flash memory, quality is everything...

Most businesses want to cut costs at every opportunity and find better deals on required products. However, businesses should be aware that if they buy too cheaply, they run the risk of products failing and their reputation being at stake. In my experience this is even more apparent with USB sticks than any other media storage device.

USB keys and flash drives are a quick, simple and versatile storage device and our USB duplication service now makes them even easier to use. In recent months, I have seen an increasing number of USB production jobs where the customer has supplied us with their own USB media to copy on to. Although we always prefer to provide a complete service, we will duplicate onto pre-sourced USBs, however there have been several jobs where the supplied USBs were, shall we say, not of the greatest quality.

To give you a better idea of the effect this can have, one customer required us to upload company data onto 500 of their supplied branded USBs so that they could distribute them at an exhibition to promote brand awareness. During the duplication process, we found that 28% of the sticks had failed to upload (140 units total). Despite trying the sticks again they still would not duplicate as the chip inside them was such poor quality.

As a result, the customer did not have enough USBs for the event and of those sticks that were given out, they could no longer be confident that they would all work when their potential clients tried to use them.

So, businesses looking for bargains may indeed find products which are much cheaper than others on the market and they may think they are getting a great deal, however they are taking a huge gamble.  For instance, if you make a 30% saving on the USBs and 28% of them fail and cannot be used, you haven’t saved any money. Ofcourse, the much greater risk is distributing a low quality product with your branding on, that may not work at all.

Your reputation and recommendations by word of mouth are critical to your success, so paying out a little extra for good quality products from a reliable supplier will give you that vital peace of mind.

Author: Dave Kemble, Account Manager

Thinking Green and Making a Difference

Eco Friendly Disc Packaging

CD Team have always strived to have a positive impact on the environment and offer a range of eco-friendly disc packaging:

• Made of 100% recyclable or even recycled carton board or paper, and always printed with vegetable inks.
• Weighs a third of traditional plastic packaging, thereby cutting shipping and storage costs, and... it doesn't break if you drop it.
• It offers unlimited design options, and also comes in a range of unprinted or generic printed versions.

Call 01491 636373 for more information on our eco-friendly packaging.

WEEE Registered

CD Team Ltd is registered with the Environment Agency for WEEE (Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment) and we recycle all electrical waste. We are registered in a compliance scheme, provide recycling for all equipment sold and complete quarterly figures for all systems so this can be accurately measured.

Disc Recycling


For the safe disposal of CDs, DVDs and Blu-ray containing content no longer required, discs are destroyed using a shredder to guarantee security for our customers and ourselves. The shredded waste is then sent to Polymer Recycling and Grundon where the polycarbonate material is extracted, cleaned and re-used.

Delivery Packaging

We use re-used packaging, which benefits the environment and our own costs. The majority of goods delivered to us in outer boxes or packaging are sent on in their original form. Where goods are unpacked and used for our value added services (such as disc being printed, duplicated and fulfilled) we re-use boxes of the smallest size possible whilst ensuring adequate protection for the products enclosed. All discs are supplied by manufacturers who conform to the packaging waste directive.

Deliveries

Using couriers rather than our own vehicles for all deliveries also minimises our carbon footprint. Our couriers have Environment Policies and are committed to limiting their own carbon footprint.

Website 

In an effort to be environmentally friendly in all aspects of our business, our website is also carbon neutralised. We are registered with COCO2 which carbon offsets any CO2 emissions produced by our website.

Office Waste Recycling

We work with our waste disposal supplier Grundon to recycle general waste wherever possible. Our commitment to recycling is confirmed by our signing a duty of care certificate with them. This promises all mixed paper, mixed plastics, cardboard and cans are separated by us and collected by them once a week.

Printer Consumables

All Ink cartridges are all recycled through the Woodland Trust Charity. For more information visit www.woodland-trust.org.uk/inkjet. Our printer toners are also recycled.

Travel

Decisions on travel are always carefully considered and where possible webinars and teleconference calls are used with overseas suppliers. We encourage lift sharing, cycling and walking into work wherever possible.

"Being a responsible business is at the heart of what we do"

We are committed to continuously improving the way we work, from the way we interact with each other and everyone outside of our company, to the impact we have on communities and the environment around us – local, national and global.

Corporate Social Responsibility is essential to our success both now and for the future. Sustainable products, mutually beneficial customer and supplier partnerships as well as excellent customer service are all part of our daily work ethic.

These responsibilities are what our business has been built upon. They make sound business sense and are the right thing to do, and CD Team will continue to found our business upon them.

- Jo Fone, Managing Director CD Team Ltd

• Engaging with our customers
• Responsibilities as an Employer
• Engaging with our Suppliers
• Responsibilities for our Investors

Fined up to £500,000 for data loss

A recent BBC news article warns of future fines for data loss and once again highlights how critical data protection is for every business.

Read the full article on the BBC website: BBC News

Your needs can be taken care of, CD Team offers a range of data security and anti-piracy solutions which can reduce the chances of your data being lost and or copied dramatically and even eliminate it completely:


» SECURE DISCS for access security and data protection
Secure discs such as Verbatims SecureSave DVDs and AutoSave Encrypt, are a simple and cost effective way to store and distribute confidential information. If the disc is lost or stolen, it is protected by an enforced password and 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption. If the disc is copied onto a standard blank disc or a hard disc drive the encrypted data will become inaccessible. Each disc contains the security application so in only a few clicks, and without installing any software on your PC, you can record, protect, encrypt and archive your sensitive data.


» SECURE USBs for portable data security and content protection
Secure USB drives are the perfect compact and versatile way to save your sensitive data and protect it from unauthorised access. CD Team has a selection of secure USBs ranging from single secure partition with enforced password protection and hardware-based, 256-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) encryption to advanced devices with FIPS 140-2 level 2 certification and inbuilt drive termination software. As above each USB device contains the security application.


» SECURE DUPLICATORS for secure data copying
Secure Duplicators with lockable entry, can custom print your cd, dvd or blu-ray discs with your company details and logo, individually barcode or serial number them or add an individuals name to every disc produced so that you can track each one. This identity information can also be embedded into the disc content (known as fingerprinting). For regular high volume data encryption, AutoSave Encrypt Pro enables discs to be pre-printed with your logo and supplied in bulk or used as part of our secure duplication service.


» SECURE HARD DRIVES for secure data storage
Protecting the data that is stored on external hard drives is of major concern to many organizations and there is an increasing requirement for the devices to be robustly secure. Verbatim’s 128-bit Advanced Encryption Standard (AES) hardware encrypted 2.5” hard disk drive fulfils this need, offering real-time full disk encrypted storage with no loss of performance during data transfer.


» SECURE DISC DESTRUCTION for safe data disposal
Don't leave discs lying around in temptations way. If you have important data to protect, disposing of it can be a real issue. Don't take any unnecessary chances; CD Team can dispose of all your discs using heavy duty disc shredders or provide you with a disc shredder or professional degausser for use in-house.


For more details or visit our dedicated security site: www.storeandprotect.co.uk