Southern Cross Austereo taps AC3 for HPE Greenlake implementation

Sydney-based HPE platinum partner AC3 has implemented HPE GreenLake for Southern Cross Austereo (SCA), helping the company virtualise its infrastructure to support rapid growth.

SCA is Australia’s largest entertainment company, consisting of 99 radio stations, 105 TV signals and the audio news and podcast app LiSTNR. 

Through these channels SCA claims to reach more than 95 per cent of the Australian population.

Experiencing rapid growth since launching LiSTNR in 2020, SCA required HPE GreenLake to handle the large amount of data stored – from sensitive user profile information and user behaviour data, to broadcast and podcast content.

SCA has worked with HPE for over two decades and implemented HPE GreenLake with the help of AC3 to architect a technical storage and infrastructure solution aligned with its new business strategy.

AC3 supported SCA staff in deeply technical areas by providing expertise and training to support the delivery of the HPE GreenLake solution.

"We’ve been working in partnership with both businesses for many years, focused on implementing world class technology solutions that deliver real business outcomes, and this is another great example of that,” AC3 CEO Simon Xistouris said.

“We’re proud to have played a role in implementing the HPE GreenLake solution and enabling the LiSTNR app to be so successful.”

The implementation has enabled SCA to handle real-time workloads via the migration of traditional broadcast capabilities into a virtualised environment, encompassing media management and processing.

SCA said its new IT infrastructure and service model combines the benefits of its existing on-premises data centre with the agility of the cloud, ensuring optimal delivery of content, whether it be live or on-demand.

“The HPE GreenLake implementation stemmed from our need to deliver a seamless listening experience across every listening platform,” SCA's CTO Stephen Haddad said.

“We have a unique business model whereby we needed to retain our on-premises data storage capability to facilitate broadcast listening, but also required a solution that can manage infrastructure at scale, effectively."

"Our approach to technology is to work in a reliable and simplified environment, offering the best personalised audio experience, so that we can reach the largest number of people across the country.”

SCA's new virtualised environment has increased operational efficiency and ensured robust, scalable and flexible media delivery capabilities, improving user experience across its platforms.

“We’re proud to have delivered a technology solution that has successfully supported SCA’s business objectives and growth trajectory," HPE VP and managing director, South Pacific, Chris Weber said.