Avid Technology, Inc is a US company specializing in digital non-linear media editing (NLE) systems, management and distribution services. It was created in 1987 and became a publicly traded company in 1993. Avid is headquartered in Tewksbury, Massachusetts.

Founded by a marketing manager from Apollo Computer, Inc., William J. Warner, a prototype of their first digital nonlinear editing system (the Avid/1) was shown in a private suite at the National Association of Broadcasters (NAB) convention in April 1988. The Avid/1 was based around an Apple Macintosh II computer, with special hardware and software of Avid's own design installed.

At the NAB show in April of 1989, the Avid/1 was publicly introduced. The first system shipped (Serial # 001) was to Alan Miller at Rebo Studio in New York in June 1989. He,along with four other beta sites, tested it until it's formal release date in December 1989. The University of Hawaii was the first educational institution to receive the Avid for its Media Lab run by Patricia Amaral, also in 1989. Anthony Pennings, now at New York University, was the first academic to teach the Avid.

By the early 90's, Avid products began to replace such tools as the Moviola, allowing editors to handle their film creations with greater ease. In 1994 only two feature films used the new digital editing system. By 1995 dozens were, and it signaled the beginning of the end of cutting celluloid. In 1996 Walter Murch accepted the Academy Award for editing The English Patient (which also won best picture), which he cut on the Avid. This was the first Editing Oscar awarded to a digitally-edited film.

Many television shows, feature films, commercials and other media are now created with an Avid product. Avid has released home versions of their professional line of editors, such as their Xpress DV. They have also released Avid Free DV to allow people to familiarize themselves with the Avid editing style.

Avid developer programs:

• Avid AVX
• MetaSync Developer Program
• Unity Workgroups APIs
• iNEWS APIs
• FireWire Device Certification Program

Avid products:

• Avid Free DV
• Avid Liquid
• Xpress
• Xpress DV
• Xpress Pro
• Xpress Pro Studio HD
• Film Composer
• Media Composer Adrenaline HD
• NewsCutter
• NewsCutter XP
• NewsCutter Adrenaline
• DS Nitris
• Avid Symphony
• Unity MediaNetwork
• DNxHD codec
• Softimage XSI
• Alienbrain
• Avid iNews

Support and discussion about Avid and its products can be found on the Avid-L2 discussion group and the Avid Community Forums.

Acquisitions

• 1995: Digidesign (makers of Pro Tools).

• 1998: Softimage, from Microsoft.

• 2000: The Motion Factory.

• 2000: Pluto Technology.

• 2001: iNEWS.

• 2002: iKnowledge.

• 2003: Rocket Networks.

• 2004: NXN.

• 2004, January: Bomb Factory.

• 2004, August: M-Audio.

• 2005, April: Pinnacle Systems.

• 2005, August: Wizoo.

• 2006, January: Medéa Corporation.

• 2006, April: Sundance Digital.

Executive Team

• David A. Krall, President and Chief Executive Officer
• Charles L. Smith, Vice President and General Manager, Avid Video
• Paul J. Milbury, Vice President and Chief Financial Officer
• Joseph Bentivegna, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer, Avid Video
• David M. Lebolt, Vice President and General Manager, Digidesign
• Michael J. Rockwell, Chief Technology Officer & Vice President of Software Engineering
• Ethan E. Jacks, Vice President of Business Development and Chief Legal Officer
• Patricia A. Baker, Vice President of Human Resources

External links

• Avid company website
• Industry and user information on nonlinear editing

Companies based in Massachusetts | Film and video technology | 1987 establishments

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