Start-up : Castify Networks reinforces its team

Eurécom’s “spin off”, the leader for the broadcast of content on the Internet, has appointed Frédéric Durand (ex Real Networks) as marketing director and Alan Griffiths (ex GTS) as sales manager.

In a market which is tightening for start-ups, it is the right time to reinforce teams. Castify Networks, Eurécom’s “spin off” at Sophia Antipolis, one of the European leaders in the technology of content delivery on Internet, has just appointed two people who will give strength to the management. Frédéric Durand, who was previously Director for Southern Europe of RealNetworks (RNWK), was appointed for the position of Marketing Director. Alan Griffiths, a British person, who was marketing director for media and broadcast at GTS, one of the big european ISP (Internet Service Provider), becomes sales manager at Castify.A media and streaming experienceThese two appointments, as explains Castify, are well defined in the strategy of the start-up which has raised 5 million euros last April in order to launch a software solution to ease the broadcast of the media on Internet for operators, service providers and companies. Frédéric Durand, with his experience at Real Networks, was convinced about the necessity to find a global solution, particularly for the streaming (streaming broadcast of audio or video programmes). It explains his arrival at Castify.Compared to the position he had before, he defined and implemented among others the whole sales penetration strategy and was in charge of a deal worth several million dollars in turnover including the corporate customers such as : Cable and Wireless, Canal Plus, Colt Telecom, France Télécom, Infostrada, Telefonica, TOTAL, TF1, Vivendi and many other famous companies. Before joining RealNetworks, Frédéric was at Silicon Graphics (SGI) where he occupied several commercial and marketing functions for five years on the market of the media broadcast.« Frédéric’s experience in the sectors of networks, media broadcast, and technologic software goes hand in hand with the strategy of Castify, notes Jamel Gafsi, co-founder and VP Business Development of Castify Networks. Moreover, his commercial competences and his view on opportunities of commercial growth for the company implies that Frédéric is the ideal person for this role as a marketing manager.” Concerning Alan Griffiths, he will bring his experience in sales to corporate customers and particularly to telecom operators with a special emphasis which will be on IP products (Internet Protocol) and services.More than fifty positions availableCastify Networks, managed by Jorg Nonnenmacher, has now 35 employees of 13 different nationalities. The company has then recently hired an engineer coming from India through the Franco Indian association created by the Foundation of Sophia Antipolis. The aim is to reach 80 employees at the end of 2001, then the company keeps on recruiting engineers and highly skilled executives (a bit more than fifty positions available for six months).It is also worth noting that the agreement was recently signed between Castify Networks and the giant of computers, Compaq. With this partnership agreement, Compaq EMEA (Europe, Middle East and Africa), whose head office is located at Sophia Antipolis, will put at his clients’ disposal the Castify technology for the streaming video broadcast. The “package” that Compaq EMEA will offer to content providers, to ISP (Internet Service Providers) or to networks, will allow them to broadcast video in full screen of a high quality via digital loops.