iDirect, a company of VT Systems Inc (VT Systems), has announced that The Auriga Network has leveraged its satellite communications platform to expand its IP broadcasting service to newscasters in the Middle East. The network is designed to transmit live news over an IP satellite system, reducing the cost of transporting video from local bureaus to network studios. iDirect is a world leader in satellite-based IP communications technology. The iDirect satellite communications platform provides the backbone for the network’s increasingly global deployment. Based on iDirect’s TDMA (Time Division Multiple Access) shared bandwidth system, space segment can be allocated across multiple locations in the Middle East. News captured in the field and sent over The Auriga Network is translated to video in real time to facilitate live broadcasts. Based on standard IP payload efficiencies, the network can support an average traffic increase of 400 percent over conventional video broadcasting. Combined with new generation video codecs that provide significantly higher compression rates, the network provides a more economical mechanism for video transport. With the availability of the new service, The Auriga Network extends its position in the emerging IP broadcast industry. The company currently serves major news networks in Europe, North America, and Sub-Saharan Africa. In addition to live broadcasts, The Auriga Network will support IP Satellite News Gathering (IP SNG); integrated data, voice and video communications; and rapid deployment disaster recovery networks.