New Technical Director for ONdigital
26th January 2001
Naomi Climer has joined ONdigital in the new post of Director of Technical Operations. Reporting to Simon Dore, ONdigital's Chief Technical Officer, Naomi takes responsibility for technical operations across both Information Systems and Engineering at ONdigital's sites in Battersea, Pembroke and Plymouth.
Naomi entered the broadcast industry when she joined the BBC in 1987 as a broadcast engineer. In 1990, she left the BBC to manage IT software development projects. During this time, she consulted to two new independent local radio stations where she designed and built the technical facilities. She went on to undertake a range of project management, engineering and system design for Broadcasters and IT based companies.
Naomi returned to the BBC in 1996 first at the World Service and then at Television Centre where most recently she was Controller of Technology for BBC News. She was responsible for the long-term technology strategy within News across Radio, Television and New Media.
Naomi Climer says:
"I'm really pleased to be joining ONdigital at such an exciting time in digital television's evolution. The company is constantly pushing the boundaries of technology whilst working with the consumers to sense their requirements. The pace and motivation of this organisation is wonderful and the challenge ahead is stimulating!"
Simon Dore says:
"I'm delighted that ONdigital continues to attract people of the highest calibre. Naomi's track record, great managerial skills and experience will help her make a substantial contribution to ONdigital as we move onto our second million customers. She is leading the reorganisation of the Operational departments at ONdigital, as we push forward ever more speedily with our coverage, multiplex and service plans."
ONdigital's ONnet service also brings its customers internet access through their television, allowing them to surf the net and send and receive emails from anywhere in the world. With Naomi's arrival, the newly formed senior management team reporting to Simon Dore is now in place. Mark Barrington takes the position of Director of Technical Development and heads up the development of the ONdigital platform, through next generation devices and services such as PVR and DSL. Chris Hibbert, who was Chief Engineer through the build and launch of the platform, becomes Director of Engineering Policy, with responsibility for coverage extension, quality control and liaison with regulators and external industry bodies. Bob Melrose, a highly experienced ex-Scotland Yard Detective Superintendent, and most recently Director of Operations at FACT (the Federation Against Copyright Theft) has been appointed to manage the security operations of the company as a whole across its nationwide activities.
"We've really got the right team in place to turbo-charge the development of our platform" says Simon Dore. "This group of talented and experienced individuals is perfectly placed to handle service development, as we work with DSL, platform and Hard Disk technologies to design new and even better products for our subscribers. I expect the next year for ONdigital to be one of tremendous growth and opportunity. We need to provide the highest standard of support for the business at a time when we are adding subscribers at a phenomenal rate. We have the team to handle it."