Working at Nevion – Q&A with Haci Mehmet Cengiz

Meet Haci Mehmet Cengiz, Senior Solution Architect at Nevion in Germany.

After recently kick-starting our new ‘Q&A with the Architects’ series for 2024 with Fil Soares, we had an in-depth chat with Haci Mehmet Cengiz about his time with Nevion so far. Haci only joined us in the latter part of 2023, but he’s already made a big impact. In this Q&A, he discusses his enthusiasm for Nevion’s VideoIPath solution, his involvement in the 5G proof-of-concept and the benefits of working in an international team.

What attracted you to join Nevion as part of your career journey and what is your role there now?

I am one of the Senior Solution Architects at Nevion. Previously, I was working for one of Nevion’s partner companies, so I already had a solid understanding of the organization’s role in enabling the migration from SDI to IP. In fact, my written thesis during my diploma discussed a lot of the problems that Nevion’s technology now solves! The fact that VideoIPath allows businesses to take full advantage of IP technology by orchestrating end-to-end video, audio and data services is really something that everybody can benefit from.

How has your role progressed whilst you’ve been at Nevion?

As I’ve not been at Nevion for long, my role is the same as when I joined, but I have already benefitted from having a lot of responsibility within my senior position. For example, I’m heavily involved in our solutions from both a Nevion and Sony perspective, including the role of 5G workflows in live production.

What three words would you use to describe Nevion?

The first word would be ‘innovation’. In the context of our customers, the best technology is where it just works, and they don’t need to know how. We’re innovating the complicated stuff underneath to allow our solutions to be accessible for those using them day-by-day. The second is ‘problem-solving’. We strive to meet our customer’s requirements by making the effort to understand and solve any problems they have. Lastly, the word ‘competence’ reflects the fact that each department at Nevion is filled with experts at what they do. Everyone is a specialist in their field.

What interested you about working in the broadcast industry?

Broadcast is a particularly exciting industry because it combines several key technologies. It’s not just video or audio but it’s distribution, networks, orchestration, integration, cloud and the list goes on. And that’s not even mentioning AI-driven workflows! This combination of technology and how they all work together is what keeps me excited and always looking to the future in this industry. watch major sporting events such as the Olympics.

Can you tell us about a project you have worked on during your time at Nevion that you are most proud of?

I’m playing a key role in bringing together the mobile network solutions professionals at Sony and the R&D and professional services staff at Nevion to create one cohesive team. We’re making great progress in bringing it all under one banner and it enables a unified experience for our customers. Last year’s 5G proof-of-concept at the Coronation of King Charles III was also really exciting as it proved that we could extend our control capabilities into private and public 5G networks and essentially book a sufficient bandwidth “slot” with our software.

What is your favorite thing about working for Nevion?

For me it’s being part of an international team. I’ve had this sense from the moment I joined that I’m part of a multicultural group where everyone is open to learning about each other’s experiences. Of course there’s also the cutting-edge technology! But it’s our people that really make Nevion special and very unique in the industry.

What new technology/ innovation excites you the most in the broadcasting world?

The innovation that excites me most in the broadcasting world is the borderless orchestration of infrastructure. It’s the ability for resources, wherever they are located, to work together on projects. It’s a big focus of our Networked Live messaging with Sony and a real game changer for live production. With Networked Live there’s a flexibility to deploy software and quickly remove it once it’s used. There’s not many competitors in the market who could challenge us in terms of overall performance, and I’m looking forward to seeing what we can do in the future.