Aiir and PlayoutONE have entered into a merger agreement. New York based Aiir Inc., an online digital solutions provider for radio stations, has agreed to merge with the UK-based radio automation software company. The new U.S.-based company will be called Aiir Group Inc. and will be led by Ricki Lee as Chief Executive Officer with Dave Brierley-Jones taking on day to day responsibilities as Chief Operating Officer. The merger is expected to be completed by Jan. 1. The companies say they’ll be announcing a new ‘world first’ product for the industry shortly that they’ve been working on together for the past few years. 

The Alliance for IP Media Solutions (AIMS), the not-for-profit organization dedicated to the education, awareness, and promotion of industry standards for the transmission of video, audio, and ancillary information over an IP infrastructure, as well as products based on those standards, has expanded its membership access to individuals including consultants, engineers, and educators, sole employees or sole proprietors of a corporation and individuals who do not formally represent any company within the media industry. The new membership level is also open to students, researchers, and others actively associated with an institution of higher education.