Sonopress GmbH, which has just been awarded its second TOP 100 seal, has successfully mastered an existential challenge: For more than 30 years, the Gütersloh-based company has specialized in the development and manufacture of optical storage media. To date, the top innovator has produced more than seven billion silver discs containing music, software, games or movies. The plant is one of the leading production centers for CDs, Super Audio CDs, CD-ROMs, DVDs and Blu-Ray discs worldwide. But in this age of broadband connections and clouds, the market is declining. Sonopress responded with pioneering work in the production of 4K and UHD Blu-Ray discs – i.e. storage media with a capacity of up to 100 gigabytes for high-resolution movies. The Westphalian company largely developed the production facilities for this using inhouse resources.
The new formats are in demand from Hollywood film studios, and a new generation with storage capacities of 133, 166 and even 200 GB is currently being developed. These optical mega-storage devices are ideal for HD movies and 3D video games, and could come to play a key role in computer-assisted perceptions of reality such as augmented and virtual reality – a market that contains enormous potential, because even the producers of complex video games usually rely on physical products. Sonopress has developed a manufacturing and logistics concept for them that enables delivery to major global publishers in shortest times.
TOP 100: The competition
Since 1993, compamedia has awarded its Top 100 seal of approval to SMEs with a special ability to innovate and above-average success rates for innovations. Professor Nikolaus Franke, founder and Director of the Institute of Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Vienna University of Economics and Business Administration, has served as Scientific Director of this project since 2002. The Top 100 is mentored by science journalist and television presenter Ranga Yogeshwar and is organized in partnership with the Fraunhofer Society for the Promotion of Applied Research and the BVMW, the German Association for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (SMEs). Media support for the company benchmarking competition is provided by manager magazin. Further information is available at www.top100.de.
About Sonopress
Sonopress is a leading international provider of entertainment and media services and realizes an extensive range of services and solutions for its business partners in the games, video, audio, publisher and TV/broadcasting industries. Its service portfolio covers all aspects of media asset management: From digital services such as digitization, replication, Electronic Content Distribution, archiving and asset management to the replication of CDs, DVDs, Blu-ray Discs und 4K Ultra HD Blu-rays – both 66 GB and 100 GB – through to print management und print services, fulfilment and Supply Chain Management. All of these processes are supported by innovative end-to-end IT systems. Based on decades of professional experience and intelligent solutions, we create benefit for our customers and ensure that they are well equipped for the challenges of today's market. As part of the Bertelsmann Printing Group, Sonopress is a wholly owned subsidiary of Bertelsmann SE & Co. KGaA.
