Looking for a quick answer to a basic question? These are some of the questions our sales and technical staff get asked most frequently.

General Questions
1. What is Burli?
2. How does Burli compare with other newsroom systems?
3. What kinds of news data does Burli manage?
4. What audio editing tools does Burli include?
5. How can our reporters file to the newsroom using Burli?
6. Can we use Burli to share news with our bureaus or affiliated stations?
7 . Does Burli include a chat or quick message system?
8. Do you really provide 24/7/365 support?
9. Do you offer educational pricing?
10. What does Burli cost?
11. Why is there a bird on your logo?

Technical Questions
1. What kinds of computers does Burli run on?
2. What operating systems does Burli work with?
3. How reliable is Burli?
4. Does Burli supply the computer equipment or just the software?
5. Does Burli require proprietary hardware?
6. Does Burli require dedicated servers or capture machines?
7. Is Burli compatible with dedicated network servers and sophisticated LANs?
8. What database does Burli run on?
9. How many newswires does Burli support?
10. What audio formats does Burli support?
12. What kind of security and authentication does Burli offer?
13. Will I be able to move data from my existing newsroom system into Burli?


General

1. What is Burli?
A. Burli is a computer newsroom system. Journalists in broadcast newsrooms run Burli on their desktop and laptop computers and use it to gather, write, edit and broadcast the news. Burli is used by newsrooms of all sizes in countries all over world and is available in a dozen languages.
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2. How does Burli compare with other newsrooms systems?
A. Burli is one of the very few systems to offer truly useful tools specifically for radio journalists. Burli's audio editing tools are some of the best in the business, far better than those in any comparably-priced system. Burli is also easier to use than other systems, mainly because of its unique user interface that puts almost all of your tools on one screen. There are entry-level newsroom systems and there are expensive tv-based systems. Burli provides excellent value in between. For full details see Why Burli.
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3. What kinds of news data does Burli manage?
A. Virtually everything that comes into the newsroom. Traditional newswires, audio feeds, faxes, e-mails, MP3 files, XML feeds, RSS feeds, FTP files, phone calls, Web audio files and much more. It also handles reporters’ scripts, show run-downs, contact phone numbers, internal memos, instant messages and assignments files. Burli sorts and categorizes the data and then deletes or archives it based on configurable settings.
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4. What audio tools does Burli include?
A. Fully-integrated multi-track and single-track audio editors. The editors are designed specifically for radio journalists and so are faster and easier to use than off-the-shelf digital audio editors. Burli’s multi-track editor is the most sophisticated and news-radio friendly audio editor included in any newsroom system. For full details see here.
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5. How can our field reporters file to the newsroom?
A. Very easily. Burli's Virtual Newsroom package connects workstations anywhere where there is Internet (or corporate WAN) access. A laptop running Burli and connected to the Internet can send and receive studio-quality audio and text. A web interface allows any authorised user to access the newsroom and file items from any web browser anywhere - even on computers not running Burli. Reporters with mobile phones or PDAs can also file directly into the system via e-mail, FTP or using our automatic telephone recording system.
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6. Can we use Burli to share news with our bureaus or affiliated stations?
A. Yes. Burli's Virtual Newsroom uses broadband Internet connections to connect Burli workstations across multiple sites. They can browse all newsroom material at other locations, including audio clips, faxes, the assignment and contact databases and more. Journalists in bureaus have full access to wires, audio and copy in the main newsroom. Reporters and editors can drag-and-drop audio and text between newsrooms. Burli can also automatically feed text and audio between newsrooms across a VN connection.
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7. Does Burli include a chat or quick message system?
A. Yes. Burli includes a message feature that allows chats between single users or groups of users. Formatted, multi-line text messages of any length can be sent between Burli users.
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8. Do you really provide 24/7/365 support?
A. Yes. This is broadcasting, after all, and many of our customers are all-news operations who can never, ever be off the air. Live technical support from knowledgeable human beings is always available to customers, no matter where they are, who they are or when they need it.
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9. Do you offer educational pricing?
A. Yes. Burli is widely used in broadcast and journalism schools world-wide and is available at a fraction of the usual price for qualified educational institutions. Some conditions apply, but our education package is very attractive and accessible to even very modest institutions.
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10. What does Burli cost?
A. Burli is sold on a per-workstation basis with all standard features included. Licensing terms include complete support service and software upgrades. Packages are available to suit any station size or budget. Installation and training packages are tailored to individual clients. For specific pricing details, please contact our world-wide resellers or Burli Sales directly. You may also use the convenient online quotation request form.
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11. Why is there a bird on your logo?
A. There was a real cockateil called Burli and it looked pretty much like the one on the logo. The company was named after it. [full story]
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Technical

1. What kinds of computers does Burli run on?
A. Burli runs on standard off-the-shelf Windows PCs and laptops. Almost all new PCs currently on the market run Burli with ease. Note that there are a few kinds and combinations of hardware that can cause problems and should be avoided. See our Technical Notes for full details.
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2. What operating systems does Burli work with?
A. Windows, Linux and Novell. Burli workstations run on Windows XP Pro or Windows 2000. Servers (where required) use Windows 2003 Server, Windows 2000 Server, Linux or Novell. Note that the Burli client does not run on Linux, but Linux boxes work as very fast and extremely stable file and database servers. There is no Mac OS version of Burli and we have no current plans for one.
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3. How reliable is Burli?
A. Very. (But then we would say that, wouldn’t we?) Burli includes live back-up of all critical data for complete redundancy. Workstations can switch to backup servers without restarting software or interrupting what the user is doing. In addition, studio workstations mirror critical audio data and can continue broadcasting even if there is a massive network failure while a program is going to air.
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4. Does Burli supply the computer equipment or just the software?
A. Just the software. You are free to use whatever computer equipment you like, providing it meets our minimum hardware requirements. There are a few kinds of computer hardware that we recommend you avoid, so please check for details before making any assumptions or ordering anything. Some resellers offer turnkey systems that include complete hardware packages as well.
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5. Does Burli require proprietary hardware?
A. No. Any off-the-shelf hardware will do, although for best results you should meet at least the minimum hardware specifications. Burli uses standard Windows-compatible, linear sound cards. The optional automatic telephone recording feature requires a special hybrid unit that must be ordered separately.
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6. Does Burli require dedicated servers or capture machines?
A. No. Burli is enormously scalable and any workstation can capture data in the background and/or be the data server on a peer-to-peer LAN. In small (fewer than 5 workstation) installations this is common practice. Installations of more than about 6 workstations generally opt for one or more dedicated server and/or data ingest machines to suit system architecture.
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7. Is Burli compatible with dedicated network servers and sophisticated LANs?
A. Yes. Burli installations of between 20 and 50 workstations are common and they run one or more network servers with or without Active Directories. Large installations may wish to use separate media, database, messaging, archive and back-up servers to suit system load and architecture. Data storage can be distributed across multiple machines.
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8. What database does Burli run on?
A. MySQL. Data-intensive components of Burli use MySQL, while other portions of the software use Burli's own data management system. MySQL is an open-source database that, like Linux, has become a global standard because of its reliability, speed and very modest price.
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9. How many newswires does Burli support?
A. Burli will accept any number of serial, XML, or FTP/file drop wire feeds. Serial feeds are ingested via standard COM ports or multi-port card. XML or text file data can be automatically captured from remote IP addresses or FTP sites provided by wire services.
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10. What audio formats does Burli support?
A. All standard broadcast formats including linear PCM wave (.wav), EBU Broadcast Wave Format (BWF), raw MP2, MP3, RealAudio and Windows Media, all at a wide variety of bit and sample rates. Burli's audio editors treat MP2, MP3 and Windows Media audio as native and can edit the files without first converting them to linear.
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11. What kind of security and authentication does Burli offer?
A. Burli has a complete password-protected login and security system. Access to features and functions can be fully controlled for individual users or groups of users. User logins also allow Burli to track authorship of news stories and route instant messages and internal mail.
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12. Will I be able to move data from my existing newsroom system into Burli?
A: Generally speaking, yes. If your existing newsroom system can export data (phone lists, contacts, archived stories, etc.) in standard database formats, then migration is usually fairly simple. In some instances custom programming or conversion may be required.

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