The Netherlands: digital media hub

Although I am not a chauvinist, I want to share some insights about the Netherlands and why Dutch companies are influential, even though we are a tiny country.
Dutch people speak two, three, sometimes four or even five languages. We are a very open society and we have always been internationally oriented, both culturally and trade-wise. We are are open to do business with anyone. As long as you pay
We tend do do things lean and mean: innovative, efficient to the bone, so we can be competitive, even though salaries and taxes are higher than in most other countries.
We happen to sit on top op the world’s largest internet hub: the Amsterdam Internet Exchange. Many gigabits per second of global Internet traffic flow through the Netherlands.
With over 80% we have the highest broadband penetration in the world. Fast broadband! Average households get 4 to 20Mbps. Early adopters get up to 100Mbps broadband. Broadband consumption is extremely high. The 2008 Olympics live streams were watched (per capita) 10x as much in the Dutch market compared to the U.S. market.
Next to the USA and the UK, the Netherlands are number three in content formats and export. Endemol and Eyeworks (we work for both) are famous for their shows like Deal or no Deal, Starmaker, Extreme Makeover and hundreds other global broadcasted formats. The Hilversum Media Park is the largest media hub in the world, where broadcasters, studios, producers, and hundreds facilitating companies are located.
Dutch people watch a lot of international TV (or international shows, subtitled on Dutch TV) and we read a lot of international websites. We are used a lot for content pilots. If it works here, it may work somewhere else too. Big Brother for instance. (horrible show btw but very successful).
Digital Media Hub
Forget wooden shoes, windmills and tulips. Similar to the Rotterdam Harbour (the largest harbour in the world), the Netherlands are a significant accelerator for digital media services.
To improve partnering, form better value chains and do more international export, Dutch companies teamed up in the Dutch Media Hub.
The Digital Media Hub was officially launched in July 2009 by the State Secretary of Economic Affairs, who specifically mentioned Jet Stream as one of the key examples of successful, innovative, exporting companies in the digital media industry. I couldn’t agree more!