The rapid ascent of over-the-top (OTT) and subscription video on demand (SVOD) services have infiltrated a relatively closed marketplace and dispersed consumers around a range of different services, changing the playing field for traditional TV providers. Today, traditional players must be ultra flexible, and have the ability to develop faster go-to-market services to differentiate and thrive in an increasingly competitive market.

To become more responsive and agile, broadcast and media operators of all sizes must embrace cloud and Internet of Things (IoT) technology and begin the transition towards replacing traditional SDI with IP, taking steps towards making IP the de-facto transport mechanism. However, this brings challenges, both in terms of skill sets and the necessary workflows needed across the entire media delivery landscape.

With cloud computing, broadcasters can adopt modular end-to-end video solutions that can be swapped out according to changing requirements and meet the constantly shifting demands of today’s viewers by introducing and delivering new services quickly and cost-effectively. However, there is no ‘one-size-fits-all’ approach to migrating to cloud-enabled microservices and it can be a complex process to navigate.

In effect, cloud-enabled microservices represent a unit of packaging for a defined service. If you don’t have that notion of continuous deployment and evolution within the concept of your product, then microservices are simply not effective. Traditional broadcasters and operators have an enormous amount of legacy technology and this needs to be both embraced and respected. However, with today’s dynamic media shifts, the next major step for our industry is to bridge the world between their legacy systems and heritage, towards cloud-enabled environments.

As a company, we have put a lot of our energy into leveraging kubernetes in orchestrating containers across our portfolio. This has really helped us to think through all of the supporting elements that are needed in a microservices architecture. For instance, this might include enabling enriched multimedia data for better content discovery, or auto-scale technology to enable service providers to run campaigns at scale in a concentrated period of time. There are a variety of challenging areas to perfect – but it’s crucial to enable a service that has both mass and genuine scale.

Join me on Wednesday April 10 2019 (17:00 – 17:30) at the IP Showcase in the Central Hall, to learn more about the possibilities of taking a new approach to media delivery by embracing the attributes of IP cloud. During my presentation, I will outline why the shift to IP and cloud is necessary for broadcast and media operators to enhance their future services, as well as sharing MediaKind’s own experiences within cloud migration. I will address the strengths and weaknesses of various approaches and address present day challenges, including:

• How the adoption of IP cloud infrastructure and standards (such as SMPTE ST 2110) and retaining cloud attributes can be achieved without compromising on broadcast & media core values such as quality or high-availability
• The impact of IP, microservices and IT cloud technologies on various operators and organizations
• Which methods should be used to enable the complex migration to cloud solutions – e.g. choosing between investment in cloud deployments versus that of managed services
• The broadcaster business case between operating in the public cloud and open environments
• Understanding new commercial models that are emerging through cloud adoption and how these technologies will evolve

For the latest NAB Show News and further updates, please visit www.mediakind.com/mediakind.at.nab or join the conversation on our Twitter page, using the hashtag #MKNAB