The DPP has published a series of new reports, The Cloud for Media, which explores the present reality of media in the cloud, and sheds light on the challenges that remain.
One significant finding the research uncovered is that cloud adoption has been shaking up established relationships between media and technology companies:
Consumer hardware manufacturers are becoming TV platform operators.
Musicians and sports teams are creating linear TV channels.
An entirely new breed of post production facility is emerging in the cloud.
Startups are just as important to the automation revolution as global tech giants.
Comprising four authoritative reports, Automating Media, Cloud Post Production, Cloud Playout, and Streaming at Scale, the series follows on from the DPP’s first Cloud for Media report published in 2020. This new research is based on input from over 60 media companies, gathered through workshops, case studies, and webcasts.
“The transition to the cloud is more advanced in some parts of the industry than others,” says DPP CTO and author of the reports, Rowan de Pomerai. “But the cloud creates new opportunities across the media supply chain, and they’re being seized by those who can move quickly - from established leaders to new entrants.”
“These reports offer guidance to help companies identify the right cloud strategies for each part of their workflow. They tell the stories of those who’ve been successful, and identify the industry challenges that remain.”
The rate of cloud adoption in these workflows, as revealed by the research, is summarised as follows:
The quest for automation has been greatly aided by the move to the cloud. As media companies centralise their content and data, the power of automation at scale has become evident. The automation dividend is faster time to revenue.
Post production is in a state of flux. Many companies have focussed on remote access to on premise hardware. But for those that are willing to make the jump, the cloud is ready to handle a wide range of post production workflows.
Major broadcasters have implemented full cloud playout at scale already. There are two predominant cloud architectures for playout: edge playout and full cloud. The former offers a useful stepping stone, but the future is fully cloud hosted.
Streaming requires the cloud’s scalability, but also operational excellence. Streaming is now central to delivering all video: on demand, live, and linear TV. But even in the cloud, scaling isn’t instantaneous. So large peaks in demand, such as major events, require careful planning and operations.
“Moving to the cloud means being strategic and thoughtful about each individual workflow. We've moved some parts of our business wholly to the cloud, while others remain on premise, and some are hybrid” says Vice President, Strategic Media Solutions at A+E Networks, David Klee. “It's really important to understand the capabilities and context for each part of the supply chain, which is why we've found it so useful to participate in the DPP's Cloud for Media research for two years running.”