How media organizations can stay competitive with an open technology platform

Advocating a platform approach, this Senior VP makes a strong argument for organization to operate from a unified platform to stay agile and competitive in today's media environment.

Rethinking Commercial & Technology Deployment Models for Success

From broadcastbeat.com by Jeff Rosica, Senior Vice President, Chief Sales & Marketing Officer, Avid Rapidly evolving technology and audience behavior make it critical for broadcasters to stay at the forefront of technology. Yet current technology solutions, deployment models and upgrade cycles make this a complex, cumbersome and costly goal. Content creators no longer have the power to dictate when, where, and how consumers enjoy media. Not only are today’s consumers more sophisticated than ever; they’re empowered to create and consume content anywhere, anytime, through any device and in any format. The proliferation of multiple formats, distribution channels, and devices has increased the cost and complexity of monetizing assets, as well as competition for a share of the consumer’s wallet and viewership. As the traditional linear value chain in which content moved through pre-production, production, postproduction, distribution, and delivery—with predetermined handoffs occurring between each process—has been replaced by a fluid, multi-dimensional process, the creative side of the media value chain is fusing with the business (or monetization) side, and media organizations are finding themselves under intense pressure to connect and automate their entire creation-to-consumption workflow. They also face relentless pressure to increase operational efficiency and revenue, and are looking for innovative ways to achieve these goals. Battling complex, costly technology environments Despite the urgent need to integrate content creation and monetization processes, current technology solutions remain highly siloed, and roadmaps are increasingly disconnected from the most pressing industry needs. Multiple siloed vendors following the traditional value chain are not only putting media organizations out of touch with consumers, they’re also siphoning critical capital in areas such as integration and interoperability, in ways that still don’t match the needs of today’s environment. Technology integration, vendor management, and interoperability challenges make already-limited flexibility, agility, and innovation even more difficult. The prevalence in media enterprises of disparate production technologies from a variety of vendors, combined with traditional technology deployment and upgrade cycles, makes it difficult for media enterprises to update, plan and manage technology, and keep staff trained and updated. A lack of common toolsets and workflows impedes enterprise-wide search and content sharing, and the ability to produce content for new channels and digital distribution models. This creates a technology environment that’s too complex and costly to sustain. In the face of these challenges, it’s time for the industry as a whole to rethink traditional commercial and technology deployment models, and consider new approaches that enable broadcasters to keep their infrastructure up to date, create open but tightly integrated workflows, and respond to new business opportunities....[continue reading]