John Huddle, Director, market Development, Asia, SES, presented a session on ‘Cloud Technology in Broadcasting’ at Broadcast Asia 2021 last week.

SES is a leader in global content connectivity solutions and a leading satellite operator.  SES has evolved to address content integration requirements seamlessly.

It has partnered with Microsoft enabling it to deliver the complete suite of capabilities to its broadcast customers via the cloud. The vision of this collaboration is to create the first broadcast-grade cloud.

Discussing the top cloud trends and broadcast industry challenges in Asia, where the pandemic has forced broadcasters to look at alternate revenue and cost models, and has also accelerated digital transformation of broadcasters.

There has been an explosive growth in direct-to-consumer offerings and a huge demand for compelling, relevant and new content. It has also led to broadcasters looking to take advantage of a hybrid distribution model, marrying traditional linear distribution with OTT distribution.

Cloud services can help generate some quick-to-market solutions. They provide broadcasters the ability to optimise content for different devices and user experiences. They also offer real scalability, providing a greater degree of flexibility and adaptability, making it easier to implement changes and react to market changes.

The potential for direct as well as opportunity cost savings offered by cloud-based workflows is huge due to the agility they offer.

SES has built a user interface called SES 360, where all of these workflows can be managed. Assuming that a broadcaster already has content in place, they can configure and launch a channel from this portal. It also has tools to help store and manage content, configure playlists and configure distribution.