Synamedia Partners With Google Cloud

Synamedia, a global independent video software provider, today announced that it has partnered with Google Cloud to expand its video network portfolio with new over-the-top “as a service” offerings. This partnership, it says, lets Synamedia further address customer needs for high availability, increased scalability and maximized performance for OTT services while simultaneously reducing operational costs and complexity, particularly with live sports events.

To be successful in the new video landscape, service providers require similar viewing experiences between live broadcast and OTT streams at scale. One primary challenge for OTT services is latency, often airing delays up to a minute behind traditional broadcast TV, commonly referred to as the “goal effect.” With this partnership, Synamedia says both OTT streaming services and traditional broadcasters will benefit from Google Cloud’s best-in-class low latency network and Synamedia’s best-in-class low latency solution for live linear video delivery. Synamedia achieves this from content ingest to OTT device delivery in 5 to 7 seconds — equivalent to broadcast capabilities.

A recent report cites a 58% year-over-year increase in streaming video consumption in 2019. As more viewers look to OTT services for video content, OTT service providers can reach enhanced video network stability and maximized channel uptime with Synamedia’s deployment options on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).

“As the live TV landscape shifts toward OTT delivery, the industry needs technology that matches what viewers have become accustomed to with premium digital TV services,” said Julien Signes, Synamedia SVP and general manager, video network. “Thanks to our partnership with Google Cloud, we are enabling the Infinite Entertainment viewers expect, without delay and with the highest quality.”

Synamedia will use Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), an enterprise-grade platform for containerized applications, to enable customers to scale as they grow with an end-to-end automation pipeline that can ramp up media processing workflows in minutes and rapidly recover from disasters. This video network “as-a-service” offering unifies previously siloed workflows on one platform, making operations more seamless and deployment faster.

This partnership, Synamedia says, will also “bring together artificial intelligence and machine learning innovation from both companies to enable customers to create powerful content and better media experiences. Intelligent pattern matching techniques allow deep content awareness in media workflows, providing premium experiences such as live sports with minimal bandwidth requirements.”

“We’re excited to partner with Synamedia to help advance the future of streaming video and entertainment,” said Anil Jain, managing director, media and entertainment industry solutions at Google Cloud. “By delivering Synamedia’s portfolio of OTT solutions, running as a service on Google Cloud, we can deliver high-uptime, low-latency, and scalable video services to businesses around the world.”