A customer-focused journey to the cloud

We’ve all heard about the cloud – it’s been a buzzword for some time, as the increase in demand for more efficient production techniques has led to organizations looking to enhance their workflows, decrease costs, and improve flexibility in how their production staff are utilized. 

At Ross Video, we’ve created two solutions that enable our users to leverage the full potential of their resources and creativity. Other options available on the market offer limited cloud-based resources, but the Ross Production Cloud gives our customers the flexibility to customize their optimal combination of cloud services and on-premise hyperconverged hardware. Shawn Snider, VP production workflow & cloud services at Ross Video, outlines the two solutions:

• Hyperconvergence: Ross Video’s hyperconverged solutions merge production switching, routing, and audio within a single purpose-built, software-defined platform.
• Cloud Production: The Ross Production Cloud is a suite of tools that provides a complete end-to-end workflow to our users. In turn, these tools can power a full production control room or a gallery in the cloud.

Nimble Solutions for a More Collaborative Way of Working 

“Essentially, we’re taking all of the Ross tools that we previously had and improving them so that they’re nimble enough to run in the cloud,” Snider explains. He puts particular emphasis on the growth in demand that has resulted from the past few industry-shifting years. He also notes that customers are seeking a solution that can facilitate a new, more collaborative way of working, and given today’s oversaturated market, this search can be challenging. Snider surmises that the differentiating factors between the various vendors’ cloud solutions will make the difference when it comes to customer decision-making in the current climate.

“Every time an election comes around, coverage soars. This leads to a need for our customers to build new studios and facilities just so they can use them for a couple of weeks,” Snider continues. “Cloud changes that equation because it provides our customers with resources that can be provisioned on demand. For us, the biggest part of that has been ensuring the technology is mature enough to make that transition.”

Options for Ongoing and Dynamic Operations 

One of the keys to the Ross Production Cloud is the fact that it can typically be deployed in two major groups:

• Persistent Group: This is a set of ‘always-on’ services that are available 24/7, such as media asset management, newsroom, content gateways, and licensing. These instances require low operational costs and power the tools used in pre- and post-production workflows.
• Dynamic Group: This group includes services such as graphics, control room video workflows, production switching, and ground-to-cloud live sources. These are the larger, more expensive services that are started and stopped on demand as needed during a production. They can be deployed on a set schedule or through manual triggers, which results in significant cost savings.

Familiar User Interfaces for Fast-Moving Teams

“One of the biggest drivers behind moving our products to the cloud has been our customers, and we don’t want them to have to retrain all their staff when they switch over to the cloud,” Snider says. Our cloud solution uses the same familiar user interfaces and physical switcher panels that they’re used to, but the guts of the system live in the cloud.”

The time and effort required to retrain an entire facility to use new cloud workflows is a major reason why traditional broadcasters have been tentative about moving to cloud production. Many cloud offerings available on the market require an all-or-nothing approach to cloud. In contrast, the Ross approach is a black-and-white, customer-driven approach to cloud.

Flexible Licensing in the Cloud

“Another differentiator of the Ross Production Cloud is our flexible licensing,” Snider adds. “Software licensing has always been perpetual, so it’s something the customer continually holds. With our cloud offerings, we’re continuing to use that licensing approach, so you can purchase our cloud products as a perpetual software license. As far as I know, Ross is the only company offering this option for a cloud-based solution. On top of that, we are also offering a subscription model, which allows us to offer our cloud solutions to markets where top-tier production quality wasn’t an option in the past. By going with a subscription approach, this allows smaller broadcasters to expand their production exponentially for a fraction of the upfront cost.”

While other providers only offer limited cloud-based resources, the Ross Production Cloud gives customers the flexibility to choose their optimal combination of cloud services and on-premise hyperconverged hardware. Ross Video’s approach to cloud mirrors a responsibility held by vendors across the industry. “We are committed to listening to our customers, understanding their short and long-term challenges, and providing world-class support to help with any problems, 24/7/365,“ promises Snider. “We’re here to support you in creating the best possible solution for your company.”

Learn more about the Ross Production Cloud at rossvideo.com/productioncloud.