MediaKind And Arqiva Partner On Fully-Managed Video Service

MediaKind and Arqiva created what they are calling “a pioneering partnership to introduce a media service proposition that will address the core challenges that broadcasters and operators face in migrating broadcast and streaming services to the cloud. The new strategic partnership will deliver a new and truly unique cloud-native, fully managed service for the aggregation, processing, and delivery of television services for any platform (broadcast and OTT) in any region, at any scale.”

The collaboration brings together MediaKind’s cloud native encoding, multiplexing and packaging and life cycle management with Arqiva’s experience in managed service delivery spanning integration, monitoring and connectivity services. The managed service for broadcast and OTT headend systems is underpinned by a global media network, best-in-breed content processing software and tier-1 support and operations.

It is designed to improve flexibility, remove the complexity and significant upfront costs associated with delivering video processing functions, while accelerating broadcasters’ and operators’ adoption of cloud technology, ensuring a rapid time to market and supporting the transition from broadcast to OTT delivery.

Built on highly flexible, scalable, and reliable cloud infrastructure, the service is designed to enable a more sustainable media content delivery. The cloud-native software ensures that power and resources are only used when needed, avoiding an “always-on” infrastructure. In addition, the new offering will be structured on a cloud-based, subscription-like commercial model, providing cost-efficient means for operators and broadcasters to pay for services as they need them.

Shuja Khan, chief commercial officer at Arqiva, said: “We are thrilled to be combining our market-leading position as a global managed media service provider with MediaKind’s worldwide outlook as a powerful, innovative provider of media technology solutions. Our goal Is to remove the complexities of deploying, maintaining and operating broadcast headends. The proposition will simplify cloud migration providing a truly exceptional service that offers quality, reliability, adaptability, cost-efficiency and a sustainable approach. In a media distribution world which is becoming increasingly complex, our mission is to help simplify the operational burden for our customers as they navigate technology transitions.”

The service will align with all industry-standard linear broadcast formats, encryption technologies, and downstream mechanisms. It will also support the latest OTT processing requirements for distributing television content on internet streaming services, with pre-integrated ad-insertion technology to monetize OTT and broadcast streams with addressable advertising. All new service components will be deployed, maintained, and upgraded individually, using the latest automation techniques, ensuring that the platform can adapt to meet current device and security requirements.

Boris Felts, MediaKind chief product officer, said: “We are excited to partner with Arqiva and introduce a unique media service which tackles the core cloud migration challenges that operators and broadcasters face in the market today. Never before have two media broadcast and streaming heavyweights worked so collaboratively to change the nature of managed video services. It means our customers’ premium assets are in safe hands.

“Our joint service offering will leverage our managed cloud application operational deployment model and provide a cost-effective means for media delivery, operations and cloud infrastructure, enabling all operators and broadcasters to focus on differentiating their service through high-value content, live events, VOD libraries and innovative new channels.”