Richard Mansfield, product management director at MediaKind explains what advantages Managed Cloud Applications offer broadcasters and TV operators
By Contributor
Published: January 20, 2022
Richard Mansfield, product management director at MediaKind explains what advantages Managed Cloud Applications offer broadcasters and TV operators
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin>
The media industry's evolution to the cloud has been convoluted at the best of times. While there is an urgent need to rapidly launch new services and compete with a swathe of new streaming platforms, many of the current cloud migration approaches within media are incredibly inefficient and fail to leverage some of the cloud's key benefits. A new approach to the relationship between media companies, technology vendors and cloud service providers is desperately needed.
The truth of the situation when cloud technology is fast becoming the de-facto approach when deploying new media services. Markets and Markets forecast the growth of cloud-based video streaming solutions at a 20.9 per cent CAGR between 2020-2025. Given that most media companies - including broadcasters, TV operators and content owners - have existing relationships with one or several cloud service providers (CSPs), an examination of the most efficient deployment and operational models is a vital undertaking.
A fresh outlook on cloud deployments It's undisputed that the public cloud enables media companies to deliver their services in the best way. Its benefits include decoupling infrastructure lifecycle and deployments from traditional approaches, adding the flexibility of scaling or usage, and optimising total cost of ownership. Beyond these, media companies must also understand what new cloud operational models could mean for their business and how they impact their existing infrastructures and relationships with technology vendors.
The adoption of new approaches such as Continuous Integration and Continuous Release (CI/CR) and combined Development and Operations (DevOps) have hastened within modern cloud rollouts. However, while many media companies might leverage these approaches internally already, they'll often revert to traditional methods when integrating third party components and solutions.
A new methodology for public cloud deployments for media companies sets out to aid the evolution of operational models from on-premises integration to Managed Cloud Applications (MCAs). In short, MCAs are a new form of commercial and deployment models for cloud-based software, sitting somewhere between Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) and software subscription models. The MCA approach aids media companies as they look to manage their relationships with CSPs while utilising technology vendor expertise in the most efficient and productive way.
Demystifying MCAs In an MCA model, the software is deployed and managed by the technology vendor within a customer's cloud account. This allows the customer to use their preferred CSP, rather than being locked into whichever provider the technology vendor is integrated with. The choice of CSP is typically selected as part of a wider company transformation, while utilising these extended agreements and spending commitments for media use cases.
The role of the technology vendor within an MCA deployment is to ensure the service is continually monitored and available, maintain software updates, and manage the overall lifecycle of the solution. Not only does this make use of their existing software maintenance expertise, it also avoids unnecessary costs for the media company who would otherwise need to hire specialist internal staff. Furthermore, it enables the automation of maintenance operations, minimising errors and costs while allowing updates to be performed remotely.
The advantages for broadcasters and TV operators The prospects of MCAs for broadcasters and TV operators are immense. For TV operators, MCAs offer a way to make their media businesses run more efficiently while navigating the complex process of migrating their Pay TV businesses towards streaming-first functions. MCAs enable them to eliminate the burden of operating their cloud infrastructure. Instead, they can place the onus onto third-party experts who have the pre-existing knowledge to operate their software and cloud assets. It also allows them to scale efficiently within the operator's network, a particularly beneficial feature as they find more streaming clients within their pay-TV services.
It's a similar story for broadcasters, who need to improve the efficiency of their operations while understanding the operational need to move to the cloud eventually. To date, this migration which has been slow throughout the sector. The current multi-vendor approach taken by broadcasters, whereby they buy lots of equipment from multiple vendors and integrate it themselves with their own systems, requires lots of ongoing maintenance and access to that infrastructure. Moving their operational functions to the cloud, such as playout and distribution, while leaning on technology vendors to manage the entire process, makes this a far more efficient process.
The shift to MCAs requires a whole new mindset and a radical new approach to media company's operational structures. However, by relying on third party experts and trusting the resilience and wide-reaching capabilities of the cloud, they can guarantee a hands-off and seamless transition. The result will be far more freedom and ease to work within any existing deployment model, the ability to pick-and-chose which cloud service provider works for them, and most importantly, better media experiences for their customers. It's a win-win situation that will place media companies front and center as they lay out their strategic vision.
Europe Stories
22/12/2025
For a decade, popular German podcast Fest & Flauschig has hosted an annual Chris...
22/12/2025
Monday 22 December 2025
Sky extends PGA TOUR partnership until 2029, as Sky Spo...
22/12/2025
Siobh n McSweeney, Rory McIlroy, Elon Musk, Catherine Connolly, Jim Gavin, Ivan Yates and Traitor Paudie Moloney lead new characters for Callan Kicks the Year 2...
22/12/2025
Winner announced in the picturesque surroundings of Wicklow's Avondale Tower and Treetop Walk
Andrew Trimble wins the show in his first series as coach
Th...
22/12/2025
The 2025 winners have been announced today, Sunday 21 December, for Ireland's largest choral competition Choirs for Christmas hosted by RT lyric fm.
Ove...
21/12/2025
John Shortt named Young Sportsperson of the Year Kerry are the Team of the Year
...
19/12/2025
With Playout Release 2025.4, ToolsOnAir continues to push professional playout w...
19/12/2025
19 Dec 2025
VEON's Mobilink Microfinance Bank Launches Islamic Banking Oper...
19/12/2025
The six-part drama, set in a close-knit Welsh town fractured by an unspeakable c...
19/12/2025
Rohde & Schwarz drives the future of mobility at CES 2026 At the 2026 Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Rohde & Schwarz will present a powerful lineup o...
19/12/2025
RT is proud to return to the RDS to support the 2026 Stripe Young Scientist & T...
18/12/2025
Canada's largest indoor arena has transformed its live production capabilities with a full ST 2110 infrastructure and Calrec's compact Argo S console. S...
18/12/2025
Long-term agreement includes the SES SCORE platform and hybrid distribution worldwide to deliver more than 5,000 hours of golf tournaments annually featuring th...
18/12/2025
18 Dec 2025
VEON Upgraded to Nasdaq Global Select Market, Enhancing Investor Visibility Dubai, December 18, 2025 - VEON Ltd. (Nasdaq: VEON), a global digital o...
18/12/2025
Thursday 18 December 2025
Sky Sports remains the exclusive home of the Masters ...
18/12/2025
Using the additive process of 3D printing, layer after layer gets printed until an object is as close to the final shape needed as possible. Historically, machi...
18/12/2025
In 2025, RT proudly supported 185 arts and cultural events across the island of Ireland, reflecting significant growth since the scheme was re-launched in 2014...
18/12/2025
RT Sports Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
18/12/2025
RT lyric fm presents a very special Winter Solstice edition of Ambient Orbit, l...
18/12/2025
At 7.45pm on 1st January 1926, the precursor to RT , then 2RN, delivered the fledgling new Irish state's first public radio transmission. From those first c...
18/12/2025
December 18 2025, 05:30 (PST) The Movie Experience SLO Becomes First U.S. Exhib...
17/12/2025
Investigative journalists across the Western Balkans and T rkiye continue to con...
17/12/2025
The right playlist is essential on New Year's Eve, building the energy as you get ready and keeping it high as you count down to midnight. This year, Spotif...
17/12/2025
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({...
17/12/2025
Wuppertal December 17, 2025
Riedel Builds Global Communication and Commentary ...
17/12/2025
December 17 2025, 17:00 (PST) Dolby and LG Unveil a New Era of Home Audio With ...
17/12/2025
Wednesday 17 December 2025
Heated Rivalry will be coming to Sky and streaming service NOW on 10 JanuaryTurn on cookies to view this content. Go to Privacy opti...
17/12/2025
RT has announced that Kathy Fox has been appointed Commissioning Editor with re...
17/12/2025
With the new season of Dancing with the Stars shimmering in the not-too-distant future this New Year, the celebrity and dancer pairings of the twelve couples ha...
16/12/2025
Hawkins has landed on Spotify, just in time for Stranger Things Season 5, Volume...
16/12/2025
Wherever you are, your favorite music and audio content should go seamlessly with you. That's why Spotify has partnered with NAVER Corp, Korea's leading...
16/12/2025
2025 Wrapped arrived bigger and bolder than ever. This year's experience is designed to be ultra personal and shareable, with new features like Wrapped Part...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON Announces Release Date for Full Year and Fourth Quarter 2025 R...
16/12/2025
16 Dec 2025
VEON's Kyivstar Invests in Renewable Energy in Ukraine with Acq...
16/12/2025
Harmonic's XOS Advanced Media Processor Improves Streaming Video Quality and Boosts Viewer Engagement SAN JOSE, Calif. - Dec. 16, 2025 - Harmonic (NASDAQ: ...
16/12/2025
RT Sport Awards 2025 live on RT One and RT Player at 8:05pm on Saturday 20 December.
On Saturday 20 December live on RT One and RT Player at the earlier t...
16/12/2025
Singer -songwriter Brian Kennedy has been announced as the final celebrity dance...
15/12/2025
Cape Town, November 13, 2025 - SES and International artist and humanitarian, Fo...
15/12/2025
Luxembourg, December 15, 2025 - SES, a leading space solutions company, and Abra Group launched fast and reliable multi-orbit inflight connectivity service on t...
15/12/2025
15 Dec 2025
VEON's Beeline Kazakhstan Delivers First Starlink Direct to Cel...
15/12/2025
Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor finds himself the topic of year's cracker jokes
Oasis, David Harbour, Celebrity Traitors and Angela Rayner all feature in this y...
15/12/2025
Comscore Expands Cross-Platform Campaign Measurement to Include Audio and Social New capabilities strengthen cross-platform campaign reporting suite; CCR rebran...
15/12/2025
RT .ie has reached one billion page views this year and is on track to finish 2025 2% ahead of last year. Average time spent on the site is up 3% on 2024, with ...
12/12/2025
Last month, Spotify announced a new collaboration with the ATP Tour, the global governing body of men's professional tennis, aimed at bringing the next gene...
12/12/2025
Friday 12 December 2025
Ted is back! Seth MacFarlane's live-action comedic ...
12/12/2025
Uachtar n na h ireann, Catherine Connolly visited RT Raidi na Gaeltachta's...
12/12/2025
Ireland AM host Eric Roberts has been revealed as the sixth contestant taking to...
11/12/2025
Thomson and the Center for News, Technology and Innovation (CNTI) convened a two-day workshop in Sarajevo bringing together more than 35 journalists, editors, p...
11/12/2025
Having the right song soundtrack your moves can make all the difference when gam...
Richard Mansfield, product management director at MediaKind explains what advantages Managed Cloud Applications offer broadcasters and TV operators
