
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.
Most recent headlines
11/12/2025
Dalet, a leading provider of cloud-native, end-to-end media workflow solutions, ...
20/11/2025
LONDON The winners of the Rise Awards 2025, which recognize women and companies whose achievements have stood out in the media technology industry, have been an...
20/11/2025
SANTA MONICA & NEW YORK Lionsgate's Worldwide Television Distribution Group and Debmar-Mercury have launched MovieSphere Gold in more than 30 million homes....
20/11/2025
ALAMEDA, Calif. Clear-Com has introduced its four-channel HelixNet beltpack, a next-generation advancement of its widely used two-channel model, and anticipates...
20/11/2025
NEW PROVIDENCE, N.J. Streaming technology and services provider Kiswe has launched Kiswe Core, a next-generation cloud-based platform designed to simplify the s...
20/11/2025
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif. Dolby Laboratories has signed on as an official signature partner of the Bay Area Host Committee (BAHC) for the 2026 Super Bowl and the we...
20/11/2025
STUTTGART, Germany 3 Screen Solutions (3SS) has announced that the Canadian multiservice operator Telus has launched its Telus TV+ entertainment platform on Sam...
20/11/2025
Major League Baseball has announced deals with ESPN, NBCUniversal and Netflix covering 2026-2028 that make ESPN the exclusive rightsholder of MLB.TV, see regula...
20/11/2025
Berklee Presents Holiday Extravaganza: Duke Ellingtons The Nutcracker Suite and ...
19/11/2025
Sphere Sound Kicks Up Its Heels at Radio City Music HallUltra-immersive system from the singular Las Vegas venue is also ready for sportsBy Dan Daley, Audio Edi...
19/11/2025
The Future of Stadium and Arena Video Control Rooms: Tech Leaders Talk 4K, IP, a...
19/11/2025
One Year at Intuit Dome: Walking Through the Stunning Arena's Advanced Video...
19/11/2025
SVG Sit-Down: IMG's Francois Westcombe Goes Inside IMG's Annual Digital ...
19/11/2025
Inside Brighton & Hove Albion's fan-first media machine By George Bevir
Tuesday, November 18, 2025 - 10:10
Print This Story
Brighton & Hove Albion'...
19/11/2025
Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 1: Kansas Athletics Brings New Production Power to Rebu...
19/11/2025
Rock Chalk Rebuild, Part 2: A Pro's Guide to Kansas Athletics' New Video...
19/11/2025
MLB Media Rights Shakeup: NBC Inks Three-Year Deal for Sunday Night Baseball, Pe...
19/11/2025
Rohan Parashuram Kanawade attends the premiere of Sabar Bonda (Cactus Pears) at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival at Egyptian Theatre on January 26, 2025, in Pa...
19/11/2025
Awards season is heating up, and the International Documentary Association just ...
19/11/2025
Aerojet Rocketdyne President Ken Bedingfield and Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders were joined by state and local officials to celebrate the groundbreaking o...
19/11/2025
L3Harris and PentenAmio formalise their teaming agreement at MilCIS 2025, streng...
19/11/2025
Calrec gives Phoenix Broadcast Solutions its full support in strategic multi-year enterprise partnership New Singapore OB company invests in Calrec technology f...
19/11/2025
October brings a larger audience in front of TV screens. The cooler autumn weather and the continuation of new programming schedules brought increases in both t...
19/11/2025
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group and Tegna filed applications on Nov. 18 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking its consent to transfer broad...
19/11/2025
Vitec has acquired Datapath, a developer of real-time video processing for large-scale video walls, AVoIP content distribution and KVM control in mission-critic...
19/11/2025
NEVADA CITY, Calif. Telestream has introduced ARGUS Version 2.3, which introduces Live Look, a feature that lets operators inspect live and on-demand streams vi...
19/11/2025
STAMFORD, Conn. and NEW YORK Charter Communications, Inc. has announced a major deal with Amazon Web Services (AWS) that establishes AWS as one of Charters stra...
19/11/2025
TOKYO Atomos has announced a major firmware update that brings integrated camera control to the Ninja TX GO and Ninja TX its new CFexpress-based monitor-recor...
19/11/2025
Berklee's Signature Series Reimagines the Musical and Visual Artistry of Col...
19/11/2025
PlayBox Neo departed the NAB Show New York 2025 on a high note. The company's all-new PlayBox Neo Suite made a splash on the show floor, drawing strong inte...
19/11/2025
AAVBR (American Audio Visual Baton Rouge), a leading full-service event production company serving Louisiana and the Gulf Coast region, has enhanced its product...
19/11/2025
In its mission to deliver live event services combining advanced engineering with a creative approach to captivating live sports and entertainment experiences, ...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK Short-form vertical video has exploded across platforms like TikTok, Instagram and YouTube, but a new survey commissioned by Media.net, a provider of c...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK YES Network, the regional sports network home of the New York Yankees and Brooklyn Nets, and CAMB.AI have struck a partnership they said will leverage ...
19/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission has issued detailed guidance on filings that were disrupted by the government shutdown. While many of those fil...
19/11/2025
NEW YORK The popularity of NFL games is largely responsible for continued seasonal momentum in TV viewership into October (measured Sept. 29-Oct. 26), according...
19/11/2025
DirecTV has announced that its MyFree DirecTV streaming service has added seven new channels. Those include four sports services, NBA FAST, Red Bull TV, DAZN Ri...
19/11/2025
SURREY, U.K. Mark Roberts Motion Control (MRMC) has launched Flair Bridge, a compact device that transforms how operators control the company's motion-contr...
19/11/2025
WASHINGTON The Federal Communications Commission, which is continuing to rapidly ramp up its operations after the end of the federal government shutdown, has se...
19/11/2025
IRVING, Texas Nexstar Media Group and Tegna filed applications on Nov. 18 with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) seeking its consent to transfer broad...
19/11/2025
Martin Freeman, Jessie Buckley, Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon, Eddie the Eagle and ...
19/11/2025
Rohde & Schwarz collaborates with Broadcom to enable testing and validation of n...
19/11/2025
Back to All News
Innato, starring Imanol Arias and Elena Anaya, arrives on Netf...
19/11/2025
Back to All News
Guillermo del Toro Sits Down With Troll 2 Director Roar Uthaug...
19/11/2025
Some projects feel monumental from the moment the first phone call comes in. When BCE, the host broadcaster appointed to coordinate the national coverage, asked...
19/11/2025
November 19 2025, 08:00 (PST) BAY AREA HOST COMMITTEE AND DOLBY PARTNER TO DELIVER IMMERSIVE FAN EXPERIENCES
During the Week of Football's Biggest Game...
19/11/2025
Michael D. Higgins: Ireland's Ninth President features RT Archives footage and interviews across seven decades
Watch Wednesday 19 November at 9:35pm on RT...
19/11/2025
Scripps Research scientists receive $1.1 million to advance AI modeling for HIV vaccine development New AI system helps scientists rapidly pinpoint the most pro...
18/11/2025
Independent media across Central America are operating under intensifying financial pressure, yet there is a clear appetite for models that can sustain both ind...