Chris McCarthy, vice president, media solutions at TMT Insights, on why a cloud first approach is driving development in the media and entertainment industry
By Contributor
Published: August 9, 2024 Updated: August 12, 2024
Chris McCarthy, vice president, media solutions at TMT Insights, on why a cloud first approach is driving development in the media and entertainment industry
target=_blank title=Share on LinkedIn class=share-linkedin> Chris McCarthy, vice president, media solutions at TMT Insights, on why a cloud first approach is driving development in the media and entertainment industry
https://www.tvbeurope.com/features/opinion-why-the-right-approach-is-essential-to-successful-cloud-migration title=Share via Email class=share-email>
For an industry accustomed to measuring success in terms of product firmware updates and software versions, the pace of cloud migration across media and entertainment has been an interesting case study in iterative implementation.
Chris McCarthy, TMT Insights vice president, media solutions Our industry has moved past earlier concerns about the cloud, such as security, data speed, and content access. Companies that not long ago would have said, Cloud? Never! are realising the cloud is the future if they want to remain competitive. They have done the maths and found that cloud technologies are now viable supply chain platforms.
The industry conversation surrounding the cloud has clearly shifted from if to when. The days of wondering whether it makes sense to move to the cloud at all are behind us. The right migration path has to make sense for the whole organisation, as well as its partners and customers. There's no one-size-fits-all plan for everyone.
Some companies are wrestling with which aspects of their business should go to the cloud first, others are phasing their cloud migration while still harbouring concerns about moving on from their familiar processes and operational workflows. Even those that are still all SDI/baseband at least have the cloud on their radar. Regardless of where the industry is on its cloud journey, one constant is that the cloud is forcing people to think differently and examine their workflows more closely than they ever have.
According to a 2023 report on cloud adoption by Forrester, of all the M&E companies surveyed:
73% are running at least one application in the cloud.
57% use the cloud for storage
52% use the cloud for content piracy protection
92% say cloud adoption has been successful
The state of cloud migration What new concerns or issues could possibly hold back the next wave of Cloud 3.0, 4.0 or beyond?
In the early phases of M&E's cloud migration, most companies focused on determining what content in their library archives would move to the cloud, even as a backup at first while still maintaining their on-premise infrastructure. With many having completed that initial phase, the next step is building out supply chains in the cloud to make full use of the content that's already been or will be, moved to the cloud. Now the big questions centre on how to ingest directly to the cloud, conduct processing in the cloud instead of on-premise, and then archive everything for easy access and use.
Even distribution is moving more to the cloud. Many companies that used to be concerned about egress costs and delivery logistics negating the cloud's value are now seeing that more distribution endpoints and platforms are also in the cloud. They don't have to deliver anything externally or pay egress fees. They can copy a piece of media with associated metadata from one bucket to another in the cloud.
Most downstream elements of the media supply chain, like archive or distribution, have already moved to the cloud. Now M&E professionals are more focused on looking further upstream in the supply chain towards cloud-based production and post-production - two areas traditionally viewed as on-premise only.
Virtual production still requires some level of hardware and people on-site, but the bigger benefit is that teams can be located anywhere around the world and still collaborate seamlessly on a remote production. Content goes directly to the cloud and then, once it's there, the idea is that it stays there along with the rest of the downstream process.
A successful cloud migration also integrates the necessary change management procedures and any potential ripple effects across an organisation. Unlike a newly launched shop that likely started as cloud-native, more established organisations may have to manage operations and technology professionals who have worked for decades with easy access to hardware and are uncomfortable adapting to virtual environments. In these situations, it's critical to maintain an open dialogue between management and teams to clearly communicate the benefits of change and to offer any training or support employees need.
The most significant challenge many companies still face is not having a solid cloud migration plan to make sure they receive all the benefits while avoiding any pitfalls. Organisations that have decided to move to the cloud must approach migration holistically, not only in terms of the physical movement of media assets but also the usable metadata that goes along with that. Moving to the cloud is a big step. Companies can't expect to flip a switch and have everything work exactly as it did before.
Just as we've moved on from asking whether we migrate to the cloud at all, in the not-too-distant future, the only discussion will be around what elements do I still have on-premise and how do I get them into the cloud - basically the inverse of what we have today.
That's a bright forecast for an industry with a cloudy future.
Europe Stories
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
07/07/2026
Applications are now open for the Validation Booster, a six-month acceleration programme supporting journalists, media organisations, content creators, media in...
07/07/2026
New mixer aimed squarely at instrument-level sources
Heritage Audio have clearly been busy recently, as alongside their all-new Tubestrip, they've also ...
07/07/2026
New channel strip combines popular hardware designs
The latest arrival to the Heritage Audio line-up brings together a selection of their praised hardware d...
07/07/2026
eds3_5_jq(document).ready(function($) { $(#eds_sliderM519).chameleonSlider_2_1({ content_source:......
07/07/2026
UKTV commission with BritBox and Sony Pictures Television and inspired by Deborah Cadbury's book, Chocolate Wars
The six-part series is produced by Fable P...
07/07/2026
Tuesday 7 July 2026
Record audiences tune into the ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 on Sky Sports
The ICC Women's T20 World Cup 2026 was the most watche...
07/07/2026
Tuesday 7 July 2026
Official trailer released for Fightland, a revenge drama fr...
07/07/2026
Wuppertal July 7, 2026
Riedel and ARRI Bring Cinematic Live Production to the Eurovision Song ContestRiedel Communications and ARRI played a key role in one o...
07/07/2026
To Whom It Concerns RT today confirmed that Patrick Kielty is to extend his contract as host of The Late Late Show.
Last season, the world's longest-runn...
06/07/2026
Bundle gains 100 new synths & more
Synth Anthology 5 the largest and most feature-packed edition of UVI's hardware synth emulation bundle, bringing toge...
06/07/2026
Available now via free firmware update
MOTU have just announced that three of their popular audio interfaces now boast official Milan Certification. The 16A...
06/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Co...
06/07/2026
The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the ...
06/07/2026
Monday 6 July 2026
Sky Kids unveils new slate for 2026 including Paris Hilton&#...
06/07/2026
Monday 6 July 2026
Sky agrees to acquire ITV Media & Entertainment, creating a ...
06/07/2026
Fresh from his World Cup heroics with Cabo Verde, Roberto Pico' Lopes will join the RT panel for Argentina v Egypt tomorrow and for the England v Norway q...
06/07/2026
A death can be unsuspicious, but it has to be explained
What happened to Ke...
05/07/2026
Browser-based and desktop apps available
Digital Sunset Studios have been busy working on an interesting project: a free software tool that provides compute...
04/07/2026
Celebrates company's 80th anniversary
Rhodes have recently revealed that they will be producing a limited run of electric pianos in celebration of their...
04/07/2026
** MEDIA ALERT **
BLEACH: THOUSAND-YEAR BLOOD WAR THE CALAMITY Continues I...
04/07/2026
** MEDIA ALERT **
VIZ Media Unveils New Anime Slate at Anime Expo 2026 with ...
04/07/2026
April 7 2026, 19:00 (PDT) Detective Conan: Fallen Angel of the Highway Opens in...
03/07/2026
New bundle & three Single Packs
Continuing to expand their already sizeable orchestral collection, VSL's latest release introduces three new Single Pack...
03/07/2026
Venue installs new ATC-equipped control room
LSO St Luke's, a unique music venue that also serves as the home of the London Symphony Orchestra, have rec...
03/07/2026
1 February 2023
SHARE Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email
Munich, Germany, 1st February 2023: Cinegy GmbH, the premier provider of software technology for digit...
03/07/2026
** MEDIA ALERT **
VIZ Media Celebrates Anime Expo 2026 with BLACK TORCH Worl...
02/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
02/07/2026
A new era in unmixing and spectral editing
The latest version of Steinberg's spectral audio-editing software has just arrived, building on the strength...
02/07/2026
Aims to simplify additive synthesis
Sine Machine is the debut launch from Melatonin, a Vienna-based developer who have spent the past six years creating wha...
02/07/2026
Products to remain fully active & supported
Following the news of Native Instruments joining the inMusic brand line-up, Academy and Emmy Award-winning visua...
02/07/2026
What you missed!
Last weekend, Saturday 27 June 2026, saw the debut of Sound On Sounds new GearExpo UK event, the largest dedicated pro-audio event to take ...
02/07/2026
Thursday 2 July 2026
Tea with Judi Dench returns to Sky Arts with legendary guest, Sir Ian McKellen
Sky today confirms Tea with Judi Dench will return this su...
01/07/2026
New AI Assistant, Multi-channel Audio, ARA2 improvements & more
Tracktion's DAW software has just received its latest major update, gaining a selection ...
01/07/2026
Stammering, stuttering, strangulated tones
The Crow Hill Company's latest creation promises to be the most original sound set they've produced to d...
01/07/2026
Exclusive run of limited-edition modelling pedals
Sweetwater and Andertons M...
01/07/2026
Our SD10T was an absolutely rock-solid, stable console and the Quantum 338T has been the perfect upgrade, Hurley says. Having multiple screens is a big advant...
01/07/2026
LEXINGTON, Kentucky - July 2026 -Tyler Childers' seventh and latest studio record, Snipe Hunter, is an adventurously sprawling collection of tunes that span...
01/07/2026
** MEDIA ALERT **
BLEACH Comes to Life in Los Angeles with First-of-Its-Kind...
01/07/2026
UKTV has today announced the appointment of Matt Berry to the newly created role of General Manager - Marketing, effective 1 July.
Matt will take on this senio...
01/07/2026
Sky Zero Footprint Fund-backed TV campaign featuring Deborah Meaden challenges consumers to rethink everyday bathroom wasteWednesday 1 July 2026
Fussy asks Bri...
01/07/2026
Constituency-level analysis reveals where girls miss out most on sport - and where targeted action could unlock more than £640 million in economic and health be...
01/07/2026
Wuppertal July 1, 2026
Riedel and SKAARHOJ Expand Collaboration With SimplyLive IntegrationRiedel Communications today announced an expanded collaboration wit...
01/07/2026
Apple today introduced power-packed updates to Apple Creator Studio, a groundbre...
01/07/2026
Nectar360, the Retail Media, Loyalty and Insights business of the Sainsburys Gro...
01/07/2026
9.2 million streams on RT Player between 11 and 28 June
Reach of 2.9 million viewers during Group stages of FIFA World Cup on RT 2
23 million video views acr...
Chris McCarthy, vice president, media solutions at TMT Insights, on why a cloud first approach is driving development in the media and entertainment industry
