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.
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
01/06/2026
January 6 2026, 05:30 (PST) Dolby Sets the New Standard for Premium Entertainment at CES 2026
Throughout the week, Dolby brings to life the latest innovatio...
02/05/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
01/05/2026
January 5 2026, 18:30 (PST) NBCUniversal's Peacock to Be First Streamer to ...
01/04/2026
January 4 2026, 18:00 (PST) DOLBY AND DOUYIN EMPOWER THE NEXT GENERATON OF CREATORS WITH DOLBY VISION
Douyin Users Can Now Create And Share Videos With Stun...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
19/03/2026
How Chris Bolte Builds the Sound of PlayStation Games Chris Bolte '16 is a technical sound designer at Sucker Punch Productions, where he helps create the...
18/03/2026
Newly named chief product officer (CPO), Larissa G rner Meeus will return to Net Insight on May 4.
Larissa G rner Meeus will become CPO of Net Insight on May 4...
18/03/2026
SVG Europe's The Football Summit 2026 explored how the sports broadcasting i...
18/03/2026
The 2026 NAB Show kicks off one month from today and SVG is once again set to cover the show from every angle. SVG's SportsTech@NAB Show Blog is now live - ...
18/03/2026
(L-R) The cast and crew of Dead Lover at The Ray Theater for its premiere at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for Sundan...
18/03/2026
Yamaha C7 captured in Nashville
Wiltone Productions have announced the release of Music Row Piano, a deeply sampled Yamaha C7 piano library that's been ...
18/03/2026
Bass-enhancement plug-in upgraded
Along with a steady stream of new releases, Techivation have recently been revisiting some of the older plug-ins in their ...
18/03/2026
Mix-reference plug-in overhauled
iZotope's powerful mix-referencing plug-in has just reached its third major version, and now boasts a new capture proce...
18/03/2026
Latest EZKeys 2 expansion arrives
Toontrack's staggering collection of EZKeys 2 expansions has grown once again, and the latest instalment delivers a on...
18/03/2026
Jess Ho explores the politics of food in new SBS Audio podcast For The Culture
18 March, 2026
Media releases
New SBS Audio podcast For The Culture, hosted ...
18/03/2026
Future-ready broadcasts with ATSC 3.0 and enhanced services from Rohde & Schwarz...
18/03/2026
London Calling - When The Industry Convened to Help Streaming Find its MoJo In this blog, Laura Rognoni reflects on key discussions from the Connected TV World...
18/03/2026
SMPTE Unveils 2026 NAB Show Educational Presentations
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, a...
18/03/2026
Auditel Ad Campaign Shot on Blackmagic PYXIS 12K
Brie Clayton March 18, 2026
0 Comments
LED wall virtual production blends 12K open gate acquisition w...
18/03/2026
Brainstorm transforms productivity and sustainability with Suite 7 at NAB Show 2...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
18/03/2026
SMPTE , the home of media professionals, technologists, and engineers, today unveiled its educational presentations for the 2026 NAB Show. This year SMPTE will ...
18/03/2026
Maxon, maker of powerful, approachable software solutions for creators working in 2D and 3D design, motion graphics, visual effects, gaming, and more, today ann...
18/03/2026
Digital Alert Systems
Preview
2026 NAB Show
April 19 - 22
Booth C3452
At the 2026 NAB Show, Digital Alert Systems will showcase Version 6.0 of its DASDEC ...
18/03/2026
Setplex today announced that it will showcase its complete, fully integrated Zapflex platform for the first time at the 2026 NAB Show, introducing powerful new ...
18/03/2026
THIS ANNOUNCEMENT RELATES TO THE DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION THAT QUALIFIED OR MAY HAVE QUALIFIED AS INSIDE INFORMATION WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE 7(1) OF THE ...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking DP for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Director of Photography for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Gaffer for Low Budget Dramedy Feature Film- I...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Location, Sound for Low Budget Dramedy - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Location/Sound for Low Budget Dramed...
18/03/2026
COW Jobs: Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Film - Chicago
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
Seeking Child Wrangler for Low Budget Dramedy Fe...
18/03/2026
Calrec Redefines Broadcast Workflows at NAB 2026 with its Most Powerful Hardware...
18/03/2026
Oscar Nominated Two People Exchanging Saliva Posted with DaVinci Resolve Studio
Brie Clayton March 17, 2026
0 Comments
DaVinci Resolve Studio handle...
18/03/2026
Boston Conservatory Presents Celebrated Musical Satire Urinetown Performances for this Center Stage production will take place at Boston Conservatory Theater ...
18/03/2026
Charlie Puth Joins Switched on Pop at Berklee NYC The Berklee alum spoke with host and Berklee NYC professor Charlie Harding for a live taping, answering audi...
18/03/2026
X-Rite Pantone Demonstrates Advanced Color Management Solutions to Support Smart...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
BAFTA winner James McAvoy to star in Sky Original serie...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing announce multi-year agreement for the UK and Ireland
Sky Sports and Zuffa Boxing have announced a new mult...
18/03/2026
Wednesday 18 March 2026
Sky Unveils Poster and Trailer for Original Feature Fil...
Chris McCarthy, vice president, media solutions at TMT Insights, on why a cloud first approach is driving development in the media and entertainment industry
