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The Digital Transformation: Improved Video Capabilities and Lowered Costs
This is an excerpt of an article co-authored by Randy Palubiak, Enliten Management Group, and Mike Tippets, Hughes Network Systems, “Video in the Enterprise – An affordable Business Requirement, 2014.”
Digital video has been around for decades.
However, the major push for it began in 2009, when all full-powered TV stations in the country were required by Congress to transition from analog to digital.
This proved to be the foundation for the digital video transformation that impacted both consumer and enterprise markets, causing a revolution in content creation, delivery and display.
It provided better quality video, freed up bandwidth for wireless communications, and performed as a catalyst for social media and mobility.
It drove down the cost of video equipment including:
Cameras and recording devices, where even the average smartphone can capture high quality video – video comparable to that from broadcast cameras costing tens of thousands of dollars just years ago.
When Apple™ introduced iMovie™ and later Final Cut Pro™ software, it revolutionized the home video market. It also revolutionized the ability for enterprises to capture and share information internally. Similar products from Adobe™ and others have created a market of tools that make possible the creation of high-quality video content with standard desktop computers and basic computer skills. This made it possible for most anyone to be a creator of user-generated-content.
These tools influenced the development of robust solutions for the scheduling, displaying the content. Content delivery solutions range from file copy using a thumb drive to full-featured scheduling and delivery systems that are user-managed from a web browser anywhere, anytime. Playback devices can be simple players for video streaming, like what we find in hotel rooms. More commonly the playback device is an appliance that provides live and on-demand playback and includes the ability to schedule playback—as in the case with digital signage players. These playback capabilities also include support for localized content specific to the site or activity.
In addition, the cost for display screens are significantly lower – from high-definition televisions to a variety of mobile devices, including laptops, tablets, and smartphones.
These cost savings were influenced primarily by the consumer and television broadcast markets. However, general innovation and technology advancements can also be credited. Such as:
- Improved video compression now allows a greater amount of content to flow over a network and higher quality video content to be stored in the same amount of storage capacity.
- System automation is another area of improvement, where enhancements enable the distribution and viewing of a single version of video on multiple devices and operating systems.
- Also, encryption solutions have been improved, which help keep content secure during delivery. This means that the content will be viewed only at authorized locations and by authorized individuals.
- Software solutions, such as content and network management, have improved significantly offering more robust functionality. Even better, they are far more user-friendly and less expensive to develop.
- And then there’s the Cloud. The Cloud provides both software and storage access from a shared infrastructure for both proprietary and public consumption. It can be the preferred approach for organizations to make video content easily accessible and readily available.
The result is a digital society, where people produce, view and share content with their social groups as well as, in and throughout, the workplace.
So, what does this mean to the enterprise? And why should you care?
Bottom line, forward-thinking leaders are finding that secure, enhanced and expanded video capabilities to the enterprise ecosystem can be affordable!
In many organizations, video systems are implemented for less than what they spend on coffee.
The digital transformation contributed to this by improving capabilities and lowering costs for video systems. It makes video affordable and a Business Requirement for enterprise communications and workplace learning.
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