Author: richardscott2

A common goal for all pay-TV operators

With the rise of OTT services, consumers are starting to analyze their monthly entertainment expenses. The good news is that many don’t want to lose their pay-TV operator service. The downside is they want to pay less for it.

Is it the same across the globe?
What’s clear from my customer meetings is that pay-TV services are not being eroded completely by OTT. They’re still important. But pressure is building on operators to drive down the cost of delivery. From Mexico to Malaysia this was a common goal.

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Security was the stand out theme for IBC 2015

‘Never trust the browser’ is a mantra that all developers and security experts live by. Of course! In essence it’s an engine designed for remote code execution. What’s there to trust? But, imagine the possibilities if it could be transformed into a secure platform.

Living in a hostile world
Cyber attackers are constantly looking for, and finding, security weaknesses; program errors and other flaws in web browsers. Looking back at 2014, they proved to be very successful.

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The 5 core characteristics operators value when working together

One of the things I love about this industry is that it’s constantly evolving. I believe the media industry is at the cusp of some of the most significant and rapid change we’ve seen in decades. And we are already seeing the early opportunities that this new paradigm brings.

Not losing focus
Consolidation within the industry shows no sign of stopping; most recently Charter’s planned acquisition of TimeWarner as well as Arris|Pace merging.

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Piracy Lounge reveals the secrets of the online pirates

It may sound strange coming from the SVP Sales & Marketing but…. Sometimes it’s not about “always closing” – it’s about raising awareness. And that’s certainly true when it comes to the growing online piracy problem.

Headline grabbing
Piracy levels surrounding the season 5 premier of Game of Thrones™ received global news coverage. The Irdeto piracy data, used by the press, showed that new season premiers increase piracy activity, both of old episodes and the new season.

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Don’t get left behind with 4K readiness

Over the last couple of months I’ve been surprised by how few pay-TV operators have concrete 4K plans in place. Other issues are their priority. But I wonder will they get left behind as a result?

Adoption will be quicker
Earlier this year, Business Insider forecasted that 4K will roll out much faster than industry analysts predict. This echoes what we see in the adoption rates.

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Break free – hand off complexity to focus on your core business

Consolidation within the industry shows no sign of stopping. The EU approves BSkyB’s proposed acquisition of Sky Deutschland and Sky Italia. Vodafone CEO hints at interest in more acquisitions after its recent purchase of Spain’s largest cable operator – Ono. And that’s only a couple of examples. You would image that the inevitable consequence for the “mega” operator is the headache of being locked into multiple long-term vendors.

A recent customer meeting reassured me that operators are interested in breaking free. They just need the headache tablet.

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OTT through a broadcast lens

At a recent customer meeting, “why is multi-screen limited to OTT?” was one of the questions. My answer? It doesn’t need to be. And for this broadcast customer it definitely shouldn’t be. Let me share some of the themes from the meeting.

Why start from scratch?
This established broadcast player has a strong DTH brand with a large loyal customer base. And like many, wanted to retain their subscribers by setting up an OTT service that would tick the “multi-screen” box. Makes sense – right?

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