Cloud usage jumps up as broadcasters move to remote working

The use of cloud technologies by remote broadcasters has drastically increased since the beginning of the coronavirus pandemic, a new report has said.

According to software developer Iatakoo, the company saw use of its cloud-based platform increase by 293% in terms of minutes streamed. This is combined with a 172% increase in the minutes of footage uploaded and a 189% increase in the number of files streamed. Overall, the company is currently seeing a 127% increase in files uploaded.

The vendor has clients including Nexstar Media Group and a large number of other major broadcasters.

It said that habits have shifted during the health crisis, with its platform being previously used to transfer content from one place to another. However, with social distancing measures being enforced around the world, the company has seen almost all broadcasters doing their jobs remotely.

These jobs include people who typically would work inside a station or a production facility.

Jade Kurian, co-founder and president of latakoo, said: “From the moment the COVID-19 lockdowns started around the world, we started seeing a spike in usage and it hasn’t stopped.”

The comments reflect those made by Verizon Media head of product management Darren Lepke, who, speaking on Digital TV Europe’s TV Watch podcast said that the current situation is “an accelerant” rather than a “change agent.” He said that “the good news is that the industry has been heading this way for many years. [The pandemic] is making things that were two or three years on the horizon happen now.”