All
the feels

Is this what they mean by all the feels?

Sadness in witnessing so much suffering.

Thankful we have access to information.

Fearful
to leave the
house.

Hopeful our scientists will create a vaccine.

Grateful
we’re doing
everything we can to flatten the curve.

Faith
in our
leadership—globally, nationally and locally.

Appreciation for the people who have to leave their homes and go to work.

As a global community, we are facing
something we haven’t seen in our lifetime. COVID-19 has fundamentally changed
the way we live our lives. It is making an impact in every way possible, and
only time will tell how serious—and long—the impact will be.   

This is a business-focused blog, and I’ll
do my best to keep it focused on business. But there’s no doubt, our personal
and professional worlds have collided faster than anyone could have ever
imagined. So, bear with me as a I cross a few lines into what you might
consider “personal.”

First, for people who must to go to work—healthcare
providers, first responders, government leaders—thank you for working
diligently to keep us safe and healthy.  

“Out
of office”

Most of us are now working from home. In
full disclosure, I work from home full time, but it’s been an adjustment having
my husband and daughter (who is fairly new to the business world) doing the
same. 

It’s different. It’s a challenge. And
it’s not normal in any sense of the word. Your day is probably filled with
frustration and distractions. Whether you need something to keep the kiddos
busy or ideas on how to set up your home office, the internet is filled
resources to help you adjust to working from home.

Below are just a few resources to help
you embrace this new way of working:

• How to survive and thrive while working
  from home ,
  Computerworld
• Webinar on “Building a Thriving Remote
  Work Culture” , Aragon
  Research (March 27 at 10 a.m. PT)
• Coronavirus: Managing (and pivoting)
  during a crisis ,
  Insider Pro
• Staying productive while working
  remotely with Microsoft Teams ,
  Microsoft
• What is Video Conferencing and 5 Tips on
  Conducting Effective Video Conferencing , Kaltura

Working from home is awesome

As I mentioned, there’s no shortage of
ideas and information on the internet. You can literally enter “how to” and
whatever you’re trying to accomplish in the Google or YouTube searchbars and
get answers.

So, I’d like to take a slightly different take on how to work from home. These unconventional tips can help you thrive in this new normal. No, they’re not all unique or original, but they are tried and true methods for success in my home office. 

• Learn. Take the hour or so you’d usually use
  to commute to and from work to expand your knowledge. Brush up on your skills.
  Take an online class or virtual training. Read a book. Listen to a podcast.
  You’ve got the extra time, now do it.
• Move. All it takes is ten minutes of movement
  (virtual dance party anyone?) to completely change your mood. You see, exercise
  releases endorphins, which trigger a positive feeling and better outlook. You
  don’t have to do much, but since many of us are stuck in our homes, I highly
  suggest at least a walk around the block. I’ve also found a ton of workouts,
  from HIIT to Yoga, on the internet.
• Connect. Set aside time to connect with your
  colleagues without an agenda (yes, I just broke the number one rule of
  meetings!). Host a virtual water cooler meeting or coffee break over video
  conferencing to check in on life outside of work. And don’t forget your new office
  mates. Schedule a time for lunch together—whether you’re home schooling the
  kids right now or your officemate happens to be your life partner.
• Disconnect. I know I’m contradicting the point
  above, but set clear boundaries when it’s time to work. Shut your door. Turn
  off instant messaging. Turn off the TV, and resist every temptation to surf
  social media. Give your brain a rest from the not-so-good news and chaos
  outside your front door.  
• Be
  kind. Check on your
  colleagues. We all respond to situations like this in a different way. We all
  have different worries, and being outside of our normal schedule can create a
  whole new set of stresses. Practice grace and patience because you don’t know
  how it’s affecting your co-workers. Afterall, we’re humans not just worker
  bees.
• Give. You are very lucky to be able to work
  for home. Many people don’t have that luxury. Now it’s more important than ever
  to help your neighbors by supporting local businesses and non-profits in your
  community. This can be as simple as sharing news and information on social
  media, volunteering or donating goods/money. Do what you can with what you
  have.

One last thought. Practice gratitude
every single day. It’s so easy to forget we need to stop and smell the roses.
This is not a new idea, but it’s a tried and true method for finding the
positive in any situation.

Whether you write down what you’re
thankful for, reflect on what brought you the most joy before falling asleep,
or thank someone for a job well done, I promise you’ll start looking for gratitude
all day. For example, my daughter and husband are taking a break from work and joking
about setting up cubicles in our living room right now. Laughter will be at the
top of my gratitude list for the day.

Technology
is your friend

I briefly mentioned connecting with
colleagues via video conferencing above. Even though Ramp is focused solely on
streaming video distribution, I want to talk a little about Unified
Communications & Collaboration (UC&C) technologies.

Right now—more than ever—you should use
video conferencing. Yes, that means you need to actually change out of your
pajamas before you start the work day.

So much of communication is based on
visual cues. Seeing the person you’re talking to helps to create more
understanding and a deeper connection. You may also find you’re able to get
things done faster versus a traditional audio call because people are more
attentive and engaged.

You’re probably already using a platform
that allows you to chat or instant message with colleagues. If you’re not,
messaging is a great way to avoid email overload and minimize unnecessary
meetings.

Just don’t be afraid to set it on “do
not disturb” when you need to focus on getting work done. Pro tip: Start your
day by sharing words of encouragement with your colleagues or giving them a virtual
pat on the back. Much like gratitude, it can have a positive impact on the work
day ahead.

If you don’t already have UC&C tools
in place, read BCStrategies’ Business Communication Vendors to the
Rescue in the Age of Coronavirus
for a list of vendor offerings that can help you maintain effective
communication and collaboration while working from home.

In
conclusion

Wow, that sounds so formal even though
this blog post wasn’t formal in any way. It was even more personal than I
planned.

So why stop now? I’ll leave you with a
little inspiration.

In times of great stress or adversity,
it’s always best to keep busy, to plow your anger and your energy into
something positive. ~
Lee Iacocca

Your current situation is not your final
destination. ~ Trent
Shelton

Life is 10% about what happens to me,
and 90% how I react to it.
~ John C. Maxwell

The post Embrace the New Normal appeared first on Ramp .

To view our Partner blog, click here

Communication
is king

Together,
we are facing an unprecedented global crisis. COVID-19 has changed every single
aspect of our lives. And since this is a business blog, I’ll do my very best to
focus on how it’s changing the way we work.

Communication—without
a doubt—is one of the most important elements to managing a crisis. Whether
you’re disseminating information, or a recipient of the information provided, how
the message is delivered sets the tone for a lot more than you realize.  

The reality

How you
handle COVID-19, can make or break employee engagement. The actions you take as
a business today, have the potential to shift your culture forever. The words
your leaders speak can either reflect your company’s values or diminish them altogether.

Here’s
why. Employees are scared (even if they say they aren’t!) because there is so
much we don’t know. Also, they’re not just your employees. They are wives,
husbands, parents, children, caregivers and maybe even patients.

But
why?

As an
employer, you need to do everything you can diminish uncertainty in this
uncertain world. You must communicate what you know, and how it impacts your
business with sensitivity.

Explain
what it means to every employee and outline your expectations of them. Address
any changes you’re making to deadlines, compensation or policies (i.e. work
from home). Give them specific calls to action. Whatever you do, do not leave
them guessing.

With that
said, focus on the facts related only to your business. Do not comment or
speculate on what will happen in the future—leave that to the experts. Refer
employees to reputable outside resources for the things not in your immediate
control. For example, link to tips and information on COVID-19 from the World Health Organization or Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (if
you’re in the United States).

When and
how often you communicate with employees is entirely up to you. You know your
business—and employees—better than anyone else. But when things are changing by
the minute, overcommunicating is better than not communicating at all.

Creating
a great experience

In times
of crisis, great leaders—and companies—emerge. Clear, consistent and frequent
communication is vital. To recap thus far, don’t leave employees guessing.
Don’t leave room for uncertainty. Use this moment in time to solidify who you
are as a company.

After you
determine what you’ll communicate and how often, think about how you will
communicate. Yes, the mechanics matter. My advice is to use whatever communications
channel—email, messaging platform or enterprise social networking—you use every
day. That’s where employees will be looking for your messages. But it’s also
important to consider the overall employee experience you want to create.

So much
of communication is nonverbal. Body language and facial expressions matter.
They increase understanding and establish a better perspective of what the message
means for the viewer. That’s exactly why video is emerging as the most
effective way to communicate when you can’t meet in person.

In fact, a recent Wainhouse Research survey found 82% of those surveyed described video as an effective tool for communicating work-related information.¹

Here’s a
little more food for thought. With more and more people working from home right
now, they might feel isolated or disconnected. Video is one way you can keep
employees engaged and connected. So, if you’re not already using video, it is
something you should consider.

Companies
like Microsoft
have made it easier than ever to record, share and watch videos. It’s as easy
as using your computer’s camera to record a message you can send to employees.
And for today, that’s exactly what you might need to do—from your home office.

Distributing
the video

Let’s go
one step beyond why, when and how you should communicate. If you use video to
deliver business communications or employee training, you need to consider how
it might impact your network.

But this
is where it gets tricky. Today, many of us are working from home. As a result,
we’re probably not using the corporate network. We’re using the public
internet.

When
everyone is in the office—or your employees are at your place of business out
of necessity—it’s a different situation altogether. High-quality video eats up
a lot of bandwidth, and most corporate networks aren’t sized to handle it. The
more you scale, the more your network becomes stressed.

To help
paint a picture, it takes approximately 20,000 mbps of bandwidth to webcast to
10,000 people.² Just imagine what that would do to your network (and
the rest of your business applications). All of a sudden, your network has to
handle 20,000 mbps extra data. Everything slows like a busy highway during rush
hour.

For
example, let’s talk about what’s happening at medical facilities today. The
COVID-19 situation is changing by the hour, and leaders need to keep medical
staff up to date. Just imagine what could happen during a shift change at a
large hospital group. Everyone logs in and watches a video message from the
head of infectious diseases at the same time. All of a sudden, massive amounts
of data are travelling the network, slowing down access to critical systems
such as electronic health records.  

An
enterprise content delivery network (eCDN) can minimize network congestion
created by both live and on-demand video. By managing video distribution behind
the firewall, you protect your business operations while delivering an
uninterrupted, glitch-free experience to the people watching.

Read more
about Ramp’s eCDN software here or contact us for a free consultation
to assess your video network .

A
final word

Thank you to everyone who is on the front lines caring for others and working tirelessly to stop the spread of COVAD-19. We know you’re making a sacrifice to keep us safe, and we hold you in the highest regard.

¹ Survey Insight: Gauging the Effectiveness of Video as an
Enterprise Communications Tool, Wainhouse Research

² For
this calculation, we’re assuming one video stream is equal to 2mbps.

The post Employee Communication
During a Crisis appeared first on Ramp .

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The post Enterprise Video
Network Assessment appeared first on Ramp .

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Picture This

Your
company just reported year-end 2019 results, and your CEO wants to host an all-hands
webcast. The CEO’s objectives of the meeting are simple. Celebrate the
company’s success, and set a clear strategy for the new year.

It’s the
most important webcast of the year—and everyone will want to watch.

As a
result, you and your colleagues are investing countless hours to produce a
flawless meeting. You’ve even tapped into a few new features on your streaming
video platform.

Rehearsals
went off without a hitch, the presentation is loaded, and everything is set. It’s
go time.

As you
monitor how many people are watching, you notice something isn’t quite right. You’ve
got 55,000 employees in eight offices around the globe, but the number of
attendees is fluctuating quite a bit. Sure, people always join late and leave
early, but you’re about 12 minutes in. Numbers should be strong.  

All of a
sudden, you get a flood of helpdesk tickets, emails and IMs. People are having
problems watching the video stream. Some are complaining about buffering and
jitter, while others say they can’t join the webcast at all.

You panic. What is going wrong? You and your colleagues did everything possible to make sure this webcast was perfect.

QoE is
King

Before we
dive into the possible root cause, let’s talk about quality of experience (QoE).

At one
time, a little latency or jitter didn’t bother anyone. Streaming video in the
workplace was a novelty. But that’s changed. We’re using video inside the
enterprise for everything from live webcasts and employee training, to
executive video messages and digital signage.

“Good
enough” video is no longer good enough. Most of us are watching streaming video
multiple times a day outside of work without issue. As a result, we expect the
same high-quality experience at work.

What’s
even more interesting is the more people watch business-related videos at work,
they expect higher-quality videos. In fact, 71% of people reporting daily
viewership of online business video report that they place “significant
emphasis” on broadcast quality when evaluating the success of an organization’s
streaming video. Among those using online video at work less than monthly, only
32% say they place a “significant emphasis” on broadcast quality.¹

It’s safe to assume people expect high-quality video all the time, especially if they use video a lot. As a result, you need to determine how to create the experience your viewers expect.  

The
Problem: Your Network

Let’s
jump to what might have happened when QoE became an issue and people dropped
from your webcast.  

Since it
takes about 2 Mbps* to transmit video, you’ll need at least 110 Gbps of
bandwidth to deliver video to your 55,000 employees. Without a doubt, 110 Gbps of
data will have a massive impact on your network. You need a ton of bandwidth!

And what
about the rest of your enterprise? You might see other types of helpdesk
tickets as well.

Here’s
why. When you try to squeeze as much as possible out of the Internet
connection, it’ll choke. Your business-critical applications could freeze or
fail. The result? People won’t be able to join the meeting, including your CFO
who’s watching from your Singapore office. Point of sale systems may stop
working. Accounting systems slow down. Work becomes frustrating for everyone.

If you
don’t figure this out, you might get one of those emails from the CEO. You
know, where he/she asks you why people couldn’t the join meeting and why
“business” came to a halt.   

No one
wants to have their perfectly planned webcast become an epic fail.

The
Solution: An eCDN

It’s
unrealistic to think your network is ready to handle the flood of data that
comes with streaming video. Here’s the good news. An enterprise content
delivery network (eCDN) can save your network from bandwidth-intensive video. (If
you’re already using an eCDN, bravo!)

An eCDN intelligently routes video traffic to optimize your network without sacrificing user experience. The most common eCDNs are multicast, video caching and peer-to-peer networking.

Not sure what approach will work for you? Get a high-level
overview about the different types of eCDNs in our blog titled Streaming
Video and Your Network . Then, take a deeper dive by accessing
these resources:

• Approaches for
  Deploying an eCDN
• Five Considerations for
  Deploying an eCDN
• eCDN Decision Guide

Bottom
line, an eCDN relieves the strain from the bandwidth choke points, like the
Internet connection. It helps you protect your business-critical applications,
operations and create a high-quality viewer experience.

Getting
Down to the Nitty Gritty Details

Another
benefit of an eCDN is it can give you clues into what’s happening on your
network.

“Video is
the great equalizer for corporate network administrators. It really exposes
flaws—even flaws you didn’t know you had—in your corporate network,” said Steve
Vonder Haar, Senior Analyst at Wainhouse Research. “And so video network
monitoring becomes an important element of the whole streaming video toolbox.”

CIOs
agree. Fifty-seven percent of CIOs surveyed by Wainhouse Research in the third
quarter of 2019 describe the ability to “monitor video performance to
troubleshoot network problems” as a “very important” influence on the streaming
technology purchase decision.¹

Most eCDN
solutions come equipped with some form of reporting and analytics capabilities.
Most will give you information you need to:

• Troubleshoot network problems. See exactly what’s
  happening your network and how it’s impacting QoE. For example, if people in a
  certain location have problems accessing the video, you can drill down to see
  what’s contributing to poor performance. Is it the device? Is it a network
  connection?

• Measure your success. Report and share data important to your
  internal customers and the IT team. Whether it’s knowing how many people
  watched a specific video, how long they watched it or where they’re located, you
  can make comparisons and assumptions about each video. Likewise, you can
  compare network performance metrics from one event or video to another.

• Prove ROI. How you prove ROI is ultimately up to you.
  Whether you’re comparing the investment of your eCDN to what it would cost to
  add more bandwidth or comparing video delivery before and after your eCDN, you
  can demonstrate ROI if you have the right data.

In the
end, your videos have zero value if people can’t watch them. But with the right
video networking solution, you gain the insights you need to improve network
performance and QoE.

You have
the ultimate ability to turn weaknesses into strengths.

Ramp
Analytics

With Ramp,
you get a comprehensive view of your eCDN environment to see how video is
impacting network performance. You can monitor events in real-time or perform
post-event analysis to examine attendance, network performance, and measure
return on investment (ROI).

With robust
reporting and analytics capabilities, you gain insight into every aspect of
your streaming video environment. Ramp allows you to view your video network as
a whole or get specific, down to the minute, location or device.

• Monitor: Get a minute-by-minute view of KPIs such as
  network impact, number/locations of viewers, and QoE.

• Identify: Quickly assess the health of the network and
  identify areas of concern. Your dashboard allows you to quickly see changes in
  performance. Double click to analyze performance by location—all the way down
  to the individual device.

• Analyze: View and analyze data for individual videos or
  as an aggregate over periods of time. You can also use the timeline to analyze
  statistics at specific moments in time.

Network
knowledge is power. The more you know about what’s happening in your network,
the more you can address problems before you have them.

Strategies
for Streaming Success

With
streaming video on the rise in the enterprise, you need a solid strategy. Learn
about the five “Enterprise Video Truths” highlighted in this report. It’s a
basic roadmap of issues that can—and should—be addressed when evaluating your
video technology options.

¹ Building a Scalable Strategy for Enterprise Streaming

* The size of video data varies, but for this example, we are assuming one video stream is equal to 2 Mbps.

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is Power appeared first on Ramp .

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Ask any
CIO about what keeps them up at night, and security is at the top of their list.
Security has been a top CIO priority for many years, and it will continue to be
a priority for years to come.

Although the motivation is different from company to company—whether you’re protecting intellectual property or personally identifiable information (PII)—you must secure your systems and information. From networking and applications to data and physical devices, IT security is a broad area of responsibility.

Security is
a basic requirement for enterprise video streaming as well.

“The
benefits of implementing video are nullified if they put an organization at
unnecessary risk,” said Steve Vonder Haar, Wainhouse Research Senior Analyst. “IT
administrators must implement video solutions that both protect corporate
networks and keep unauthorized viewers from accessing protected content.”

Streaming
video solutions must be implemented with security priorities in clear focus. In
this edition of Strategies for Streaming Success, Vonder Haar sheds light on the
topic of security and streaming video.

Risky
Business

Today, most
enterprise streaming solutions are delivered in the “cloud.” Although the list
of benefits for cloud-based solutions is long, you expose your enterprise to a
host of vulnerabilities. So, you need to be diligent when selecting your video
platform. Whether you choose a on-premises or cloud-based solution, it’s risky
business.

In fact, security
is a major consideration for IT execs making streaming purchase decisions. In a
recent survey, Wainhouse Research asked: When your organization considers
future investments in solutions for administering streaming video, how
important will the following factors be in your purchase decision? Sixty-eight
percent responded, “maintaining network security” is “very important.” In
addition, 58% indicated that being able to “distribute video content without
harming the corporate network” is also “very important.”¹

This goes
way beyond protecting your video infrastructure. The second you open up your
firewall, you expose your entire network and everything on it to the “bad guys.”
You never want to create any unnecessary vulnerabilities. If an outsider gets
in, they can harm your organization. Not only your business systems and day-to-day
operations, but also your reputation.

And while
network security is critically important, it’s not the only security issue you
need to address. You also want to keep prying eyes away from videos you don’t
want them to see. According to Wainhouse research, 74% of those watching live
online business video daily cite the ability to “secure content from those not
authorized to view” as “very important.”²

Securing
Your Video Network

Now that
we’ve established you’re not alone in wanting (or needing!) to secure every
aspect of your IT environment, let’s talk about some of the questions you
should ask when choosing streaming video solutions.

Is it
secure?

Get to
the heart of the matter up front, and let your vendor tell you about how they
approach the topic of security. It’s important to go beyond what’s built into
their specific solution.

Take time
to learn about their philosophy and how they protect their enterprise. The
latter is especially important if you’re using their hosted solution. If their
take on security isn’t aligned to yours, you probably need to move on.

How does
it authenticate viewers?

Many of
the videos you’re sharing internally are intended for employees only. Whether
it’s an all-hands meeting, executive video message, or employee training, you
need to make sure only your employees can view it. So, you need to authenticate
viewers either by password protecting your videos or via single sign-on.

The
approach you take probably depends on how you handle other sensitive
information within your organization. Single sign-on is the most practical and
easy way for employees to access videos. But password protecting videos can be
extremely helpful if you have workers in the field (i.e. service technicians, tower
climbers, installers).

Regardless,
asking up front will save you a lot of headaches later.

How
does it protect the content?

If
outsiders can access or download your videos or an employee can share them
outside of your organization, your security isn’t up to snuff. Encryption prevents
people who aren’t authorized to view your videos from watching them. This is
incredibly important when the information in your videos is proprietary or
contains sensitive information.  

You
should evaluate solutions against your company’s enterprise security policies,
including the level of encryption required, the ability to encrypt video while
at rest and in motion, and the likelihood of introducing or propagating malware
across the internal network.

Can I
control who watches specific videos?

Beyond protecting the video itself, you probably want to manage who in your organization can watch specific videos. Therefore, your streaming platform needs to work with your identity and access management solution or directory systems. This way you can determine who can view specific videos.

For example, you may have a video from your CEO intended for his or her direct reports. If you have the proper rules set up, and your video management system is integrated, you can be sure only the top management in your company can view it.

Ramp’s Approach to Security

100% Behind
the Firewall

First and foremost, Ramp’s enterprise content delivery network (eCDN) is favored by security-conscious IT departments because it deploys 100% on site, behind the firewall. Even our web-based management platform, Altimeter , sits behind the firewall.

Most
other enterprise distribution options use a cloud controller to operate, which
means you have to open a communication path through the firewall for your eCDN
solution to work. Once that communication path exists, the solution has the
ability to extract and compile information about your enterprise network.

Since our eCDN is on premises, you never open any firewall ports for it to work. It doesn’t make any unnecessary calls out to the internet (other than to get your videos from your video platform). We never have access to your network, data or videos. You maintain complete control over your eCDN environment from beginning to end.

Encryption

Ramp takes
securing your streaming video one step further. Our eCDN adds a layer of
security by encrypting your videos as they travel your network.

Multicast+ uses digital signatures to maintain the integrity of the exchange between senders and receivers, and encrypts the receiver disk cache to secure data at the viewing device. In addition, Multicast+ supports HTTPS, using PKI certificates, to prevent transmission of unauthorized video streams.

OmniCache protects data in transit, and at rest with HTTPS encryption and offers full compatibility with NIST Suite B cryptography for data.

Both eCDNs also include a built-in public certificate for companies that want to use HTTPS without obtaining their own certificate.

As a result, you have end-to-end encryption when your videos are in motion and at rest.

Removes Risk

We
already touched on the fact you have complete control of your eCDN environment
because it’s deployed and managed 100% behind your firewall—not somewhere in
the cloud. This inherently reduces your enterprise risk.

In
addition, Ramp’s eCDN doesn’t rely on any other device to deliver video streams
like a peer-to-peer network. Sharing and forwarding data from one device to
another increases the risk of transmitting viruses, spyware and other malware
across your network—especially if you have a bring your own device policy.

Therefore,
Ramp maintains the security policies you’ve put in place to protect against
viruses and data breaches.

Make
Video Work Better in Your Workplace

The role of
video in the workplace is becoming more important every day. It’s no doubt, you’re
looking for ways to make video work better in your workplace. Security is just
one of the building blocks to creating a successful video strategy. Download Wainhouse
Research’s whitepaper “Building a Scalable Strategy for Enterprise Streaming” to
uncover four other basic truths to streaming success.

¹ Survey
Insight: Enterprise Video, ITDM Perspectives – North America Q3 2019

² Building
a Scalable Strategy for Enterprise Streaming

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The Myth: One Size Fits All

It’s a myth. One size does not fit all. This is also true
when it comes to streaming video solutions for the enterprise.

Video is a powerful tool. Although there’s a million statistics to prove it, common sense tells us it’s more engaging than text.

Video allows you to deliver more information to your audience in a shorter amount of time. And since the message is reinforced by visuals—whether it’s demonstrating how something works or seeing a person’s body language—it’s more believable. The reality is, video is as close as you can get to being there in person.  

But like most things, there isn’t a single video solution that works for every situation and every organization. You’re probably managing multiple platforms and supporting a number of business leaders. You might need one video platform for learning and development, a different one for onboarding, one for town halls, and yet another for digital displays.

For IT, this can be extremely challenging. In this edition of Strategies for Streaming Success, Wainhouse Research analyst Steve Vonder Haar reveals strategies for managing a multi-vendor video environment.

From One to Many

In the past, using video was a special event. As a result, implementing an end-to-end streaming solution from a single vendor was the easiest way to get video up and running.

But as streaming solutions get easier to use and video becomes more common in the workplace, it’s hard to find a single solution that fits every use case.  A multi-vendor approach might be the only way to meet this increasing demand for video.

According to Wainhouse Research, two-thirds of IT decision makers say they agree with the statement “Our organization prefers implementing best-of-breed video solutions from multiple vendors versus an end-to-end turnkey platform developed by a single vendor.” Almost one-quarter of respondents described themselves as “neutral” to the statement or said it is not applicable. That leaves only 11% saying they either “disagree” or “strongly disagree” with taking a multi-vendor approach.¹

Best of Breed

So why is implementing best-of-breed video solutions from multiple vendors more common today? It’s unlikely one platform can serve every need in your enterprise. Video platform requirements for executive broadcasts or quarterly earnings calls may fall short of what’s needed for a global learning and development program.

In fact, 77% of organizations are using two or more streaming video platforms¹. As a result, many have adopted a more modular approach when it comes to streaming. By using best-of-breed, open solutions, you can build a video ecosystem that fits your organization to a T now and well into the future.

“Rather than implementing a single solution that can become
obsolete or a single element of a platform that can become outdated, an organization
can leverage ongoing streaming investments by mixing and matching vendor
solutions,” said Steve Vonder Haar, Wainhouse Research Analyst.

For example, you gain a ton of flexibility if you separate
the network infrastructure element from the video platform itself. Using a universal
enterprise content delivery network (eCDN) that works with all your platforms, can
save you time and money (and a few headaches!).

The Universal eCDN

Because an eCDN is a network overlay, deploying and managing a unique eCDN for each streaming platform is an IT nightmare—and fortunately unnecessary. Some video platform providers offer an eCDN as part of their solution, but most of those are proprietary and work only with their platforms.

Ramp is your only choice for a truly vendor-neutral solution. Our video distribution solutions are compatible with virtually all the market-leading streaming platforms. In addition, many of our partners  have chosen to integrate Ramp directly into their products for the most seamless experience possible.

Our eCDN software supports any live and on-demand HTML5 video streaming across the corporate network. Ramp can also generate HLS from encoders supporting RTP or work with a media server such as Wowza Streaming Engine to ensure complete coverage from a single enterprise delivery solution.

Ramp’s solutions prove an eCDN can and should be able to retrieve and redistribute video from any video source, on any network and with any device. Not only does this simplify the deployment and management of the eCDN, but it provides maximum flexibility for the future as your streaming video landscape evolves over time.

Strategies for Streaming Success

Ready to take on more streaming in 2020? You need a solid road
map to get you from where you are today to where you want to be. In this
whitepaper, Wainhouse Research’s Steve Vonder Haar reveals the top five truths
for making video work better in your workplace.

Read ‘Building a Scalable Strategy for Enterprise Streaming’ >>

¹Survey Insight: Enterprise Video, ITDM Perspectives – North America Q3 2019

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