For organizations using Windows Media Server or Adobe Flash today for multicast, the switch to Ramp’s Multicast+ solution is a simple transition.

If you are already using one of these solutions, then you already have a multicast-enabled network. So, all you do is replace it with the Multicast+ Server, which is just software installed in virtual environment. Then, through your standard software distribution processes, you deploy the Multicast+ Receiver to your client devices.

If you are multicasting from the IBM Cloud Video platform, Multicast+ is already integrated and works directly with the video player, so you are up and running.

Furthermore, if you are switching from one of those legacy multicast solutions or expanding your use of video, you are probably moving to modern HTML5 video standards. Multicast+ supports the HTML5 protocols, so upgrading will also future-proof the enterprise delivery infrastructure.

The impending end-of-life for Windows Media multicast and Silverlight, Cisco ECDS and Adobe Flash marks the end of an era for legacy video technologies. Our Multicast+ technical white paper takes a deep dive into the solution, covering everything from how it works, to patented innovation and technology, to key capabilities and features that make it the premier next-generation multicast solution.

From the IBM webinar Optimizing Video on Corporate Networks

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“Does Multicast+ work on multiple operating systems? Can you talk about your support?”

The simple purpose of Multicast+ is to make video playable in a browser over multicast. This process requires two software components to orchestrate the distribution of video in place of the typical unicast HTTP transport layer.

A sender sits on the network to retrieve a live HTML5 video stream from a video source and send it out over the multicast-enabled network. The sender is software, not hardware or an appliance. It runs in a virtual machine on either Windows or Linux. Senders scale as needed based on the network requirements. However, each sender can support multiple simultaneous multicast streams, so you do not need one sender per stream.

Viewing devices on the network, such as personal computers, each host a receiver client capable of tapping into the multicast broadcast stream and making it available locally to the browser. Multicast+ is available in native Windows, Mac and Linux client software that can be deployed using your standard software deployment processes.

For more information, see the technical specifications on the Multicast+ data sheet .

From the IBM webinar Optimizing Video on Corporate Networks

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Wainhouse Research reports more than two-thirds of organizations cite protecting the network as one of the top considerations when purchasing a video solution. As companies use more video, they will see increased utilization of network resources. IT departments are guided by the Hippocratic oath of network administration—do no harm as you add more video on the network.

The increasing use of video isn’t the only factor impacting the network. The resolution of video is also having an impact. Enterprise viewers are also consumers and the streaming providers we use at home have set our expectations. High definition video is the baseline expectation for viewers today, and 360° video, virtual reality (VR) and augmented reality (AR) are not far behind. When you deliver that kind of video on the corporate network, it creates tremendous strain.

That’s why enterprises need to include eCDN, delivery infrastructure to optimize video traffic , as a component of their video streaming strategy.

From the IBM webinar Optimizing Video on Corporate Networks

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Video is really becoming almost like a document type, which means we have a set of expectations—whether it is an on-demand file or live video—that we have the same levels of content protection in terms of workflows and security.

For example, say you are a public company and you have a pre-earnings announcement. Only a certain set of people may be intended to view that announcement before it becomes public, or it may contain information that is only intended for a certain audience even after the earnings are released. That content needs to be securely available and protected as it travels across the network and anywhere it gets stored, even temporarily, on the network.

So, how does AltitudeCDN Multicast+ address the security of content?

The first layer of protection is encryption. All content is encrypted both while in transit and at rest. Only the receiver is going to be able to decrypt it.

The second layer of protection is the ability to multicast over HTTP and HTTPS.

And third, some organizations choose to use single source multicast (SSM), which allows them to specify the specific source or sources from which the content may be retrieved.
So Multicast+ gives CIOs several mechanisms to ensure the security and confidentiality of the organization’s intellectual property.

More detail about the security features of Multicast+ can be found in our technical white paper AltitudeCDN Multicast+: Next-Generation Multicast in the Age of HTML5 .

From the IBM webinar Optimizing Video on Corporate Networks

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What about distributing video on thin client devices? HTML5 should work, but how do you optimize for devices without dedicated graphics?

Both AltitudeCDN Multicast+ and OmniCache, Ramp’s intelligent caching solution, are verified by Citrix to support their virtualized environments. So now you can have thin clients that can take advantage of a multicast-enabled network, even at remote locations.

In the case of IBM Cloud Video, Streaming Manager for Enterprise on thin clients works in concert with Ramp’s video delivery infrastructure, so users in virtualized environments still get a quality experience for video.

Learn more about AltitudeCDN verification for Citrix .

From the IBM webinar Optimizing Video on Corporate Networks

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