Today, media companies face three main industry obstacles: distribution, scalability and cost flexibility. Cloud computing can help media and entertainment companies manage these obstacles and get customers the content they want, when they want it, and at an affordable price. But how does the cloud help companies leap these hurdles? Here’s a look.

1. Consumer Demand

Media consumers demand more now than ever before. Over-the-top services provide for a customized experience, allowing viewers more autonomy in accessing network programming, previously recorded content and live events. Customers demand this flexibility, but these options require more digital requirements than traditional broadcasters can provide. Most media companies don’t have the hardware required to deliver a diverse collection of viewing options.

Furthermore, the sheer number of devices consumers use to access programming creates another obstacle for media companies, as computing requirements for smartphones, tablets and computers can vary. While consumer demand has grown in many ways, so too has the cloud. Today, media companies can outsource required computing needs to a cloud service. This provides the hardware requirements as well as the scalability needed for new customer demands.

2. Safe Content Storage

How viewers consume media continues to evolve, and the proliferation of content-friendly, low-storage devices has put a strain on media companies as well. In fact, this has prompted a move toward remote content storage. With hundreds of hours of on-demand content, media companies don’t have the resources for such data storage. Outsourced storage to a third party is a more viable option.

However, when a company entrusts its content to a cloud storage service, it wants the best data protection money can buy. For instance, Mozy offers military-grade cyber security as well as a set-and-forget model, which provides for automatic content backups.

3. Delivery and Scalability

Delivery and distribution are perhaps the most critical role of cloud computing. After all, how can a media company exist if it can’t distribute its product? All content can be stored in the cloud, which is then accessible anytime, anywhere. But, even more important is the way in which it’s accessed. The cloud’s flexibility allows the use of more computing resources at peak times of streaming services.

For instance, when Amazon, Netflix, or Hulu releases an anticipated show, the cloud services these companies utilize help provide extra bandwidth and capacity to compensate for the influx of traffic. This cloud service is the most essential for media and entertainment companies moving forward. Scalability doesn’t just allow for spikes in traffic, but also provides media companies with freedom as they circumvent capacity costs and allocate those resources on content generation, production quality and innovative new services for customers.

While the future will see media companies become more agile with the distribution of content, the ever-changing landscape that the cloud provides may create some uncertainty for media companies. Look for these companies to continue to integrate flexible business models in the short and long term.

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