November 2017 - Streaming Video Blog

Tips for Engaging Employees with Live Video

Written by Stacy Nawrocki in Tips & Tutorials on 27 November 2017

U.S. employers spent more than $70 billion on workforce training in 2016, and video was a top technology investment. But no matter how much budget a company allocates to video training, employees won’t learn and retain information needed to do their jobs if the content isn’t engaging. And there’s another side effect: The business won’t see the benefits of effective staff training — increased productivity, higher sales and improved compliance for training assets, among others.

To develop online video content for training and communication that will educate and entertain employees, take a page from retail brands finding creative ways to use live video events to engage customers. In a recent webcast, Fritz Brumder, CEO and founder of interactive video platform Brandlive, joined me to discuss how companies successfully use streaming video. Here are a few tips for engaging employees with live video:

A Huge Thank You to Our Users from IBM Watson Media

Written by Stacy Nawrocki in Customer Stories on 23 November 2017

In the spirit of Thanksgiving, I would like to take the time to thank each of our customers. Thank you for using our video platform. Thank you for streaming with us and for pushing creative boundaries to come up with great content and innovative use cases for streaming. And, thank you for your support as we’ve transitioned into the IBM family of offerings.

And, an enormous thank you goes out to the 68 of you who took the time this year to write a review about your use of our technology on Trust Radius (3rd party review website). The products we offer started as a way to help people connect with other people in a dynamic way, in real time, and it’s very satisfying to read your stories and understand how our technology is helping you to do great things that engage your customers and employees.

Could Blockchain DRM Stop Digital Film Theft?

Written by Stacy Nawrocki in Video Trends & Studies on 16 November 2017

Could Blockchain DRM Stop Digital Film Theft

If you’ve heard the term “blockchain” tossed around, chances are it’s been in the context of Bitcoin. Blockchain — a digital ledger that publicly records transactions — is the underlying technology behind cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, but it could also be a silver bullet for the entertainment industry by being used for blockchain DRM (digital rights management).

Powering US Open 2017 Highlights, IBM Watson Impacts Live Broadcasting

Written by Laney Lewis in AI Video Technology on 9 November 2017

When Juan Martin del Potro faced Dominic Thiem on Day 8 of the US Open, die-hard tennis lovers might have been excited, but it didn’t have the hallmarks of a “must see” event for casual fans. Few expected del Potro, ranked 24th, to advance.

But when he staged one of the best comebacks in US Open history, everyone wanted to see how it was done. And within minutes, they were able to, thanks to IBM Watson powering US Open 2017 highlights.

Watson assembled a clip reel within five minutes of the end of every match at this year’s Open, making highlights and key moments available to fans two to 10 hours more quickly than during previous years. The event marked the official launch of IBM Watson Media, a new business unit that leverages Watson’s leading AI capabilities to meet the future needs of broadcasters and their audiences.

Streaming Media Readers’ Choice Awards 2017 Winner

Written by Anthony Romero in Company News on 3 November 2017

Streaming Media Readers' Choice Awards 2017 Winner

Winners for the Streaming Media Readers’ Choice Awards 2017 have now been announced. Representing the online video industry’s shining stars as selected by users, categories ranged from cloud based solutions, like the Live Streaming Platform category, to physical offerings, like Encoding Hardware (Live). This year, IBM took home three awards at the ceremony in the following categories:

– Live Streaming Platform
– End-to-End Workflow Solution
– OTT Platform for MSO and MVPD

For more information on the awards, including our history at them, please read on.

The Future of Streaming Media for Kids

Written by Laney Lewis in Video Trends & Studies on 2 November 2017

For years, creators and distributors of digital content for kids have been looking over their shoulders, worried that yet another major change in consumer technology will upend the marketplace before they can finish developing their offerings for the platforms du jour.

But David Kleeman, senior vice president of global trends at Dubit, a strategy and research consultancy and digital studio based in Leeds, England, says these companies can worry a little less about tech disruption — at least for the next few years.