Customer Stories

On August 21, a total solar eclipse will take place in the U.S. for the first time since 1979.

“It began with no ado,” wrote Annie Dillard of the event 38 years ago. “It was odd that such a well-advertised public event should have no starting gun, no overture, no introductory speaker. I should have known right then that I was out of my depth.”

Viewers of this year’s eclipse can expect the same wonder that Dillard describes in her now-famous essay, but those who tune into NASA’s 2017 live broadcast will hear commentary, too.

The eclipse has captured the world’s attention, but it’s not the only event NASA will live stream this year. Online video plays an important, dual role for the space organization. Its regular live broadcasts, using CDNs and services like IBM’s video streaming, are a way to communicate with the public whose tax dollars support its missions, while video is also an indispensable internal tool for research and development.

IBM today announced at IBC 2016 that Roland Corporation has selected IBM’s video streaming platform to live stream the musical instrument company’s historic, 24 hour international music festival and product launch. Beginning on September 9 at 4:00pm UTC, the showcase event will span major cities like Tokyo, London, Los Angeles, and Paris, and feature live musical performances and more than 30 product launches, leveraging IBM’s cloud based video platform.

As a long-time client of IBM, Roland will expand its use of Ustream’s Pro Broadcasting service to broadcast from eight international cities throughout the 24-hour period. Having used Pro Broadcasting to create a regular cadence of live streamed product reviews and artist interviews, “The Future. Redefined.” brings an unprecedented level of scale to the viewing experience by tapping into a multi-CDN infrastructure with Ustream’s SD-CDN technology that has been used to serve live content globally to more than one million concurrent viewers on a single stream. Hosted on the cloud, IBM’s video streaming services are able to provide massive scalability with no additional investment in infrastructure or resources. Roland also leverages the Ustream Align streaming video platform for internal communications including sales enablement initiatives and company and personnel news.

“In the last several years, we have seen an explosion in how video is being used across enterprises, both as a means of internal communication, as well as a way to engage with existing and future customers via the cloud,” said Brad Hunstable, CEO of Ustream, an IBM Company. “‘The Future. Redefined.’ is a ground breaking event, and one that solidifies Roland is taking an innovative approach to connecting with consumers by creating a compelling customer experience that will drive the business forward.”

“‘The Future. Redefined.’ elevates our commitment to connecting with our community in a unique and engaging way,” said Christian Delfino, Vice President, Product Management, Roland Corporation U.S. “To make this event a reality, we needed a platform with proven scale and reliability to create an experience that will resonate with the artists we serve. In the course of our work with Ustream, it was clear that IBM was the ideal collaborator in developing this innovative event.”

During “The Future. Redefined.” Roland will unveil new synthesizers, digital pianos, electronic drums, DJ equipment, BOSS guitar related products, and a new genre of musical instrument never offered before by Roland. The Los Angeles grand finale event will be broadcast starting at 7:00pm PDT from a private VIP event held at Six01 Studio in Los Angeles, featuring artist performances by Echosmith, Saint Motel, Judith Hill, DJ Pierrre, and more. To take part in “The Future. Redefined.” you can visit  tfr.roland.com and use #909day.

Drivers, start your engines! The 2016 Mazda MX-5 Cup is returning to the Virginia International Raceway for the first time since 2012, and you are not going to want to miss the action. It is also your chance to watch the all-new fourth generation Mazda MX-5 Miata, recently announced right here on IBM’s video streaming services.

Connecting people through the power of live video technology is something we take very seriously here at Ustream. After all, by 2017 80% of all the world data will be video! But there is only one thing that we feel even more passionate about, and that is our love for dogs. At any given moment there are no less than 2 canines lounging around the Ustream office, and each one is treated as an equal member of the team. Even as we were in discussions with IBM, one thing was very clear. The dogs stay. Which is probably why the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show is truly the must watch event of the year. More than 2,000 dogs are vying for the ultimate title of best in show, and we all have our favorites.

The festivities kicked off Monday 2/15 at Madison Square Garden in New York City with the winners of the herding, non-sporting, toy and hound groups selected. Tonight we will learn who is the top dog in the sporting, working and terrier groups, leading up to the highly anticipated Best in Show announcement! And since an event this size entails far more action than can be captured on a single channel, the Westminster Kennel Club has dedicated 8 Ustream channels to bring you live action from every single ring.

Tune in LIVE tonight at 5:00 PST to learn who takes home Best in Show! 

CES 2016 has wrapped up and this one was quite the show. Aside from the smart cars, televisions, virtual reality and wearable gadgets, we also saw companies push the envelope with connected home devices and technology that promises to not only make our lives easier, but to also learn as we grow. And just like years in the past, IBM’s video streaming service was again the place to be to stay up on all the action and exclusive streaming content. Companies like IBM itself, Sony and Samsung all utilized the service to help broadcast their announcements live to the world, and here are a few highlights from this years biggest keynotes:

Today is the eve of CES 2016 and it sounds like Sony is ready to give us quite a show. The rumor mill has been bustling with speculation, with the most popular theories all being hardware related. Cameras? Headphones? Camcorders? Maybe even a Smart Watch? Any way you slice it we are in for a treat. Sony’s CES 2016 press conference kicks off on Tuesday, January 5 at 5:00pm PST in Las Vegas, and you can watch the entire announcement live here exclusively on Ustream.

Ustream has a long history of working with Sony, most recently as part of the huge Playstation 4 announcement at E3 in 2013.

“When we launched the Playstation 4, we were trying to start the conversation on the next generation of game platforms.” says Michael Brynteson, Executive Producer/Senior Manager of Video Production at Sony of America “The biggest benefit of Ustream is the amount of people you are able to touch and reach at one given time, we thought maybe we would get a few people watching us, but we ended up with millions. People measure success in eyeballs these days, and I think Ustream has been able to provide the biggest and best outreach there is possible”

To learn more about how Ustream helps Sony live stream their event, watch our exclusive testimonial.

This Veterans Day, IBM will provide live streaming services for The Concert For Valor – a free concert to honor America’s veterans.

Not so long ago, your typical small business was a neighborhood mom-and-pop shop that served a small, local clientele.

Fast forward to 2014, and small businesses are just as likely as IBM to have a truly global presence, with team members and customers located around the world.

With a worldwide footprint comes the need to communicate with audiences thousands of miles away, which can be a challenge for lean-and-mean companies. That’s where Ustream comes in.

Ustream enables thousands of small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to realize the benefits of live streaming video. Our clients include some of the most innovative, dynamic SMBs around — businesses like Foster City, California–based Zuora.

Founded in 2007 by three guys in a tiny office, Zuora enables businesses to launch and monetize subscription products and services through its subscription management software. Today the company employs more than 400 professionals at its headquarters in California and at satellite offices throughout North America, Europe, and China.

As you can imagine, managing a team whose locations span nine time zones can be quite a challenge, especially for a small business. How do you keep all your employees engaged and aligned with your mission while still keeping a small-company feel?

Zuora’s leadership found their solution in live streaming video, provided by Ustream. The company began broadcasting its weekly meetings, enabling employees around the world to offer input and ask questions in real time.

But that was just the beginning: Now the company uses Ustream live video to evangelize their brand message. Last year the broadcast of their Subscribed conference in San Francisco attracted more than 20,000 viewers. “That blew away our expectations,” says CMO Brian Bell. “We never expected to get that many watching it live and engaging in the conversation. In fact, it was so successful that when we did the event again in London, we also chose Ustream.”

Read more about Zuora and check out their Ustream channel.