SAM PETERSON: The rise of digital technology marked a significant shift in storage solutions. Firstly, digital tapes and hard drives started to replace traditional physical formats. These storage media solved a lot of the previous problems as they were more accessible, had higher capacity and were durable, but they still had limitations. The real transformation came with adopting cloud storage, which offers scalable, secure and cost-effective solutions. Cloud-based systems allow for easy access, sharing and management of large media files, vastly improving efficiency and collaboration across the industry. In addition, it also abstracts the physical from the logical storage and can simplify the ways in which we interface with storage. JON FINEGOLD: What we’re seeing is the majority of media companies using a wide array of storage types including both file and object storage, on-premises and public cloud storage, across locations and more and more are employing multiple cloud providers. Different workflows have different requirements and so maintaining flexibility and agility is key. For example, we see a lot of post-production workflows using high- performance on-premises file storage where
quick access is key – and many distribution workflows moving to the cloud where elasticity and scalability are critical. It continues to be a moving target. During the pandemic, we saw a huge surge in cloud storage being deployed out of necessity and now we’re seeing many workloads being moved back to on-premises to better manage costs. On our platform – which moves petabytes of high- value media every day – we have seen a 134% increase in cloud storage and a 304% increase in the use of on-premises storage. On-premises is actually growing faster than cloud.
Different workflows have different requirements, so flexibility is key
WHY IS CLOUD΄S IMPACT SO IMPORTANT?
Additionally, cloud solutions improved redundancy and disaster-recovery options, reducing the risk of data loss. This shift not only improved operational efficiency but also allowed for greater flexibility and agility in managing data, which is crucial for the fast-evolving demands of the M&E industry. ROBERT SZABÓ-ROWE: Cloud storage has had a transformative impact on the M&E industry for several reasons. First and foremost, it is inherently scalable, allowing broadcasters to expand their storage capacity without the limitations of physical infrastructure. This scalability is especially valuable as content sizes increase, and storage needs fluctuate. Unlike traditional storage systems, where broadcasters had to plan and provision resources well in advance, cloud storage allows them to pay only for what they use. This flexibility enables broadcasters to respond to changing demands in real time, accessing content on-demand without the need for extensive forward planning. Another significant advantage is the ability to replicate storage solutions across different data centres. This not only enhances the reliability and availability of content but also ensures that broadcasters can quickly recover from potential failures or disasters by accessing their data from multiple locations. Broadcasters are no longer constrained by the geographical limitations of physical storage, so content is more accessible.
ERIC TANG: Prior to cloud technology, managing large volumes of data required significant on- premises infrastructure, including servers, storage devices and maintenance staff. This set-up was not only expensive but also cumbersome, with scalability issues that made it difficult to keep pace with growing data-storage requirements. Cloud storage changed the status quo by providing a scalable alternative that allowed companies to store and access data without the need for extensive physical infrastructure. It enabled greater operational efficiency and simplicity, as businesses could leverage cloud services to handle large datasets with minimal upfront investment and maintenance costs.
feedmagazine.tv
Powered by FlippingBook