Video is ubiquitous in our personal and professional lives now. Companies are investing big in the robust video communication strategy with rewards often out-measuring the investment by multiple digits. Though enterprise video has emerged as the next best thing for companies at this point, it is not a “one size fits all” affair, owing to the diverging business infrastructures. Like all enterprise video services are not apt for your business, not every video solution can help your company achieve the targeted objectives. Here are five things you should consider before choosing an enterprise video platform for your company.
Security Arrangement
The first thing that strikes the mind of the users about a digital platform is the ease of use. Secondary to that is security, but since this is enterprise data we are talking, these points need to swap places. Security features in abundance guard most enterprise video platforms, but much of that is excess. You need to cut through the chase and see if the ones that matter most are in place or not. Content authentication, permit-oriented authentication and Active Directory are the ones to look out for. These features encrypt media assets, blockade access through pass codes and other forms of authentication and prevent all kinds of cyber encroachment attempts.
Mobile Strategy
So, you need to know if the platform is compatible with the smart handheld devices that are sending ripples through the market. They are the handiest devices you have when on the go and accessibility through these amazing gadgets should be a priority consideration. Look for mobile content delivery service though there might be few providers that offer this. Others like to keep the access restricted through laptops and desktops alone because of public internet security and extranet breaches. Do enquire about the content caching protocols of the company in question.
SharePoint Feature
Use of SharePoint over the last few years has seen a marked rise among enterprises. The rates have gone up so much so that even EVPs have now come to integrate SharePoint as a function in their designs. Compiling enterprise data into PDFs and slide decks is a great way of arranging information in a digestible form for those accessing the files. In fact, if the EVP concerned has native synchronization with SharePoint, then it can optimize the search capability of the platform. This is an advantage for the users as it makes conveying a message or updating the employees about a new change so much easier.
ABR Strategy
ABR or Adaptive Bitrate is a little more on the technical side, but nothing really that you cannot gain an understanding about. Shedding a little light may help you get an idea. Content at this point of time are mostly edited and documented in audio and video formats. These form the basics of enterprise media distribution. So, why ABR when there are so many other strategies already in use for the same reason? The thing with ABR or Adaptive Bitrate is that with it, you can serve content to smaller screens like mobile phones and even to desktop applications, and this requires no more than the regular HTTP servers.
Transcoding
Transcoding is colossal and if you think that legal format conversion is as far as they get you, then you are only halfway there. You will need transcoding for recordings of audio content and post-production processing to be formatted for public viewing on web portals.
If the enterprise video platform in question satisfies all the mentioned criteria, then it might be a green signal for you. However, do consider the price factor too before signing up a subscription with them.
