The Cost of the Cloud
During the pandemic cloud-based workflows have offered a life-raft for media and broadcast organisations operating remotely. Initially used by some as a necessity to simply maintain services during lockdown, organisations have since seen the benefits of a cloud-based infrastructure. A flexible spin-up/spin-down environment delivers significant benefits for companies responding to changing circumstances and the idea of reduced capex investment is certainly attractive.
However, uncertainty around cloud provider costs can make some stakeholders cautious. Many businesses are unclear on what the fluctuating operating costs of the cloud might look like for their particular business model. This can make organisations wary of integrating the cloud into well-established workflows. We have all heard the horror stories associated with high egress fees and therefore hesitancy is understandable – however, it is also limiting. The flexibility offered by the cloud can transform processes, as well as maximise efficiency and resources, leaving space for post-production departments to focus on creativity. With the cloud delivering significant benefits, are there ways of managing its costs effectively?
Getting the Basics Right
Media workflows are often complex and intricate, with no two post-production departments functioning in the exact same way. It can be all too easy for processes to become cluttered and cumbersome with huge file sizes to contend with. This is particularly noticeable in large media organisations and broadcasters, where resources can get caught up in workflows which have developed slowly over a long period of time.
By planning systems integration carefully and implementing a clear management and monitoring infrastructure, organisations can use the cloud with confidence. Not only is this beneficial in terms of productivity and ease of use, but it also prevents an unnecessary upward drive of costs caused by data-heavy workflows.
It is critical that businesses are supported with the right expertise, through the transition to next-gen technology, to truly understand their usage and select the most beneficial path. The success of cloud-based infrastructure will be heavily influenced by real-time consumption monitoring to maximise the capabilities of workflows. Monitoring will allow businesses to streamline and respond to demands, and a sophisticated system will ensure users can scale both up and down as required.
Flexibility is one of the main appeals of the cloud. Monitoring and management allow businesses to utilise a truly scalable tool, whilst remaining confident that the correct measures are in place to deliver operational efficiencies. Find out more about our Remote Edit Dashboard here. The easy to use, deployment and management platform that’s not just for techies.
