No-Code Orchestration Enables Next-Generation Media Technology

The TV business is going through substantial change, requiring creativity, adaptivity and flexibility. For example, over-the-top (OTT) media services and video on demand (VOD) have disrupted traditional cable, satellite television, and broadcast operators, opening the competition to a broader range of streaming services. Further, high-bandwidth 5G services will enhance the popularity and use of OTT platforms because 5G offers consumers the flexibility to download or stream content wherever they wish.

In response, traditional TV operators are looking for new ways to capture subscribers’ interest and remain relevant in the industry. In this context, OTT platforms, such as Android TV, are an attractive option for operators because they offer a superior, future-proof entertainment experience.

Orchestrators work by combining automated tasks into a workflow that delivers a service according to customer requests.

 

Android TV: An OTT Ecosystem

Android TV is attractive to operators for several reasons. In addition to being available on a wide range of devices, the OTT ecosystem available through Google Play brings together thousands of apps that operators can instantly tie into. However, as content grows, so does the need for a superior, differentiated, consistent user experience flowing across all client platforms and backed by a robust cloud service that’s flexible, agile and scalable.

Android TV also provides operators with a path to delivering streaming apps alongside local and live programming. As operators keep their brand on subscribers’ TVs, they can offer a modern interface, voice control, apps via the Google Play app store and federated search of life and recorded content.

Nevertheless, to adopt Android TV, operators must consolidate their BSS/OSS systems to more scalable and modern architectures, reduce network and product maintenance expenses, and deliver excellent customer experiences.

Simple Android TV Adoption

Adopting Android TV is simple with a no-code, cloud-native orchestrator, which works by combining automated tasks into a workflow that delivers a service according to customer requests. These automated tasks include provisioning and deploying servers, virtual machines, storage space and other computing resources. Orchestration tools can also integrate security and permissions checks. The ability to effectively orchestrate automated tasks on the cloud delivers numerous benefits for communications service providers (CSPs):

1. Network infrastructure adaptability results in improved resource utilization. Network orchestration programs can help organizations dynamically discover the state of resource allocation within the network. This allows operators to optimize resource utilization by removing manual interventions. Ultimately, the infrastructure’s ability to adapt to web requirements enables businesses to improve opex and lower service costs. Thus, network orchestration directly impacts a business’s bottom line through optimized resource utilization capabilities.
2. Intuitive self-service provides great customer experience. Network orchestration and automation enable intuitive, self-service capabilities for customers. This includes auto-discovery and innovative pre-registration processes that streamline the entire service-activation mechanism. It also allows bandwidth scalability as per network users’ requirements. With more people opting for 5G, this is crucial to maintaining quality service.
   
   Thus, having an automated, intuitive self-service mechanism through network orchestration is an excellent way to guarantee superior-user experience.
3. Reduced service control complexity means faster time to market. The real-time inventory data and appropriate resource allocations allow robust infrastructure provisioning capabilities. This, in turn, dramatically reduces the service control complexities within the system. As a result, services can now be provided quickly, even in multilayer, multivendor systems, and CSPs can significantly reduce latency and offer high-quality products with lesser turnaround time.
   
   Lower time to market, in this case, allows organizations to add value for customers – both businesses and individual subscribers.
4. Automated service order fulfillment creates an adaptive, effective network. Network orchestration processes have built-in mechanisms for automated service order fulfillment. This lays the path for self-managing and a brilliant network, which can effectively use analytics, become self-healing and adapt according to the needs of its customers. Having an effectively adaptive network is a cornerstone business value proposition in the telecom world.
   
   Network orchestration enables businesses to deliver quality service with low latency and scalability while maintaining a collaborative, protected communication environment. It also allows identifying potential threats to the system and taking the necessary actions appropriately. All in all, this is a critical factor in determining opex and the bottom line.

The Bottom Line

Android TV is a great option to help maintain a CSP’s competitive position and generate new revenue streams. It integrates a multijourney user experience that offers advanced TV services and secures access to the best content rights. It provides operators with a future-proof platform to monetize video content effectively, increasing ARPU while reducing churn.

The optimal way to drive and provision these OTT services is through a no-code, cloud-native orchestration and provisioning platform that enables the operation of Android TV with multitenant support. This helps to simplify integrations, consolidate operations, and reuse business workflows across different operating countries. Using a workflow-driven, multidomain service orchestrator, CSPs can expand services through a centralized platform that provides the flexibility to achieve their goals: going digital, driving convergence and providing the best customer experience.

Diego Ambuhl is the product portfolio director at Intraway, which provides fulfillment and assurance solutions to help global telecommunications operators create the networks of the future.

Diego Ambuhl