COVID-19 has driven a massive jump in enterprise adoption and video use. In
this related No Jitter article, I previously noted that more than 91% of the 528 companies we observed for our global research study, "
Visual Communications and Collaboration: 2020-21," are now using video conferencing tools to support virtual work. But conferencing isn’t the only use of video that’s spiking — streaming and sharing are also seeing similar growth rates.
For decades, companies have supported video streaming use cases for executive town halls, distance learning, and playback of recorded meetings. More recently, organizations have seen a jump in demand for employee-generated video largely due to a workforce that has matured using YouTube, Instagram, and in the last year or so, TikTok, to share and consume video content. With the near-ubiquitous availability of cameras in computers and mobile devices, it’s no wonder that workers would increasingly select video to express thoughts or share updates rather than text-based standards like email and group messaging.
Supporting such uses cases creates challenges for IT and business leaders to ensure that the network is capable of transmitting ever-increasing numbers and sizes of video files and that video content is managed in a way that meets compliance and governance needs. To succeed, organizations must:
- Implement a video content management system (VCMS) – a VCMS provides a central repository for video content as well as the means to enforce sharing policies. It also provides a way for employees to find video assets that are related to their jobs, and may even allow for easy sharing of video outside the organization. In our study, nearly 42% of companies now have an VCMS, up from just 11.3% in 2018. With a VCMS absent, employees are likely to share the video via email or upload large video clips to file shares.
- Implement an enterprise content delivery network (ECDN) – as individuals transition back to the office, either full or part-time, an ECDN is critical to ensuring optimal delivery of streaming video without negatively impacting other apps. More than 37% now use or are planning to use, an ECDN, up from 7.4% in 2018.
- Harmonize your internal and external streaming strategy – more than 18% have separate platforms for streaming video content to employees and supporting external feeds, marketing, training, or webinars. Integrating distinct platforms offers the potential to reduce cost and simplify video content administration.
- Implement video-sharing policies – only 43% currently have the means to review and approve video content before it is made available for sharing. With this policy absent, organizations run the risk of inadvertently sharing potentially harmful content and not being able to meet appropriate governance or regulatory requirements.
- Plan for growth – More than 66% of companies notice an increase in video content generation and sharing. As noted previously, changes in workforce demographics and the entry into the workforce of those who have always shared and consumed video should drive exponential growth in streaming video across the enterprise.
Fortunately for IT leaders, the VCMS and ECDN markets offer robust options that support deployment models, including on-premises, cloud, and hybrid, along with varying licensing and billing types. My advice? Cast a wide net for available solutions and pay special attention to those that integrate with current meeting platforms and endpoints as video-capture sources. Make sure you have a proactive strategy for video content management and distribution to ensure success.
