3Q SDN: Intelligent Streaming Solutions for Optimized Media Workflow

Online video streaming has emerged as the toast of the town with the Content Delivery Network (CDN) ecosystem abuzz with trends such as content based load balancing and Software as a Service (SaaS) based rich media solutions. The distribution of media content on digital or IP based networks has been greatly influenced by the change in content consumption patterns and the need for accelerated delivery of web content. “The way you transfer media content has changed and the expectations of end-users for reliable, seamless, and high-quality streaming over the internet have increased,” explains Julius Thomas, CEO, 3Q Medien GmbH.

With leading organizations looking for solutions that cater to their data streaming needs, a Potsdam based German firm, 3Q Medien GmbH, has built an end-to-end solution that efficiently manages the entire walkthrough that involves ingesting, preparing content, and then delivering the dynamically generated content to end-users. Multiple streaming formats coupled with quick response times and high throughput are the key features of 3Q Medien’s streaming platform 3Q Stream Delivery Network (SDN). A client can publish their visual content within a short timeframe as the enterprise video platform—already a part of the company’s CDN—auto-generates the formats for content distribution on any programmable channel.

The technological evolution in the CDN arena has gained momentum over the last few years, with web browsers and smart device manufacturers expected to keep pace with these new developments. Nevertheless, the trends in CDN today are veering toward providing consolidated solutions that encompass encoding, transcoding, asset management, and accelerated live streaming options. “With our asset management, web property owners can easily organize high value content and distribute it to their audience,” elucidates Thomas.

Juwelo TV, a teleshopping TV station based in Berlin has incorporated 3Q Medien’s live streaming feature. For a teleshopping channel that sells jewellery, the delay between the production and delivery of its live streams can make a crucial difference. 3Q Medien developed the optimal Over-The-Top (OTT) content walkthrough solution, after which the client prepared for its delivery to multiple devices along with a quick response time combined with the company’s player solution. This particular feature is available with all HTTP streaming formats and the streams are recorded for archiving once they are delivered. “With our own last mile caching layer and video routing policy, we provide a scalable and reliable infrastructure for any kind of live event,” reveals Thomas.

The focus of 3Q Medien’s streaming service is on streaming formats that are transmitted over HTTP—such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) and MPEG-DASH—moving away Real Time Messaging Protocol (RTMP). The firm wants to continue focusing on quality infrastructure technologies by expanding its product portfolio with new services such as cloud storage and options to collect and access large amounts of data. Being the only German live streaming services provider with an independent infrastructure, 3Q Medien wants to keep its software and hardware components in its own hands and is particularly keen on developing CDN solutions based on HTML5 soon. “Over the next few years we will continue our growth and provide reliable and best-of-breed solutions,” concludes Thomas.