By Christina Kwan
Vbrick unveils its next-generation enterprise video distribution strategy with new HTML5 multicast capability, another integrated component of its Rev enterprise video platform.
The new service uses HTML5 to play a single, encrypted, high-quality live video stream that is efficiently multicast across edge servers comprising the Rev enterprise Content Delivery Network (eCDN optimized local caching). The service is a bandwidth efficient alternative to using Flash or peer-to-peer HTTP Live Streaming (HLS agents) which send masses of unicast streams to individuals, draining available bandwidth on corporate wide area networks.
Unlike other offerings on the market, which require customers to manually configure servers, Vbrick has taken a ‘zero configuration’ approach; enabling users to practically ‘check a box’ in Rev to enable HTML5 multicasting across their organizations. Rev uniquely offers this user-friendly approach using its own, centrally managed first-party eCDN to efficiently deliver live and recorded video at the network’s edge, where it’s closest to end users. The Rev eCDN includes the Rev video management platform, Vbrick Distributed Media Engines (DME) – media caching, storage and streaming nodes, and Vbrick’s own Mesh architecture – which enables peer-to-peer nodal communication between DMEs. Similar to commercial content delivery networks, Vbrick’s Mesh architecture allows for DMEs to self-discover one another to create a shared global cache, without requiring point-to-point configuration among nodes.
The new HTML5 multicast service uses all the same automated and advanced distribution capabilities of the Rev eCDN, giving customers automated deployment, centralized management and advanced video WAN optimization capabilities. Through the Mesh interconnected DMEs, live streams and on demand videos are automatically shared, distributed, cached, and WAN accelerated. For video-on demand, the eCDN’s optimized local caching increases playback to increase playback quality while reducing external and internal bandwidth demands.
The service also will support Rev’s advanced, dual-stream video conferencing streaming and recording output to allow end users to customize their viewing experience, enlarging video or content windows as desired.
Vbrick showcased the new capability at booth #1936 at Enterprise Connect. The service currently available to beta customers is expected to be commercially available for Rev customers by Spring 2018.
“Our customers championed the importance of multicast as the best solution for efficiently delivering live video across their networks,” said Shelly Heiden, CEO of Vbrick. “As the recognized leaders in video distribution technology, we were able to design a simple and efficient solution that would meet their needs and give the assurance of video delivery across browsers, devices and OS’ for the foreseeable future,” Heiden said.