Live enterprise video streaming driving market disruption

A more visually driven workplace

"People are visual, so it makes sense that communications are moving to more visual mediums," said David Maldow, founder of market research firm Let's Do Video, located in Davie, Fla. Video has become an expectation in the workplace, leading organizations to add an increasing number of video use cases, such as project updates and weekly work summaries, he said.

Organizations now view live video broadcasting as a necessity and are looking for complete offerings that include live video to eliminate a multivendor approach, according to the Aragon report.

Previously, video conferencing and live video were separate markets. Live enterprise video streaming capabilities were handled by specialized, often costly, audiovisual integrators, like Creston, said Irwin Lazar, analyst at Nemertes Research, located in Mokena, Ill.

Live broadcasting had a high barrier of entry that usually entailed elaborate lighting setups, as well as complicated audio and video equipment that required a specialized team and resources, he said.

Video collaboration vendors, like Microsoft, have eliminated the need for third-party integrators by introducing their own offerings. Microsoft Stream, for example, provides live video integration for Office 365 users, Lazar said.

Now, expectations for live enterprise video streaming have shifted to match the expectations of video calling. Vendors are now addressing the expectation that video should be simple to purchase, set up and manage, Maldow said. Zoom's webinar platform, for example, uses the same technology as its video calling platform, he said.

Zoom and Cisco are also disrupting the live video space by adding capabilities typically offered by dedicated live video providers, such as content management and distribution capabilities, Lazar said.

Rising demand for user-generated video

Organizations have an increased interest in end user-created video content. A growing number of providers have simplified the processes for creating and editing video, making it faster and easier to publish user-generated content, according to the Aragon report.

We're seeing organizations come to the conclusion that users are making video whether it's authorized or not.

End users are realizing information-based tasks can be improved or replaced with video, Maldow said. Instead of sending out a weekly email recap or having everyone dial in for a conference call, team leaders can make a quick video that covers pertinent information, he said.

"We're seeing organizations come to the conclusion that users are making video whether it's authorized or not," Lazar said. Unauthorized user-made video creates headaches for IT, he added.

First, it's difficult to manage the content in user-created videos. If end users are recording video on their phones, IT can't monitor for problems like copyright and language. Additionally, organizations risk sensitive information being shared outside of the company.

The second IT headache is where user-created videos are saved and shared. Video files take up a significant amount of space. When users are creating and sharing video across company collaboration apps unchecked, organizations may quickly run out of available storage and need to purchase more. Organizations also risk being unable to save and share important collaboration files, Lazar said.

Organizations need to create a proactive strategy for user-generated video. Content management platforms, for example, use AI to look for copyright issues and can filter for specific language. Providing a dedicated platform for user-generated video enables better management to mitigate these IT headaches, Lazar said.

Video analytics shift to focus on meeting productivity

Enterprise video analytics have moved beyond monitoring how well video systems are working to evaluating how productive a video session is, Maldow said. Now, analytics can provide IT teams information about who is using video technology and how.

Video analytics can track the number of participants on a call and compare it to how many participants were invited. Those numbers can be used to determine if rooms are being used effectively. If a room meant for eight people is routinely being used for video calls by one individual, it's an indicator that IT needs to reconsider room configurations, Maldow said.

Some platforms can track how often call participants speak, giving better insight into meeting collaboration and productivity. Analytics that monitor meeting content rather than call quality provide a better picture of how effective video meetings are, Maldow said.

Editing capabilities grab market attention

"We're seeing a lot of capabilities from the consumer side of the video transition into a business setting," Maldow said.

One way vendors are differentiating enterprise video offerings with consumer features is with editing capabilities.

A green screen can be added to the background of a video for a more dynamic experience. With a green screen, for example, webinar hosts can walk through specific websites and reports without having participants pull up external documentation, Maldow said.

Another capability that has transitioned from consumer video streaming to enterprise video streaming is the ability to highlight specific clips. If something comes up in a video session that needs attention from someone outside the meeting, a clip of the meeting containing important information can be highlighted and sent to the appropriate party, Maldow said.