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sense; monitoring capability can be installed
and scaled almost instantly, and the look and
feel of the virtualised probes is identical to
the hardware probes elsewhere in the
network.
Rohde & Schwarz: To monitor cloudbased content delivery it is important to
provide monitoring solutions that can be
deployed in cloud-based environments
and make it possible to detect the cloudspecific problems. Monitoring a service
running over the cloud using a platform
running in the cloud makes total sense. But
what is definitely essential is that the
monitoring system should also include
comprehensive ‘post-cloud’ data from the
viewer’s end, to monitor the service at the
point of consumption, after it has passed
through the CDN and whatever cloud-based
infrastructure that includes.
S3: Yes. We have been at the forefront of
moving some aspects of T&M out of the
provide additional elasticity and scalability
for T&M suites enabling them to react to
peaks in demand that often accompany
major new product or feature introductions.
However, there is a limit to what can be
“Our viewers don’t live in the
cloud, so monitoring cannot
be constrained to it.”
done in the cloud. Ultimately, what
matters most is what consumers actually
experience on their devices, so T&M
systems must be flexible enough to work
both in virtual environments and the real
world where they can interface with
customer devices to validate service
rendering and quality.
Tektronix: If content is in the cloud, from a
workflow perspective it is better for the QC
to be in the cloud. That is why we introduced
our own cloud QC solution, specifically for
‘closed’ lab environment and into the cloud
to provide greater accessibility to the cross
functional teams that are becoming a more
common way of organising for agile
continuous delivery and DevOps.
Additionally, moving elements to the cloud
Accenture acquires S3 TV Technology
Global consultancy firm
Accenture has entered into
an agreement to acquire
S3 TV Technology, a
business unit of Dublinheadquartered S3 Group
that delivers consultancy,
automated testing, service
monitoring and diagnostic
solutions to video service
providers globally. S3 TV
Technology is comprised
of all the TV technology
resources and assets of S3
Group. Accenture will
integrate S3 TV
Technology’s StormTest
automated testing
platform and video
consulting capabilities
with Accenture Digital
Video Services software
and solutions, which is
part of Accenture’s
Communications, Media
and Technology group.
This new combination will
help video service
providers enhance the
quality and performance of
their services in an
increasingly competitive
18 EUROMEDIA
and evolving market.
The addition of S3 TV
Technology will expand
Accenture’s global video
consulting, systems
integration and automated
testing capabilities across all
video industry segments
including cable operators,
broadcasters,
communications service
providers and new entrants
in digital TV. S3 TV
Technology also provides
the StormTest platform that
enables video service
providers to continuously
test and optimise all aspects
of services to improve user
experience throughout the
service delivery lifecycle.
Upon closing of the
acquisition, Accenture
Digital Video Services will
strengthen and augment its
capabilities to help video
businesses create and
evolve high quality products
that can access linear
content through broadband
(IP) and broadcast networks
and non-linear services such
as catch-up TV and VoD
through broadband
networks. These services
will be integrated with
industrialised DevOps
capabilities that foster an
agile, continuous delivery
approach to product
development and enable
video businesses to leverage
cloud and device-based
technologies in order to
quickly launch, monitor, and
iterate their products into
the marketplace.
“In th H