In Broadcast - March 2015 - 22

www.inbroadcast.com | Vol: 5 - Issue 3 | March 2015

InReply

Broadcast, IPTV, Telecoms Reacting To Cultural Changes
MultiCast Consultancy's CEO David Philips discusses the cultural changes of our industry...
InBroadcast: Describe the vision
for MultiCast Consultancy?
David Philips: Historically, broadcast meant transmitting audio and
video to a 'broad' range of people and
over a 'broad' area. The technology
required was unique, and required a
specialised set of engineering and production skills to fulﬁl this.
In the 21st century, the term
'broadcast'
is
becoming
more
ubiquitous as technologies have
accelerated beyond all expectations.
These advances are being made in
months rather than years, with the
rate of change ever increasing, and
the scope of broadcast ever growing.
The technology has become far more
complex whilst irreversibly moving
into the IT sphere, which in itself is one
of the key enablers to this change.
The major driving force of the
way the broadcast business has and
is changing, from both ﬁnancial
and technical perspectives, is the
convergence with the Internet and
the plethora of devices and second
screens, which are completely altering
the expectations of end consumers
in how they wish to utilise
the programme content
now available to them.
Broadcast
is
now
ﬁrmly based on the
wider IP, networks
and
telecoms
technologies,
with
less proprietary
broadcast

MultiCast Consultancy's Directors
David Philips (left) & Dermot Casey (right)

hardware being deployed.
The number of mobile or internet
connected devices will soon exceed
the total number of people on planet
earth. The implications of this are
immense: users will be consuming
more of their media on the move, and
a broadcaster must adapt to reach
such an audience.
Staying abreast of these changes
is an increasing issue for many
companies who need investment
in equipment and infrastructure,
whether it is on a capital or leasing
basis, to be cost effective.
A major reason for this happening
is the major shift in the revenue
models of their businesses, with more
uncertainty in the revenue with it
often distributed on a lesser but more
frequent basis, rather than in fewer
large capital receipts.
These business needs create the
opportunity for new ways of thinking
and a new breed of technology
expert has emerged. Thus, we now
have a relatively new position, that
of the 'hybrid' engineer - someone
who has a strong grasp of the
historical operational requirements of
broadcasters, coupled with an
understanding how these can
be implemented using the
latest IT technologies.
The economic reality is
such that all investment
and changes in technology,
needs to be delivered at
a cost that allows

the business to ﬂourish. Being able to
realise this reality is again a different
prospect from how the broadcast
business has been operated up to the
last decade.
A favoured and commercially
sensible strategy is to engage on
a case-by-case basis and only for
the required time. This is best
undertaken with a team of expert
and pragmatic consultants that blend
together to deliver the best choice of
equipment and implementation, in a
rapid and cost effective deployment
engagement.
InB: What is your view of the
current state of the market?
DP: The broadcast landscape is
changing ever more rapidly and at a
pace that could scarcely have been
predicted, with the transition to an IP
environment driving this change.
The technologies are fast evolving -
it's an exciting time and companies can
be held back by existing infrastructure
limitations, lack of detailed knowledge
and resources relating to modern
technologies.
Advances in distribution capacity
a n d IP infrastructure (for satellite,
cable, terrestrial and
broadband) and the
speed of connected
devices,
can
lead to huge
opportunities for
many businesses.
Businesses that

will thrive in this new on-demand age
will need to invest in order to stay
ahead and meet market demands.
All connected media companies,
not just the traditional broadcasters,
are seeking to utilise these new
technologies to gain a market
advantage.
Finding the best advice and
assistance on the effect of these
changes is vital to ensure maximum
business growth.
Multicast offer expert consultants,
who fully comprehend these new
technologies and the business strategy
needed to deliver the best results.
InB: Give some details of your new
company's services?
DP: We cover a very broad range of
services that are wanted in the fast
changing environment of Broadcast,
IPTV and Telecoms. Our ability to
service requests extends from existing
broadcasters, through to companies
not historically associated with the
media markets.
We additionally provide consulting
resources to those suppliers and
manufacturers seeking to grow and set
up their businesses in new territories.
Our very large network allows us to
connect the right people together,
whether they be suppliers or end
clients.
InB: Which territories are showing
particular activity?
DP: We are offering our services
in the UK, Europe and Middle East
regions initially. There are differing
demands and requirements in many
countries and with our ﬂexible
approach, we adapt our services
accordingly.
The current market has areas of
higher and lesser activity and we
can give that agility to companies to
'resource up' depending on changes
to the business, allowing them to more
efﬁciently manage their overheads.
InB: Thank you for taking the time
to answer our questions.

http://www.inbroadcast.com http://www.multicastconsultancy.com/

In Broadcast - March 2015

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