Video consumption is growing rapidly, as people access it in nontraditional ways, such as the Internet and on mobile devices. The millions of clips on YouTube prove that they also enjoy creating video and sharing it as much as watching it, now that they have the means and opportunity to do so. As the learning curve and investments in time, preparation and equipment have gone down, more and more people are utilizing video and bringing it into the workplace.
In speaking to many enterprises, we find that user-generated video content is increasing beyond IT’s ability to manage it. What’s become difficult for IT is the fact that this rise in video content is actually being used for business purposes. Therefore, the answer is not to ban it, but find a way to bring in some governance.
Unfortunately, traditional enterprise content management (ECM) systems are not enough to deal with the plethora of video content that is now produced in enterprises. Video files are way greater in size as compared to documents and images. In fact, even relatively short video files can exceed the limits of most ECM systems.
Another factor is that video files are streamed and not downloaded like documents or images. This streaming can greatly impact the network. I’ve spoken recently even to many IT executives who lamented how the recent FIFA 2014 World Cup games brought such massive amounts of streaming video that it had a crippling effect on enterprise networks. Video is a dynamic file type in regards to how it can be accessed.
Searching for video files also requires specific capabilities that go beyond what traditional ECM systems can offer. You may need to search for and go to specific points in a video. You may need to convert speech-to-text and search for specific words. You may also want usage data and analytics about who watched a video and for how long. This is valuable if it is used for training purposes. Also, those analytics are extremely useful and valuable for marketing professionals who use video content in their campaigns.
So, what this really means is that enterprises have to think strategically about video and how to really manage it. For this reason, I recommend dedicated video content management (VCM) systems to effectively manage video. The VCM system will handle the streaming, capture, storage, search and analytics requirements that video usage will bring. The other major benefit the VCM system will provide is that of a video portal or an enterprise YouTube capability. The video portal will serve as a central place to stream, search and access video content.
When looking at VCM solutions and also using them to build video portals or enterprise YouTubes, really focus on the business use cases and outcomes. Example use cases may be:
1. Corporate communications
In speaking to many enterprises, we find that user-generated video content is increasing beyond IT’s ability to manage it. What’s become difficult for IT is the fact that this rise in video content is actually being used for business purposes. Therefore, the answer is not to ban it, but find a way to bring in some governance.
Unfortunately, traditional enterprise content management (ECM) systems are not enough to deal with the plethora of video content that is now produced in enterprises. Video files are way greater in size as compared to documents and images. In fact, even relatively short video files can exceed the limits of most ECM systems.
Another factor is that video files are streamed and not downloaded like documents or images. This streaming can greatly impact the network. I’ve spoken recently even to many IT executives who lamented how the recent FIFA 2014 World Cup games brought such massive amounts of streaming video that it had a crippling effect on enterprise networks. Video is a dynamic file type in regards to how it can be accessed.
"Developing a proper strategy for management and governance can yield a competitive advantage, especially when it is focused on key business outcomes."
Searching for video files also requires specific capabilities that go beyond what traditional ECM systems can offer. You may need to search for and go to specific points in a video. You may need to convert speech-to-text and search for specific words. You may also want usage data and analytics about who watched a video and for how long. This is valuable if it is used for training purposes. Also, those analytics are extremely useful and valuable for marketing professionals who use video content in their campaigns.
So, what this really means is that enterprises have to think strategically about video and how to really manage it. For this reason, I recommend dedicated video content management (VCM) systems to effectively manage video. The VCM system will handle the streaming, capture, storage, search and analytics requirements that video usage will bring. The other major benefit the VCM system will provide is that of a video portal or an enterprise YouTube capability. The video portal will serve as a central place to stream, search and access video content.
When looking at VCM solutions and also using them to build video portals or enterprise YouTubes, really focus on the business use cases and outcomes. Example use cases may be:
1. Corporate communications
2. Corporate learning
3. Content marketing
4. Sales communications
5. Customer support
Sales, marketing, advertising and all lines of business are using more video than ever before. The use cases are varied and are focused on people and business outcomes. The big opportunity for video is in specific business applications and processes.
Again, video is already being used in most enterprises to some extent. Developing a proper strategy for management and governance can yield a competitive advantage, especially when it is focused on key business outcomes.
For more information, visit www.aragonresearch.com or follow Dave Smith on Twitter @DaveMario.
