There’s no question that the over-the-top (OTT) market is thriving, as consumers are continuing to invest in supplemental Web-based multimedia content. Just look at the overwhelming response from consumers following Hulu’s recent acquisition of “Seinfeld”; the lead up to the big release generated 1.4 million digital engagements before the show even aired.

It can be expected that this trend will continue well into the future, as the Internet continues to become faster and more efficient, and we approach the era of 5G connectivity. As this happens, consumer demand for high quality, flexible and easily accessible media experiences will increase significantly. Consumers will continue to invest in second, third and fourth screens (as opposed to traditional living room viewing experiences) and they will expect to receive a steady stream of content over these devices.

Content providers will therefore be increasingly challenged to provide seamless viewing experiences for viewers. Right now, as explained in a recent Evolution of TV publication from Google, the majority of content delivery providers are relying on satellite, wireless and cable infrastructure to deliver content. However, such systems are costly to maintain and difficult to scale.

The cloud, by contrast, is much more agile. By switching to a cloud-based delivery model, content providers can gain access to a centralized, flexible and commonly accessible storage environment for a fraction of the cost and hassle that it takes to utilize localized hardware and distribution systems. Processes like transcoding and encoding digital files, creating subscription services and preparing content for multi-screen viewing can all be streamlined from a single location instead of having to rely on multiple third party providers.

Since the majority of video distribution is moving in the direction of the cloud, so too is customer billing; and Great Lakes Data Systems (GLDS) is one company that helps businesses migrate to cloud billing systems. Using its Digital Service Bureau, content providers can have a much easier time activating new subscribers, managing customer accounts, processing payments and tracking converter inventory.

Further, the Digital Service Bureau is hosted and monitored offsite. This eliminates the financial and time-consuming burdens of having to perform system maintenance.

Click here to learn more about how Great Lakes Data Systems can help your company migrate into the ultra-connected era with its cloud billing solutions.