We create
next generation video experiences

Day 4: Episode 8 – IBC On Location with 24i

24i Gets A New Look

In the last episode of our IBC On Location series, Florian Laroye, 24i's VP Design shares the journey the 24i brand is taking and the design principles that he and 24i Brand Designer, Katya Rassadina, are using to guide them along the way. 

Florian Laroye, VP Design at 24i

While 24i has developed enormously during its 11-year history, however, our brand has only had one update in all that time. About a year ago we decided it was time to apply the same creativity and innovation we bring to our industry to our own brand and give it a serious refresh.  

To do this Katya and I have followed a few key principles:

Firstly, we removed the slash from the 24i logo to simplify it to the extreme. The numbers 24 and the letter 'i'  are enough and say it all: 24i = 24 Innovation. 

Secondly, we replaced our letter fonts with modern alternatives. This helps us stand out in an ecosystem where companies are mostly fairly conservative in their branding. 

The third principle is the introduction of two, new, primary colors - Crimson (pink?) and Peacock. Crimson evolves us from our previous dark red color pallet, brightening up our brand and representing our passion for what we do. Peacock represents 24i's professionalism and offers a darker more stable complement to the bright and fiery Crimson color.

We have already rolled out our new branding across our social channels, marketing campaigns, and materials and we look forward to it taking centerstage in our new 24i website which is coming soon. 

Book a meeting with Florian to find out how to refresh your video brand Watch every day of IBC On Location on our blog, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Day 4: Episode 7 – IBC On Location with 24i

Streaming Is Better Together!

On our last day On Location at IBC, Kjeld Beijer, 24i's Partnerships Manager takes the opportunity to catch up with Unified Streaming's Rochelle Morrison and Anne Zant down by the Amsterdam waterfront.

Meet Unified Streaming, a key partner within the 24i Smart Ecosystem

From providing streaming solutions in the cloud or on-premise, Unified Streaming is a key partner within 24i's Smart Ecosystem and prides itself on enabling video service providers with encoding and real-time packaging to reach any device.

When talking to Kjeld on the effects the pandemic has had on the TV and video industry, Rochelle and Anne both cite examples of how some companies, including a few sports brands, are getting creative on how they produce live events while keeping within the new restrictions, and how others are offering new SVOD and AVOD content packages to entertainment-hungry audiences around the world. 

Finally, Anne shares a tip on how to stay cool when you come to Amsterdam next time! 

Learn more about partnering with 24i Tune in every day to IBC On Location on our blog, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Day 3: Episode 6 – IBC On Location with 24i

Insights & Innovation on the 24i Video Experience Platform

Launching a new product, or platform of products is always challenging, so why did we, 24i choose to launch our new Video Experience Platform during a pandemic? Pim Verbij, VP of Product at 24i, explains in the next episode of IBC On Location.

Pim Verbij, VP Products at 24i

If anything, the pandemic has made the need for cloud-based solutions even more evident. Everything has changed - from the way we live, work and keep entertained.

As we are forced to connect and create remotely, smart software is making online collaboration possible from pretty much anywhere in the world. This shift, coupled with the sharp increase in consumer demand for streaming video, has resulted in a substantial increase of new subscriptions and traffic for many of 24i's customers.

The strength and flexibility of the 24i Video Experience Platform has therefore come into its own as it enables operators, broadcasters and content owners to rapidly scale and adapt their video services to attract and keep subscribers engaged. As Florian, our VP Design explained in a previous episode of IBC On Location, much of the control and fast time-to-market we provide to our customers, is powered by the underlying design system with the Video Experience Platform.

The pandemic has also forced streaming services to get creative. Good examples include Dutch broadcaster NPO, and the popular theatre streaming service BroadwayHD, which with their Watch Together events have enabled people to connect and share viewing experiences while they need to keep apart.

Looking ahead, the 24i product roadmap will focus on enriching our customer and the end-consumer viewing experience any way we can. This includes greater collaboration with partners across our Smart Ecosystem and providing new tools around areas such as data analytics, AB testing and other cutting edge second-screen functionality.

Learn more about the 24i Video Experience Platform Tune in every day to IBC On Location on our blog, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Day 3: Episode 5 – IBC On Location with 24i

Meet Youfone - The Market Challenger

Episode 5 of IBC On Location takes us to the NDSM neighborhood in Amsterdam North, a vibrant haven for creatives challenging the norm of the Dutch art scene. Where better than to meet Sjors Hendriks, COO at Youfone, the Dutch MVNO challenging the market by offering people more value, choice, and freedom on how they bundle their internet, (mobile) phone and TV subscriptions.

Speaking to Vanessa Vigar, 24i's VP Marketing, Sjors explains Youfone's journey from mobile telephony to television and streaming video and how their recently-launched Android TV service offers even more choice and content to customers. Sjors explains why the service had to be launched in just five months and how this was made possible by the fast deployment of the 24i/Amino end-to-end multiscreen solution, and close collaboration with Google.

He advises industry executives that that without trade events, such as IBC, they can get a good feel of where the market and technologies are heading by working more closely with existing technology partners and influencing their roadmaps. While on location, Sjors and Vanessa enjoy "Dutch sashimi" and another typical IBC breakfast!

Learn more about the Youfone Android TV Service Tune in every day to IBC On Location on our blog, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Day 2: Episode 4 – IBC On Location with 24i

The Design Systems Powering Next-Generation Video Experiences

Building a video app for multiple platforms requires a lot of synergies. In Episode 4 of IBC On Location, Florian Laroye, VP Design at 24i, explains the role of the Design System powering 24i's Smart Apps product.

By synchronizing all the small elements which go into making a next-generation video app, Smart Apps makes it easy for OTT service providers, broadcasters, and operators to deliver one consistent and compelling user experience on any device.

With both white label and customized design options, Florian illustrates the flexibility of the Smart Apps design system and highlights how for customers such as Youfone in the Netherlands, it amongst other benefits, reduces time to market of new streaming video services and functionality.

Finally, Florian reminds us that design is all about emotions and that he looks forward to meeting in person soon!

Learn more about 24i Smart Apps Tune in every day to IBC On Location on our blog, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Day 2: Episode 3 – IBC On Location with 24i

What's In The Name Cleeng?

Choosing a name is never easy, whether it is for a child, product or company. In episode 3 of IBC On Location, Kjeld Beijer, Partnerships Manager at 24i, visits our Amsterdam-based subscription technology partner, Cleeng to find out the origins of the company name and what that has to do with the popular Dutch vending snack bar the FEBO!

Talking outside his office on the Herengracht in the majestic heart of Amsterdam's Golden Corner, Luc Bleylevens, Senior Product Director at Cleeng, draws parallels between the district's role in the Dutch golden age of commerce and today's golden age of television.

With people in the US signing up to an average of four streaming video services during the COVID-19 pandemic, service providers are having to rapidly scale, offer new business models, and adopt smarter marketing tactics in order to keep pace with increased demand and competition. They also have to address the thorny issue churn. On this topic, Luc explains how, by using a mix of data and creativity,  providers are able to recognize pre-churn indicators and then address them with their subscribers before it's too late.

24i and Cleeng enrich and extend the services of multiple OTT service providers, including Broadway HD, the premier streaming service for live theatre. Read more

Tune in every day to IBC On Location on our blog, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Day 1: Episode 2 – IBC On Location with 24i

Fun & Games in Rembrandtplein!

At 24i we work hard and have fun - especially during IBC. In the 2nd episode of IBC On Location, Martijn van Horssen takes us to the Escape Club in Rembrandtplein, central Amsterdam, which is where we usually host the famous 24i IBC party. While we cannot party together this year, Martijn gives us a master class on how to eat Dutch bitterballen as well as surprising us with a one-time-only performance from the 24i and Amino band ... enjoy.

IBC On Location - Episode 2 - Fun & Games in Rembrandtplein!

Tune in every day to IBC On Location on our blog, Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Day 1: Episode 1 – IBC On Location with 24i

Welcome to IBC On Location with 24i

In the first of our IBC On Location series, Martijn van Horssen, joint-CEO and Co-founder of 24i welcomes us to the RAI and our home city of Amsterdam. While all may be quiet on the ground without this year's show, the high demand for entertainment services, puts the streaming media industry in an enviable position of creating, delivering and supporting the flood of exciting new video services that have come to market since last year's show.

IBC On Location - Episode 1 - Welcome to Day 1

Martijn talks about how the bar has been raised to a new level for service providers to deliver truly competitive, premium video experiences and why this shines new importance on the growth of technical collaboration and innovation across the ecosystem. Martijn shares an update on 24i since joining the Amino family a year ago, and reminds us of the importance of staying positive and having fun, even if we cannot do so together in person this year.

Please feel free to share your thoughts with us and connect with our team at any time, anywhere. Tune in every day to IBC On Location on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

COMING SOON: IBC 2020 On Location with 24i

Join 24i, our customers and partners, on location in Amsterdam every day of IBC 2020.

From September 8th - 15th, join us on location in Amsterdam where we are talking to customers, partners, and colleagues about how businesses and technologies have developed since IBC last year. We also share insights on how to keep connected during the pandemic and tips on how to have fun when you do get to Amsterdam next!

COMING SOON: IBC 2020 – ON LOCATION WITH 24I Tune in every day to 24i on Linkedin, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube

Youfone delivery of The Netherlands’ First Android TV service powered by 24i and Amino

Being the first Android TV service provides Youfone with a real differentiator in the highly competitive Dutch marketRather than the traditional 12 – 18 month engineering project, Youfone refreshed its user experience & consumer offering and reduced CAPEX and OPEX in a 5 month projectThis speed to market was enabled by the end-to-end 24i and Amino solutionNextgen consumer features included, such as Chromecast built-in to simplify casting from mobile or tablet to the TV

Cambridge and Amsterdam, 13 August 2020 - Amino, and sister-company 24i, today announced that on 3/8/2020 Youfone launched the first Android TV service in the Netherlands, providing consumers with a next-generation converged OTT, VoD and live TV experience on TVs and mobile devices.

The Youfone service is powered by the 24i Video Experience Platform and devices from Amino, providing an end-to-end solution that enabled the Dutch MVNO to completely refresh its user experience and expand the reach of its TV service.

“The unique power, flexibility and breadth of the integrated 24i and Amino solution meant that Youfone launched the Netherland’s first Android TV service in just 5 months, rather than embarking on a major engineering project of a year or more if we had followed another path,” said Valentijn Rensing, CEO of Youfone.

“A key advantage of the 24i and Amino solution is that it is truly end-to-end: covering all the functions we need from content ingest, encoding and transcoding, management, customer care, content distribution, all the software required from front-end to back end and even the set-top boxes serving our TV viewing customers,” concluded Rensing.

Powered by the 24i Video Experience Platform, Amino 7x Android set-top boxes, and Amino OS, this is the first deployment of the joint 24i and Amino cloud-based solution which enables video delivery from any source to any device.

Youfone, whose TV service was initially launched in 2017, tapped 24i and Amino in December 2019 to deliver an expanded TV and OTT offering. 24i and Amino partnered to provide everything the Youfone service required, from smart Set-Top-Box (STB) hardware, service management, a robust backend, and an intuitive UI layer. Functionality includes transcoding, middleware, CDN, and front-end applications for Android, iOS phones, and tablets; enabling live TV, catchup, restart and nPVR for approximately 100 channels. This is the first joint deployment announced since 24i became an Amino Technologies group company in July 2019.

The turnkey, multiscreen solution provides Youfone with the operational flexibility to deliver local or hosted live and on-demand streaming content to any device and platform, including Linux and Android TV. The hardware product deployment runs on AminoOS, all managed through Amino SM Engage, Amino’s cloud-based service management platform.

The solution is a hybrid cloud deployment taking advantage of on-premise private cloud services for 24/7 headend services that minimize infrastructure cost and public cloud services to maximize flexibility. It provides Youfone with nimble, modular operational services, ranging from content ingest, infrastructure, capacity, load, API and front-end monitoring, to change management and 3rd party support.

“The innovative 24i and Amino solutions combined with the expertise of our teams enabled Youfone to launch an advanced Android TV service powered by the 24i Video Experience Platform and replace their existing set-tops with the advanced Amino 7x devices,” said Donald McGarva, Amino Group Chief Executive Officer.

“Traditionally, launching an advanced modern converged OTT, VoD and Live TV service would take a year or more and would be technically demanding. Before the 24i Video Experience Platform (VEP), companies such as Youfone were faced with the choice between over-engineered single vendor systems, smaller single-vendor solutions with gaps in functionality, or the complications and delays associated in dealing with multiple vendors. Getting Youfone up and running with the Netherland’s first major Android TV service so quickly proves that VEP is the ideal solution for today’s multiscreen market conditions,” concluded McGarva.

The 24i Video Experience Platform makes its debut!

This week we are celebrating the launch of our all-new Video Experience Platform. In the latest episode of the ‘In Conversation With…’ video series, Pim Verbij, VP Product at 24i, explains the ins and outs of the new platform.

A short introduction: What is the Video Experience Platform?

The Video Experience Platform in short, is the latest evolution in the 10+ years 24i has spent innovating the video experience. Over the past years, 24i has developed and released applications on many devices, including, but not limited to: web; mobile; SmartTV, consoles and Set Top Boxes. The Video Experience platform is the logical successor to all that experience amassed over the years.

Being able to deliver apps at a quick pace (fast time to market/revenue), while still being highly configurable and scalable, lies at the heart of what the Video Experience Platform offers. It is a combination of technology, a way of thinking and a way of working, all in order to accelerate how we develop and publish video applications to market. But what exactly does that mean? Let’s break it down.

The Three Musketeers

When you read the subtitle above, you might begin to wonder what I mean with this. Why the Three Musketeers? That’s exactly what the Video Experience Platform is: a combination of three products, that combined, make the ultimate video experience.

Going top to bottom, you obviously need a website and apps, that will be used by your users. That’s where the Smart Apps product comes in. Comprised of a single code base for all types of devices, and heavily relying on microservices and ready-to-use components; we leverage the Smart Apps product to quickly setup and create applications.

So now you have your app. But what does the app look like, how do you position and display content in such a way that it attracts users and keeps them on your platform? That’s where the second musketeer comes into play: Backstage. Simply put: Backstage is a CMS and integration manager that allows you to configure almost every aspect of your application. You can adjust the branding, determine the content shown, and even leverage partner-integrations in order to get the most out of your application.

Finally, you obviously need to make sure that there is actual video content making their way to your apps. That’s the third musketeer: Smart Video. Whether you need Video on Demand, Live Video, Catchup and many more; Smart Video is there to handle any type of content.

Which brings us to the D’Artagnan of this story: the actual video content. The series and movies that your customers have grown to love and adore. The goal of the Video Experience Platform is in that sense also very simple. We don’t want you to worry about setting up apps, branding, or delivery of that video content. That’s what we do for you. Allowing you to fully focus on making sure that your users are getting the content they deserve.

But why is it better than what we did before?

The Video Experience Platform is not done, and it never will be. Like technology in general, we are continually evolving and adapting to the changes in the market. This allows our customers to continiously leverage the latest and greatest features offered by the platform.

People usually say that change isn’t always easy. That is however a key thought behind this platform. We want to change, we want to evolve and adapt. And that’s where the key architecture behind the platform comes into play. Everything is setup to be interchangeable, through the use of microservices.

As an example, the platform comes with recommendations built-in. We take user data, make some calculations and recommended content comes rolling out. There are however companies specialised in only that: recommendations. Our microservices architecture allows us to quickly switch between various recommendation engines. The input will still be used data, and the output will still be recommended content. In between is however a different microservice, that calculates the recommendations in a different way, leveraging the partner implementation. By switching between these microservices, the entire platform still continues to work as expected, but you are now using a completely different recommendation engine. Simple as that.

End-user first, but with maximum configurability

24i has always been at the forefront of the field. Over the past decade we have created many applications, where the focus has always been on delivering the best app-experience for the end-users. That remains unchanged. The Video Experience Platform only aims to accelerate that behaviour.

The experience from the past decade has shown us what is exactly needed from things like the backend, that we know are working well in the front-end apps. By having complete control over the entire video chain (from content ingestion to front-end application), we are able to deliver a seemless experience across all platforms. Each aspect of the Video Experience Platform is developed in such a way, that end users get the best experience.

We do however still want to offer maximum configurability. Apps should look exactly how you want them to look, and should present content in such a way that we know is working for your end-users. That’s why the platform caters to both aspects of the field. We make sure that end-users get the content in the best way possible, meanwhile enabling you to configure the apps in every way you see fit.

In conclusion

Short time to market, offering the entire video chain in a single package, end-user focused and with maximum configurability options; the Video Experience Platform aims to make things easy for you. We don’t want you to have to worry about getting your apps live on time, or having to resubmit applications only to change a little image. That’s what the platform handles for you. And it’s all ready for use. Right now.

If the video, or this accompanying blog, has interested you in the platform and are you keen to learn more? Feel free to get in contact so we can have a chat about the possibilities available to you or download the 24i Video Experience Platform brochure for more details.

This blog is also published on Medium by Matthijs Langendijk

New Video Experience Platform Accelerates Convergence of Pay-TV and OTT Services

Flexible SaaS Platform Combines Consumer Focus with Operational Excellence

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – 22 July 2020 – 24i, the industry-leading, global video experience company, today announced the launch of its Video Experience Platform (VEP), a smart and cost-effective SaaS platform that, for the first time, productizes all the services required for the convergence of Pay-TV, IPTV, and OTT streaming. 

VEP has been designed to accelerate time-to-market while delivering the essential flexibility and functionality required for the creation of next-generation video services. 

Redefining the modern video experience

“The launch of the 24i Video Experience Platform challenges traditional industry delivery models by maximizing flexibility and functionality to provide service providers with, for the first time, the freedom to choose their own path to delivering next-generation video experiences,” said Martijn Van Horssen, Joint-CEO 24i. 

Combining significant industry experience, consumer insight, and modern microservices-led architecture, 24i has created a powerful, modular, and flexible SaaS platform that focuses on the consumer, prioritizes operational efficiency, and provides cost-effective, agile technologies to ensure flexibility, scalability, and continuous innovation. 

“The development of this exciting new platform has been informed by the deployments we’ve handled recently for customers such as BroadwayHD, Slovak Telecom, T-Mobile Czech Republic, Topic, and Youfone. Every customer is different, but they all need flexibility and a laser focus on the consumer. By launching services through VEP for all these customers with very different aims and goals demonstrates that this new platform is incredibly flexible and powerful. We look forward to our new platform continuing to help TV and video service providers to stay audience relevant by taking advantage of new business opportunities at every stage of their video evolution,” added Van Horssen.

VEP combines 24i’s Smart Apps framework, the 24i Smart Video engine, 24i Backstage, and a Smart Ecosystem of technologies and partners, to power the redefinition of the modern video experience. 

The 24i Smart Apps framework supports every media company’s unique video business strategy and technology architecture with custom or white label applications, UX, and UI development. The framework simplifies the syndication and delivery of live and on-demand TV and video content to mobiles, web, Smart TV, TV, STBs, and game consoles. 

24i Smart Video is a feature-rich platform that gives video providers the operational flexibility for end-to-end multiscreen video delivery. Smart Video simplifies the syndication and delivery of live and on-demand TV apps across mobile, web, smart TV, game consoles, and Set-Top-Boxes (including support for HbbTV and ATSC 3.0. The scalable cloud-based model is designed to leverage existing infrastructure and/or 3rd party technologies and provides options for on- or off-premise deployment of relevant workloads, such as service creation and video processing. The platform takes in and converts raw live or on-demand libraries to the required delivery formats for all types of devices, including encoding and transcoding of linear content to multiple bitrates and resolutions. 

24i Backstage is an award-winning, real-time UX and integration manager that allows media companies to define and manage their application experiences by connecting back-end systems via a cloud-based management console. Backstage enables media companies to configure apps, define and schedule content availability or promotion, curate content, orchestrate and enrich metadata, and seamlessly integrate with ecosystem technologies. 

Additionally, 24i has also announced the launch of the Smart Ecosystem, which ties together the online video value chain through a seamless combination of in-house products and premium partner integrations. This open ecosystem delivers TV and video service providers with the most effective video experience solutions based upon their unique business needs and growth strategies. Modular and flexible, the 24i Smart Ecosystem is designed to scale and expand platform architectures without the complexities and risks typically associated with a multi-vendor strategy.