Okast
Video streaming has advanced at an incredible rate in recent years, making it possible for everyone from global broadcasters to small content creators to connect to inform, entertain and educate audiences in the highest quality streams imaginable. The rapid evolution of video streaming means today’s tech-savvy audiences no longer tolerate poor image or audio quality, and it’s something OKAST understands, which is why it’s always striving to offer its creators the best possible viewing experience.
OKAST, is a leading SaaS cloud-based streaming platform that streamlines access to Live, VOD and FAST distribution and monetisation to content creators, producers and distributors. OKAST provides the complete streaming architecture to its global customer base, comprising of concerts, theaters, gyms, film distributors, corporates, institutions and TV channels. Following the rapid growth of OKAST, which sees it publish to over 450 platforms worldwide, it decided to deploy the Bitmovin Player and the Live Event Encoder to deliver flawless playback in a live environment.
The need for speed and scale
Bitmovin and OKAST’s collaboration began when OKAST chose to replace its existing player with Bitmovin’s. OKAST provides streams to a vast range of devices and platforms, so it needed a robust player to offer the seamless experience required to meet its customer’s expectations. OKAST’s player before Bitmovin’s caused numerous issues because it could not deliver streams seamlessly to several vital platforms, including Chromecast, it was also challenging to do ad insertion successfully, and the user interface was difficult to customize. The issues the player caused negatively impacted OKAST’s customers, and it decided to evaluate other vendors on the market to find a more flexible player that could scale more quickly.
Delivering peace of mind,
OKAST chose to test the Bitmovin Player due to its history of pioneering video streaming innovations and its respected roster of customers. It found everything – from the Player itself to the expertise and support provided by the solutions team- of much higher quality and decided to make the switch. OKAST implemented its player successfully in just a couple of weeks.
“Bitmovin is renowned in the video streaming industry for its products that outpace its competitors in terms of scale, quality, reliability and flexibility,” said Cédric Monnier, CEO of OKAST. “Bitmovin was first choice after we evaluated vendors. Since then, the Bitmovin Player has empowered us to scale faster and more easily. We’ve gained more time, money and peace of mind because it doesn’t require continuous monitoring like our previous player.”
Following the successful deployment of the Bitmovin Player, OKAST became one of Bitmovin’s first customers to use its Live Event Encoder. Bitmovin’s Live Event Encoder addresses the industry need for high-quality live streams by optimizing Live to VOD workflows, ensuring live streams are available for on-demand playback immediately after the stream has ended. The Live Event Encoder is also cloud agnostic, running seamlessly in any cloud environment, removing the need for users to be bound to one vendor’s infrastructure to maintain video, and encoding workflows.
“Our creators view live streaming capabilities as essential because it unlocks a new level of interactivity and engagement that’s just not possible with other content types,” said Cedric Monnier, CEO of OKAST. “We chose Bitmovin’s Live Event Encoder because the Bitmovin brand is synonymous with innovation in video streaming, which now includes live. The Bitmovin Live Event Encoder is the most resilient solution on the market, empowering our creators to build more meaningful relationships with viewers and maximise the reach of their content among new audiences.”
A successful partnership
Following OKAST’s success with the Bitmovin Player and Live Event, OKAST has seen a 41% reduction in buffering and a direct impact on ROI, with a 230% increase in customers and 70% of new customers coming for the Live Event feature. The partnership continues to evolve, with OKAST eager to expand its collaboration with Bitmovin and its ability to support its content when it transitions from HD to 4K and beyond.
“The Bitmovin team are pleasant and trustful to work with, and I cannot wait to see where our partnership goes next!” concluded Cedric Monnier, CEO of OKAST.