ENTERTAINING THE WORLD THROUGH DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECT PARTNERS
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TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION DRIVES AN EXCITING CONTENT EXPERIENCE AT VIACOM
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GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY VIACOM’S CTO DAVID KLINE DISCUSSES THE COMPANY’S TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION AND HOW IT STAYS ABREAST OF A VAST, RAPIDLY EVOLVING LANDSCAPE
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ith universally renowned brands from MTV and Comedy Central to Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures under its umbrella, for almost 50 years
global entertainment company Viacom has been delighting viewers the world over. With a commitment to delivering quality content through a wide range of digital 04
media, the company operates across a range of markets and places technology at the forefront of maintaining a quality, tailored experience. Behind the significant digital transformation Viacom has undergone in order to achieve such lofty aims is David Kline, Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Technology Officer. With eight years at the media behemoth under his belt, Kline has enjoyed a 35-year career focusing on technology and has been fascinated by the development of digital. “I got to see technology from yesteryear – punch cards and reel-toreel tape,” he recalls. “And the world was changing because there were connectivity opportunities across longer distances… through to today, where you can connect via the cloud. “I’m really thrilled to have seen those journeys. They’re happening faster, almost at lightning speed, today.” All
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Teen Mom
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this experience lit up a fascination with
see today with apps and connected
the “art of the possible” for Kline, which
devices – now, everywhere you go,
he has brought to his team at Viacom.
there is some kind of digital footprint.”
“We aim to identify what’s possible for the divisions we guide and influence –
CUSTOMER CENTRICITY THROUGH TECH
whether it’s advertising, production,
As technology has developed, so too
research, distribution… it is important to
have customer expectations across
understand what they’re doing and deliver
the various demographics Viacom
the technology that works for them.”
caters for. “The millennial audience
At the time of its fruition in the 1970s,
really took a whole new swing at what
Viacom was something of a “walled
connectivity meant – they want what
garden”. “It was very segregated from
they want when they want it. We have
the rest of the world,” says Kline. “As
to be able to deliver that,” he explains,
the world grew, digital connectivity
adding that nowadays on-demand
became more of an opportunity, like we
programming is an expectation rather
E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E
David Kline Having been at Viacom for eight years, David Kline provides strategic leadership for the company’s technology infrastructure and oversees Viacom’s Online Central Platform Technology and Interactive Services, Content Creation and Distribution Technology, Application Development and Information Security and Compliance. During his time at the company, Kline has led several successful initiatives as well as developing and promoting a strong, diverse team of talented people. Prior to working at Viacom, Kline served as Executive Vice President of Technology and CTO at Discovery Communications, having also held senior technology roles at Rainbow Media
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“ THE MILLENNIAL AUDIENCE REALLY TOOK A WHOLE NEW SWING AT WHAT CONNECTIVITY MEANT – THEY WANT WHAT THEY WANT, WHEN THEY WANT IT”
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than an added extra. “How do we make
different countries, so when you see
that more dynamic?” Kline asks. “How
MTV in the US, UK, Poland or Singa-
do we update that content so that you
pore… each brand has opportunities to
have a larger library? How do we add
be more effective in certain spaces.
advertising that’s not stale and
For example, Latin America is more
changes with the times?”
Android-driven, and so while Roku is a
In an increasingly connected world,
great platform in the US, we have
Viacom works to ensure a consistent,
growing platforms in Europe like
quality and above all exciting service
Amazon and Netflix.”
for consumers regardless of location,
In addition, short form content, like
device, platform or demographic. “We
the video footage shared across
have 84 apps on 11 different platforms
Snapchat, Facebook or Twitter to
– whether it’s Roku, Apple TV, iOS,
promote a new TV series, is an
Android, PlayStation… We’re in 180
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growing dividends. “We need to make sure we’re aligned with the generations in terms of what they want to consume – creating original short form, not just taking pieces of a show. You have to know your audience, how the demographic is shifting, and what’s relevant. It’s vital to stay tuned in and deliver on what the consumer is expecting.”
DRIVING A TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION With a mission to entertain and excite firmly at its heart, Viacom has used technology as a driver of growth – but has done so thoughtfully, ensuring that new technologies are implemented to make positive change for various stakeholders, rather than chasing what Kline calls the “bright, shiny object”. “Cloud computing is a great example,” he says. “We started looking at cloud when it first came out, and at the time we weren’t ready to make a jump.” While cloud technology offers storage solutions, Viacom already had extensive – and expensive – infrastructure in place for this. However, the business did implement cloud technology for its live events, posting interactive social media w w w.vi a c om . com
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content and creating live video footage at the likes of the VMAs and Kids’ Choice Awards. Since then, Kline’s team has felt enabled and empowered by the cloud, and after abating cybersecurity concerns by rolling out the new tech slowly and sensitively, Viacom now has its full Office productivity in the Cloud with Office365. “It’s about overcoming fears, being smart enough and strong enough to say, ‘we need to focus because change is
“ AS TECHNOLOGY SHIFTS, IT’S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT IS AND NOT TO BE FEARFUL, BUT INQUISITIVE” — David Kline, EVP and Chief Information and Technology Officer, Viacom
coming’. That’s something you have to grapple with in any leadership role –
inquisitive. What does this mean to me?
especially technology.”
To the people I serve? To our industry?
As such, Kline is no stranger to the
And how do we approach it?”
culture shift involved in a technology transformation – and he says both
SMOOTH TRANSMISSION
listening and educating are key to
As well as improving the way content is
change management. “It’s important to
enjoyed, technology has been vital in
listen to what’s going on in the world
improving process within Viacom’s
and within the company, and under-
operations. “The product teams work
stand different needs. Rather than just
very centrally with my technical teams,
putting in technology for technology’s
and we’re all focused on making sure
sake, have a rationale and a really
anything across our platforms, from
responsible understanding of why
video to data, is functional, scalable
you’re doing it. As technology shifts,
and is being delivered,” says Kline.
with Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G for
Over the past few years, a key
example, it’s important to make sure
achievement has been centralizing
everyone has an understanding of
code to develop single code base –
what it is and not to be fearful, but
with WebPlex used for websites and w w w.vi a c om . com
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Play Plex used for apps. “We’re now
RPA (robotic process automation). It’s
down to a single web base so I can
given our team back some time to
deliver the same backend for MTV in
really focus on the next generation and
Poland as I do for Nickelodeon in the
what’s to come, while still delivering on
US. It’s the same with apps. This is a
what’s necessary today.”
pleasing and lucrative opportunity for
“We’re big believers in consumer
the business to be able to go out and
likes and dislikes – how do I make sure
sign deals, knowing they can get
it’s not disruptive for them while it’s
something up and running in a matter
disruptive for us? Obviously, changes
of hours.”
– like introducing AR and VR – are
Yet more technologies are set to
disruptions. They could be good
improve Viacom’s operations, with
disruptions or dramatic disruptions, but
automation affording staff time for
the goal is to make it perfectly seam-
more value-adding tasks. “We’re
less, regardless of whether it’s on
looking at innovative ideas around
television or another device – perhaps
machine learning and AI, as well as
eventually a HoloLens.”
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Centralization enables staff to really concentrate on this frictionless development – for example, a single service desk within Viacom is available for any problem, from lost keys to a serious tech malfunction. “With that, we continue to automate a lot of the tools we have – we’re using chat and automated tickets,” Kline explains. Further, the company has created application stacks for staff to download all the software they need onto a device at once and has automated solutions from HR and payroll to ERP 18
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THE PERFECT PARTNER No technology transformation can take place in isolation, especially one which takes place internally and externally across 180 markets. As such, Viacom works closely with its vendors and partners – including Adobe, Redspace, Canoe Ventures, Insight and Freewheel, to name but a few – to ensure technology can be a true enabler for the business. “Vendor management’s hugely important,” says Kline. “I have a vendor management office – a small group of people who work closely with my
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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘COMPANY OVERVIEW 2018’ 21
“ AUTHENTICATION WITH ADOBE PASS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE WHICH VIACOM HELPED CRAFT. IT SHOWS THE COMPANY HAS THE INGENUITY AND CREATIVITY TO REALLY HELP PUSH PRODUCTS FORWARD” — David Kline, EVP and Chief Information and Technology Officer, Viacom
internal group, third party parents and vendors, and our sourcing team. It’s a three-way connection. In many cases, Viacom has a rich history of enabling vendors to build products we inspired, or else we have built them ourselves and pushed the intellectual property off to a vendor if that makes sense for the rest of the globe. Authentication with Adobe Pass is a great example which Viacom helped craft. It shows the company has the ingenuity and creativity to really help push other products forward – not just content but technology.” While Kline is a keen negotiator – “I w w w.vi a c om . com
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believe everything is free until you tell me otherwise” – he also stresses that relationships must be collaborative to thrive. “The worst thing you can do is bleed a vendor to a point where they’re ready to go out of business, or can’t support something you’ve taught them to support… the best thing you can do is work together for the best cost and best possible product that shines for both them and you.” Together with its partners and vendors, the organization that brings us entertainment in all its forms from award ceremonies to movies will continue to utilize technology to ensure its diverse content is enjoyed. “At Viacom, we’re big on long range plans,” says Kline. The organization is already pushing its 2022 strategy, and though there is no telling what technology will look like in three years’ time, Kline is dedicated to keep to an overall vision of satisfying customers. “That really drives the type of technologies we’re looking to focus on,” he explains. “It’s important to really bond with what the company’s strategies are and make sure we’re thinking that through both the immediate lens as well as the long-range plans.”
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1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, US T +1 212-258-6000 www.viacom.com