Editor’s Desk
Delivering Efficient, Fast, and Secure Content on the Internet
Mtheirperformanceneedswithtraditionalhosting services.Acontentdelivery/distribution network(CDN)bridgesthisgapbyimprovingthe performanceofthewebsites.Therefore,manybusinesses feeltheneedtohavetheservicesoftheCDNcompaniesto sendtheircontentontheinternetefficiently,swiftly,and securely Theproxyserversanddatacentersofthecontent deliverynetwork(CDN)improvetheperformanceofthe internetbyprovidingservicespatiallytoend-users.CDNs servemostofthecontentontheInternet,including graphics,scripts,text,mediafiles,documents,software,ecommerceportals,livemedia,andsocialmediasites.Thus, CDNisanimportantlayerinthecompleteinternet ecosystem.
anywebsitesontheinternetstruggletomeet
ThenodesofCDNareplacedinmultiplelocationsover internetbackbones.Itsbenefitsincludereducingbandwidth costs,increasedworldwideavailabilityofthecontent, improvedconnectivity,lessserverload,decreased redundancy,reductioninpageloadingtime,andimproved clientresponsetimes.InnovativeCDNdisruptorcompanies prioritizehavinglargerproxyservers,datacenters,and nodepointsinmanylocationsfordeliveringordistributing valuablecontentglobally
MostCDNcompaniesprovidetheirservicesoveredge nodesbasedonthecoveragetheywanttocover.They optimizecontentdeliverybyaugmentingtheend-to-end transportnetworkanddistributingcontentonvarious intelligentapplicationsbyusingtechniquesforoptimizing contentdelivery Anend-to-endtransportnetworkkeepsthe contentdistributionnetworkrelativelysimple.Itmovesthe intelligenceatitsmaximumcapacitytothenetwork's endpoints,i.e.,hostsandclients.
CDNservicesareindemand,andmostoftheweb trafficisservedwiththehelpofCDNs,whichalso includetrafficfrommajorsitessuchasAmazon, Facebook,andNetflix.Efficient,fast,andsecure contentdeliverytointernetservicesandwebsites. Geographicallydistributed,allgroupsofserversin theCDNworktogethertoprovideswiftdeliveryof theinternetcontent.
Inthiseditionof “The 10 Most Innovative CDN Disruptors to Watch in 2022,” wepresentthemost innovativeCDNcompaniesdisruptingtheindustry withtheirinnovativeservicesfordeliveringcontent reliablyandaffordablyontheinternet.
Delvein!
sharad@insightssuccess.com Sharad ChitalkarThe10Most Innovative to Watch, 2022CDN
CompanyName FeaturedPerson
BaishanCloud baishancloud.com
BlackBoxProductions blackboxproductions.tv
CleverusHoldings cleverus.com
GHOGroupLLC ghogroup.com
Sizmek sizmek.com
TaoHuo Co-Founder
JoshUsheroff Co-Founder
LawmenceWong CEO
GaryOlson CEO
D I S R U P T O R S
MarkGrether CEO
JonOringer
FounderandCEOShutterstock shutterstock.com
Description
BaishanCloudisaninnovativeandindependentedgecloud serviceproviderinChinawithsignificantglobalreach.
BlackBoxProductionsprovidescreativeproductionservicesin MontrealandToront.
Cleverusisateamofdigitalmarketingexpertsthatelevatethe presenceofbusinessesthroughexcellentmarketingservices.
TheGHOGroup,LLCisanindependentconsultinggroupthat hastheuniqueabilitytounderstandthemyriadofdifferentand complexmediatechnologies.
SizmekAdSuiteisaglobal,multichanneladserverusedto create,distribute,customize,measure,andoptimizecampaigns acrossavarietyofscreens.
Shutterstockisaleadingglobalcreativeplatformofferingfullservicesolutions,high-qualitycontent,andtoolsforbrands, businessesandmediacompanies.
VidyardisTheVideoPlatformforMarketingandSales.Vidyard vidyard.com
ViralInNature viralinnature.com
VideoAmp videoamp.com
YUDU yudu.com
MichaelLitt CEO
ShawnAlain President ViralInNatureisanawardwinningsocialmedia,reputation managementandwebdevelopmentagency.
DaveGullo
FounderandCTO
RichardStephenson FounderandCEO
VideoAmpisasoftwareanddatacompany
YUDUisaapplicationstechnologycompanyspecializingin digitalpublishingandcrisiscommunications.
BaishanCloud Technology
We are committed to addressing the arising application needs of global customers in their processes of digital transformation in the 5G and loT era while serving global internet and enterprise customers.
Tao Huo Co-Founder BaishanCloud
Watch,
Cloudtechnologyhaspenetratedeverydigital medium,fromstartingyourmorningwithasocial mediafeedtointegratingofficeworkflow.The capabilitiesthatcloudtechnologyoffersbyleveraging multiplesolutionsareunparalleledtomatchcustomer needs.Embracingthecloudtechnologytobealeading independentedgecloudserviceproviderinChinawith strongglobaloutreachcapabilities,offeringneutral infrastructure,cloud-nativesecurity,anddeveloperservices, TaoHuoco-founded in2015.BaishanCloudTechnology
WhenChinaacceleratedmassentrepreneurshipand innovationstrategy,Taofoundthestrategyaone-time opportunity,introducingBaishanCloudTechnologyasa cloudserviceproviderwithafocusonthemanagementof thefulllifecycleofdata.
PropellingtheSpaceinChina
Enteringtheseventhyearofitsbusiness,BaishanCloudhas evolvedfroma -centricprovidertoanedgecloudCDN serviceproviderinChinawithstrongglobaloutreach capabilities,offering ,neutralinfrastructure cloud-native security developerservices,and TheCompanyis leveragingitsgloballydistributededgecloudplatformand itssoftwaredevelopmentcapabilities;Itprovidesawide rangeofindustry-agnosticapplicationsolutionsforglobal internetandenterprisecustomersacrossdifferentindustry verticals.
StayingAhead
Withitsglobaledgecloudnetwork,theBaishanserverless edgecloudplatformprovidesasecureandstablefullsuite
ofglobaledgeaccelerationservices,managingand processingcustomers’applicationandsolutionneedsatthe edge.
AdoptingtheconceptofZeroTrustandSASE,theBaishan edgecloudplatformfacilitatesenterprises’simultaneous transformationofmovingtothecloudanddatasecurity system.Theplatformprovidesunifiedsecurityprotection andmanagementofenterprises’networks,applications,and data.TheCDN+securitysolutionpropelledmany enterprise-levelclients.
TaomentionsthatBaishan’sserverlessedgecloudplatform supportsfulllifecyclemanagementofAPIs.Using containersandheterogeneousapplicationsystem orchestrationontheedgenodes,theplatformreduces solutiondevelopmentthreshold,empowersagile development,andimprovesoperationalefficiencyfor enterprisecustomerstoprovideoptimalapplication solutionsforenterprisedigitaltransformation!
Asanintegralpartofitsglobaledgecloudservices, Baishan’sCDNcontinuestobecomemorecompetitivein ChinaandtherestofAsia.Itiswidelyrecognizedasoneof thetopregionalcloudcontentdistributionprovidersin termsofresponsetime,availability,andthroughout.
BusinessTraction
BaishanCloud’svastexperienceinnetworkoperationand understandingoftheglobalCDNindustry,alongwithits innovativeserviceservingasbusinesstractions.Taoshares, “We understand our clients’service commitment to the global audience, and we have the resources and expertise needed in China and Asia to help navigate the network, regulatory, and security challenges.”
Baishan’sCDN+Security+edgecloudproductsuiteoffers unmatchednetworkpresenceandtechnical/compliance expertise.Itscustomersarecoveredbyregionaldelivery deploymentadd-on and services.anti-DDoS WAF
TheCloudExperts
BaishanCloudaimstoempoweritsemployeeswith appropriatetrainingwithaninclusiveculture.Ultimately,a happyemployeecreatesasatisfiedcustomer.
TheCompanyaimstobeagloballyrespectedtechnology companydrivenbytechnologyandserviceinnovations. Withtheglobaledgecloudservices,Taohopestobeof greatassistancetoglobalenterprisesintheirdigital transformationprocess.
ThePandemicEffect
Taoexpressesthat,ontheonehand,the pandemichasraisedexpectationsforthe qualityofcontentpeopleconsumeand significantlyincreasednetworktrafficwith everythingbeingpushedonline.Staticcontent andlow-resolutioncontentsimplycan’tmeet theexpectationanymore.Ontheotherhand, theappetitealsoincreases–peoplewantto consumemoreandconsumeon-demand.Wait timeorbufferingisnolongeracceptable.
Alltheseplacechallengesandopportunitiesonthenetwork infrastructureandthecomputingsystem-strategicplanning andregionalemphasiswouldbecrucialforthe sustainabilityofcloudserviceinfrastructuredevelopment.
Taostatesthatduringthemostchallengingcoronavirus outbreakinChina,Baishanprovidedfreenetworkservices foronlinecoursedistribution/accelerationformany elementaryandhighschoolsinChina.Morerecently,for theentiredurationoftheBeijingWinterOlympicGames Baishanprovidedfullnetworkservicesandsupportfor mainstreammediaandlivestreamingplatformsinChinato ensureseamlessviewingexperienceforaudienceacrossthe globe. Hementions, “Our team worked 24/7 to deliver uninterrupted viewing experiences for millions of our global online viewers.”
MovingAheadwithCloud
BaishanCloudiscommittedtoaddressingthearising applicationneedsofglobalcustomersintheirdigital transformationprocesseswhileservingglobalinternetand enterprisecustomers.TheCompanyhasexperiencedrapid growthsinceitsinception,anditsinnovativeedgecloud productshavegainedconsiderabletractioninthe marketplace,bothathomeandoverseas.
LettheTestimonialsdotheTalking!
“It has been a great journey for BaishanCloud in the past six years of development. We could not be where we are without our reliable alliances.”
-WeiWang,Sr.DirectorofOperationsatNewOriental Education&TechnologyGroup
“Our society is facing great uncertainty, but I firmly believe technology provides certainty. Geekbang joins force with Baishan to bravely face those uncertainties.”
-TaiwenHuo,TechPartner atInfoQChinaGeekbang
“BaishanCloud works to provide technical solutions that meet clients’needs and beyond. We have maintained close cooperation, jointly expanding the global market, providing secure and effective network services to every terminal.”
- JoeZhu,FounderandCEOatZenlayer
How VideoAmp Evolved the Company Culture and Process to Increase the Number of Engineers Employed
VideoAmpturns4yearsoldthismonth.Somany memories,andsomuchgrowth.Let’sreflecton someoftheworstdecisionsandassociated learningsthathavebeenfundamentaltoourgrowth.Why theworstyousay?Becausewhenyouaccelerateyour learningrateinafail-fastenvironment,itthenallowsyouto makefastdecisionsvstheanalysisparalysispredicament.
Reflection
Oneofmyfavoritewildcardinterviewquestionsfor managersis:“Describethefailureyou’remostproudof.” Thissometimescatchespeopleoffguard,soI’llsharemine firsttogettheconversationgoing.Inevitablyitcomesdown tochoosingbecausetherearesomany.
Youcan’ttalkaboutgrowthandsuccesswithouttalking aboutthesefailures.Unlessyou’re somekindofhybridAIrobot-space-alienwho’sabsolutelyperfect,there’sgoingto bemistakes.What’simportantisthatasaleaderyouown yourmistakesandbetransparentaboutthem.
Hiring
Findingtherightpeopleisthesinglemostimportantaspect ofgrowingastartup.Thebiggestmistakesinhiringhave been:
“Hiringoutofhand”orshortcuttingthenormal processesbecausethecandidateiswellknownbyother engineersinthegroup.
“Promotingoutofhand”isanothervariationof thiswhereyoudon’tputsomeonethroughthe normalduediligencebecausetheyalready present.Inourcase,individualcontributor(IC) engineersdon’tgothroughtherigorous referencechecksthatnewmanagersdo.
“Hiringunderduress”orloweringyourbar simplytomeetheadcountgoals.Istrongly advisetohirefewer“full-fullstack”senior engineersvsabunchofjuniorormid-level careerdeveloperswhorequiremoretime, nurturingandpreciousattentionunitsfromyour seniorstaff.
Process
Thisisamovingtarget,andonewhichhasdefinitelybeen anongoingseriesofblogs.Intheearlystage,we“over prescribedscrum.”Somethingthataveryearlystage companycando,alongwithtoomuchagileprocessestoo soon.
Forexample,prototypesandproofofconceptsshouldnot havearigorousdefinitionofdone,withendlessunit, functional,andend-to-endtestsbecausetheproduct’s requirementswillprobablyzig-zagwildly
Conversely,havingtoolittleprocesswhenyouare supportingenterprisecustomerscanalsobea problem.IspentmypriordaysasanICand
contractorretrofittingandscalingCI/CDpipelinesand trainingengineershowtowritebettertests.
Thechallengeisright-sizingthisallalongtheway,andthe triggerpointsonwhentochangemaynotbeobvious. Isay thisbecausewegrewheadcountby22engineersfromOct 2017toFeb2018,andintheprocesswedidnotmodifyour simplifiedKanbanapproachtoaprescribedScrumprocess quicklyenough.Growingpainsemerged,tosaytheleast. Nowwe’reinaspotwherewecanwithstandamagnitude scaleofgrowthwithroughlythesamesquadandtribe-level process.
Management
RiffingoffrapidgrowthofBrainsinengineering,wedidn’t scalemanagementfastenough.Almostallstartup engineeringorgsstartveryflat,withallICsandno management.Youhave“techleads”whomaysplittheir timedoinglightmanagerialfunctions,buttheyallwrite codeanddiveintotheoperations.
ThebiggestfailhereinscalingtheICswasnotscalingthe organdmanagementstructuretofollow At~44engineers anddatascientists,wehaveadutytodeliveronourmission toprovideanenvironmentwheretheyhavetheopportunity todothebestworkoftheirlivesandbeworthmoreinthe marketplace.
Withoutthisvitalmanagementstructure,thereisavacuum. Donotboltthisonlater,builditasyougo.Wetook inspirationfromSpotify’smodelofengineering organizationalscaling.
Growth&CareerPathing
We’vetalkedaboutallofthesefails,howaboutsomething thathasworkedwellforus?
Whendoinginitialcontactwithacandidate,Ioftenask “whyareyouinmarket?”Ihaveseencountlessfolkswho arelookingbecausetheircurrentmanagementdoesnot havetheirgrowthandcareerpathinginmind. Inextreme cases,theycandoaday’sworkinfourhours,feellikethey areunder-challenged,andhavenotlearnedanythingin years.TheyworkinanenvironmentlikethemovieOffice Space.
Takinganoppositeapproachistoengageinthegrowthand pathingofeveryindividual.Wedothisby:
Aligningthegrowthoftheindividualwiththe company’sgrowth.
Havingmanagementcheckinfrequentlyonthesuccess ofthis,and
Settingupformalquarterlycheck-insonmeasuring thesegoals.GoogleadoptedthisearlyonfromJohn DoerrintheformofOKRs,andtherearegreat platformsouttherewhichcanformallymeasureand tracktheseobjectives.
Careerpathingisalonger-termconcern.Iaskcandidates fromthestart“sowhat’sthenextjobafterVideoAmp?” Thisoftencatchesthemoffguard,thenaftercarefulthought mostreplywitharole1-2levelsbeyondwherethey’reat now.It’sourgoaltohelpsteertheminwhateverpaththey currentlysee.
Manyearlier-careerengineersthinkmanagementistheir ultimatepath,butIhavefoundthatmanywillstayona tractofengineeringexcellence.Whetherit’saPrincipal EngineeroraVPofEngineering,thegoalistoorientthe newchallengesinamannerwhichgrowstheminthat direction,evenifwecan’tfullyrealizetheirultimate pathinggoalwhileatthecompany.
Bypayingcarefulattentiontothesedetails,wehavefound ourannualretentionrateinthehigh90%.
Oncetherewasatimewhenthequestionwas“Will themediaindustrygetdigitallytransformed?”,but thescenariohaschangednow Thequestiontoday is“Howwillthetransformationtakeplace?”and“Howwill themediacompaniesrespondtothischange?”Seeingthese opportunitiespresentedbythedigitalvideosystems,new playersarejoiningthemarket,hence,capturingconsumer’s mindwithnewinitiativesandgrabbingtheirwallets.These changesarebringinginaggressivemodificationinthe industryalongwithnewbusinessmodels,partnershipsand alsoacquisitions.
WhetheroneisamoviefreakoramadTVwatcher,itis quiteknowntothemthatthetechnologytodayisnotwhat theyhaveseenfewyearsback.Themediaand entertainmentindustryhasseenrapidchangesand modificationintherecentyears.Themostobserving changesthattheworldoftechnologyhaswitnessedareas follows:
Multi-taskingandMulti-ChannelExperiences
Timehaschangednow.Thosedaysaregonewhenpeople usedtoseetheadvertisementofafilmontheroad-side billboardorontheirnewspaperandthengotoamoviehall towatchthemovie.Today,peoplearemultitaskingandthey aremoreintomulti-channelexperiencing.Peoplenoware notjustintowatchingamovieorTelevisionshowwithall theirconcentration.Theyarewatchingamovie,uploading statusontheirFacebookwallandtweetingaboutthemovie, allatthesametime.Theyaresharingtheirviewsand opinionsaboutwhatevertheyarewatchingontheirsocial mediaplatforms.Itclearlyindicatesthatmarketingisno moreaone-mediathing;ratherit’saneventofallchannels.
Anextensiveresearchclearlyprovedthatmostpeople watchclipsanduser-generatedcontentontheirphonesand simultaneouslytheypreferwatchingmoviesonadevice withlargerscreenlikecomputerortelevisionset.Thisis somethingofwhichentertainmentcompaniesmusttake
advantageofbypromptingtheviewerstousehashtag(#) andshareusingbrandedcontenttobringmoretrafficto theircontent.Thosedaysarenomorewhenthewritersand marketersusedtobefocusedaboutonlythewritingofthe content,rathertheyarenowfocusingalotonhowtheir promotionalcontentonsocialmediaplatformsshouldlook likeandhowtheycangainmoreattraction.
CuratedContentismoreindemand
Theaudiencehaschangedalotandsoistheirdemand. Peoplearenowdemandingmorecuratedcontent.Andthe trendisalreadygrowingataverysuccessfulpace.Ithas beenobservedthatmediagiantslikeNetflixandAmazon havealreadybeeneffectivelyusingthecuratedcontentfor aboutfouryears.Itisaprocedurewheretheplatform suggestswhattheaudiencewouldliketowatchor subscribe.Whentheseareusedeffectively,itcancreate newaudiencesinstantlyfortheprovider’snewshowsand products.Thisisabetterwaytoadvertiseproductsthan othermeansofadvertisements.
GettingmorecreativewithArtificialIntelligence
Itsoundscrazytohearthattheprojectedamountof spendingforAI(ArtificialIntelligence)for2025is$30 billionwhichwasearlierobservedtobe$300-350million intheyear2015.Butthemainreasonbehindsuchahuge projectionisthatAIischangingthewaycompletelyin whichcreativitywasexpressedearlier Therearealready variouscompanieswhichareusingtheAItechnologyto createinterestingmovieplotpointsbasedonthe performanceofboxofficeresults.
RecentreportsinformedthatMcCannEricksoninJapan ownsanAIcreativedirectorwhichcanactuallyanalyze briefingsfromclientsbeforepitchingastory.Fromimage recognitionandlanguageprocessingtospeechrecognition anddeeplearning,AIisanalyzingeverythingtocreatenew levelsofimpactfulpitchesthroughcreativeprocessinthe entertainmentandmediaindustry.
Editor’s PickWirelessmediaisthenewupcomingtrend
Gonearethosedayswhenpeoplehadtopayforall300channelswhichtheirsatelliteorcableTVchannelprovidersusedto givethoughthevieweractuallywatchesonlyfourtofivechannels.Nowthedefinitionoftheentiremediaandentertainment industryhaschanged.ThecompanieslikeNetflixandHuluhasbroughtinthenewgenerationofwirelessentertainment.The newusersaregoingonline.FromYouTube,Netflix,HulutoAmazonandeventhecablecompaniesaregoingtowirelessand replacingtraditionalofferingswithspecialandcustomizedpackagestoattractmoreconsumers.
SmarterAdvertisementsisthefuture
Thepresentdaytechnologicaladvancementshavebroughtananalyticalapproachinmachinelearningand haveopened doorstocombineAIandreality.Thisiswhichismakingadvertisementsmuchsmarter.Thepunditssaytraditionalproduct placementwillbesoonreplacedbythejustaclickonthedressofone’sfavoriteactororactress,thattoojustwhenitappears. Expertsmentionedthatmarketingagencieswiththehelpofbigdata,willbesoonabletoswitchoutspecificproduct placementtotheonetheviewerwillmostlikelybuy Theadvertisementissoongoingtobeanothermodeofentertainment. Afterthenewdigitaltransformationstakingplace,certainchangesareobservedinthemediaandentertainmentindustry
Traditionalrevenuemodelsaredecreasingintheirgrowthasthenewmodelsareemerging.Digitalenterprisesaregaining muchprominenceastheirabilitytodelivermulti-channelexperienceandindividualbusinessmodelsarereplacedbythe moderndaycomplexecosystemofthenewcomersincludingnewstartupsandsuper-platforms.Theconceptof generalizationisfadingawayandthepersonalizedcontentistakingstand.
Cleverus Consulting: A Fast Track to Success
Digitaltransformationsaredrivingeverysectorwith anunmatchedspeed.Socialmediahasbeenoneof thegreatestevolutionsofthecentury.Ithas revolutionizedourwayofcommunication,advertisingand theentiremarketlandscape.
Owingtothisboomingrise,regionalbusinessesarenow abletolaunchandadvertisetheirproductsonaglobalscale withnotableefficiencyatminimalcost.Variouscompanies aroundtheglobearetransformingthewaytheyconnect withtheircustomers.Theyarechoosingcontemporary methodsofcommunicationlikewebchat,websiteorweb pagebasedfeedbacks.Thesefreeofcostmethodshavealso enabledthecustomerstoconveytheirqueryandgetthe feedbackinreal-time.
However,thereisanendlessflowofdataontheinternet. Thousandsofglobalcompanieswithsimilarproductsare directlycompetingwitheachother;allinthehopeof makingamark.
Needlesstomention,ifacompanywishesitswebsitetobe atthetopofeveryrelevantsearchlist,thenitmustemploy anadeptSEOteam.Eitherin-houseorspeciallyhired,itis prerequisitefororganizationstohaveapreciseSEO solutiontostayaheadofthecompetition.
Malaysian-basedcompany,CleverusConsulting,boasting awide-rangeofSEOexperts,istheperfectsolutionfor globalbusinesses.Foundedin2013,Cleverushasgoneon tobecomeoneofthebestcompaniesinMalaysia,allthe whilebestowingitsclientsinhavingtheironlinepresence proliferated.BeingoneofthemostestablishedGoogle partner,ithasdevelopedaprovenframeworktohelpits clientsrisequicklytothetopofmajorsearchengines aroundtheworld.
The
JourneyfromaRegionalSEO FrameworkProvidertoaLeading OnlineMarketingAgency
Cleverusinitiallystartedofferingsome prominentSEOservicesthat empowereditscustomerstooutrank theircompetitorsanddominatethe searchenginewithbetterresults.With theincreasingclientdemandsandfast pacedprogression,thecompanybegan offeringnewservicessuchasweb design,onlinereputationmanagement, influencermarketing,andapp development.Cleverusthenutilizedits specializedSEOframeworktoincept andenhancetheonlinereputation managementservice,whichfurther helpedmajorcompaniesremove negativepressonlineandsuccessfully restoredthebrandnameofthose companies.Cleverusfirmlybelievesin offeringcompletecustomersatisfaction andchargesitsclientsbasedonresults anddeliversoptimallevelof performance.Thisprovencredibility hasgivenboththecompanyandits clientsawin-winsituation.
Cleverusiscurrentlyrankedasthe numberoneSEOSpecialistin MalaysiaonGoogleforproviding someofthemostcompetitive keywordsintheindustry.Today,asa marketleader,thecompanyisgetting RequestforProposals(RFP)from majorglobalcompaniesandis deliveringsomeimpeccableservicesto them.However,itsjourneyhasnot beenacake-walk.
DuringtheearlyphaseofCleverus,it facedplentyofrejections.Butoverthe yearsithasmanagedtoovercomethe challengesbycontinuouslydelivering high-qualityworktoitstrustedclients. Theproductive,efficientandcost effectiveservicesprovidedbyCleverus wereadmiredbymanyofitsclients. Asaresult,thecompanygainedplenty ofreferralsfromitsexistingclients whichhelpedameliorateitsgrowth
rate.
Whileexplainingaboutthereasons behindCleverus’sfast-pacedsuccess itsCEO,LawmenceWong,recalls, “We were confident in our ability and have persisted to source leads daily and approach clients to showcase our service.” Withthecompanycontinuing todevelopitssolidreputationinthe onlinemarketingindustry,itnow envisionsonbeingthelargestonline marketingagencyinAsiawithinthe nextsixyears.
PassionatelyLeadingtheGroupof YoungandExperienced Professionals
CleverusConsultinghasastrongteam of21peopleatpresent,withoffices scatteredacrossMalaysia,Philippines, andtheUnitedStates.Lawmence Wong’sastuteleadershiphasbeena vitalpartbehindthissurginggrowth.
Wongbelievesthathavingtheright talentisthekeybehindgrowinga company ThusinCleverus,every singlehiringispersonallyapprovedby bothLawmenceandtheHeadofHRto maintainthequalityofitsservices. Lawmencehasastutelyledthegroup ofyoungandexperienced professionalsinthecompanytogreater heights.Theirexpertisehasallowed thecompanytogainmoreandmore pleasingandloyalclients.Throughout hisleadership,Lawmencehas emphasizedonfuturisticintegrations andboldexpansionplans,andisnow planningtoexpandtoseveralcitiesin Asiawithinthenextfewyears
LeveragingtheTrendsoftheDigital Space
Nowadays,everyothercompanyis employingdigitalwaysofmarketing, anddigitaltransformationisgaininga worldwideattentionforalltheright reason.MarketingandAdvertisingvia
CDN
digitalplatformshaveallowed organizationstoconnectwithawider poolofglobalaudience,inreal-time.
Cleverusisleveragingthistrend,and insteadoftheusualtraditional advertisingonnewspaperand magazines,ithasshifteditsfocus towardsonlineadvertisingand marketingplatformssuchasFacebook, Google,andInstagram.
Thisyearalone,Cleverushashired3 newstafftoaccommodatethedemands foronlineadvertisingandforesee hiringevenmoreemployeesinQ2as thedemandgetshigher.Itisalsohiring overseasemployeestofacilitatethe groundworktopenetratethesenew markets.Cleverusenvisionsonebeing thelargestonlinemarketingagencyin Asiainthenearfuture.Thecompany hasbeenmeticulouslyraisingfundsto pushitsvisionfurtherintorealityand expectsitsnametobetheprimal choiceamongstclients.
Dominate Google and take over your competition with our proven Search Engine Optimization strategies.
“ “
GHO Group:
Where Technology Meets Opportunity
Almosteverybusinesssectorincluding entertainment,education,training,communication andsecurityisrevolutionizingduetothe emergenceofmultimediaplatforms.Thesenewtechnology platformsshowcasethedemandforanexpertmedia solutionprovider.Thebroadcastandmediaindustryis constantlyevolving.Ithasbecomeaprerequisiteformedia planninganddesigningcompaniestoanticipatenewtrends andindustrialchangestoprovidethebestguidanceand advicetoclients.Whetheritisanewfacilityorupgrading anexistingone,thereareseveralmethodstodeliver programmingandcontentinabetterwaytoeverybusiness. Butveryfewcompanieshavethenotableabilitytoidentify clientsthiswayandprovidethemwithfuture-proofmedia solutions.GHOGroupisoneofthem.
GHOGroupisanindependentconsultingfirm, specializinginplanninganddesigning mediaproductionfacilitiesfor broadcastand
As a strategic adviser we identify the clients requirements to achieve their goals and recommend the technologies and resources that will bring the vision to reality.
Gary Olson Founder & President
cablecompanies,corporations,educationalinstitutions,and culturalorganizations.GHOhasasubstantialportfolioof successprovidingunique,practicalandcost-effective solutionstothechallengesfacedinbuildingnewfacilities orimplementingnewtechnologystrategies.
AdvisoryServicesandStrategicPlanningthatConverts VisionintoReality
GHOprovidesadvisoryservicesandstrategicplanningin thedevelopmentphaseofanengagement,designinga technologysolutionandcreatingaprojectplanwith milestonesanddeliverablesthatareachievable,toinsurea successfulproject.GHOfunctionsastheseniorproject administratorcoordinatingtheimplementationprocessand strategy
Asastrategicadviser,GHOidentifiesitsclients requirementsandhelpsthemachievetheirgoalsby recommendingthetechnologiesandresourcesthatwill bringtheirvisiontoreality.Thecompanyexecutiveswork closelywiththeassociatedorganization,andmakesthe mostoftheirinternalresources,preferredserviceproviders andapprovedcontractors.GHOutilizesitsbroad experiencebasetobenefititsclients.Andbysharingbest practicesindesign,addressingbudgetsandscheduleswith specialattentiontocraftingtheprocessitassuresbest resultsfor itsclients.
Inadditiontothis,thecompanyisoneoftherecognized leadersintechnologyimplementation.GHO’sdesign philosophyisbasedonsustainabilityandaprincipalthat theprovidedmediasolutionsmustbefutureproof.
ADynamicTechIndividualLeadingfromtheFront GaryOlson Founder Presidentisthe and ofGHOGroup. Heprovidesdirectiontothecompanyasathoughtleaderin digitalmediaandbroadcasttechnologyaswellasin cognitivecomputing.Olson’sbook, Planning and Designing the IP Broadcast Facility - A New Puzzle to Solve, isconsideredasatopreferencebooktothebroadcast industry
Thisdynamicindividualhasaconsiderablefollowingofhis articlesonTheBroadcastBridge,assistingtheindustrywith knowledgeandguidanceduringthetransitiontocomputer andIPnetwork-basedtechnologiesformediaproduction anddistribution.
AdvisingtheMarketintheAdoptionoftheNew TechnologySystems
Theexpression digitaltransformation’coversabroad‘ spectrumwithinthemediaandentertainmentindustries. Thistransformationhashadsignificantimpactoncontent
creationanddistribution coupledwithdisruptivechangesin thetechnologiesthatsupportthese industrysectors.Thesizeofthescreendoes notdeterminetheplatformthatcontentis deliveredtoorhowit’sdelivered.Therearedifferent productionconsiderationsforeachdigitalplatformand newmonetizationopportunities.
GHOisuniquelypositionedtoserveasanadvisoronthe transitiontothesenewtechnologies,provideguidanceand strategytooptimizetheinvestmentoforganizationsand assistthetechnicalsupportstaffinadoptingthenew technologysystems.
EnticingPotentialClientswithComprehensive Strategies
Intoday’sconnectedworld,communicationisoneofthe keyrequirementstokeepincontactwithanaudience.GHO isknownandrespectedforitsobjectiveperspectiveson technologytrends.Understandingclients’needsand budgetsiscriticaltothesuccessofaproject.GHOspendsa considerableamountoftimeresearchingacrossmany differentindustries.GHOpublishesarticlesontechnology regularlyonLinkedIntoeducateandinformtheindustry aboutthenovelevolutions.Throughthesetruthfulefforts, thecompanyenvisionseducatingtheusersandaimsto attractitspotentialcustomerbycreatingsuch comprehensivestrategies.
ForthcomingOpportunities
Themediaandentertainmentindustryisbecomingless segregatedandevolvingtoincludeDigitaloutofHome. MobileservicesandOTThavebecomeintegralmembersof thecommunity.GHOGroupisdevelopingsome impeccablestrategiesforitscustomersbyfocusingonthese advancements.Additionally,thecompanylooksatDeep LearningandArtificialIntelligenceasthenewtrends. Currentlythereismoreconfusionthanclarityaboutthis technologyanditsfuturisticbenefits.Client’sneed independentandtrustworthyadvisorsandstrategiststohelp navigatethroughthesechanges.Hence,thecompanyis spreadingbetterunderstandingregardingfuturistic technologiesandaimstoimplementtheseopportunitiesin thesefields.
Theevolutionofdigitalcontent acrossallindustriesfrom healthcareandfinanceto publishingandeducationhasincreased marketcompetitionandprompted companiestomodernize communicationsystemsandprocesses. Mostbusinessesunderstandthe importanceofacreativeplatformwith thetoolsthatcanhelpthemadvertise theirproductsandserviceseffectively andefficiently
Shutterstockisaleadingtechnology companywithsuchaplatform,anditis knownforitsrichfeatures,andhighqualityassets,toolsandservices.The companylicensesimages,videos, music,andothereditorialassets.Italso offersavarietyofplansforindividuals, teams,andenterprisecustomersaswell asthecreativeeditingteamsofvarious companies.
ASerialEntrepreneurand Trailblazer
JonOringer,FounderandCEOof Shutterstockfoundedtheunique platformin2003.
Herecognizedtheneedforlicensable imagesatanaffordablecostand createdtheworld’sfirstsubscription imagemarketplace,startingwith thousandsofhisowndigital photographs.Thecompanywentpublic ontheNewYorkStockExchangein 2012,justnineshortyearsafterits inception.
Sincethen,ithascontinuedtoexpand andevolve.Shutterstocknowownsa
portfolioofbrandsservingbusinesses, marketingagencies,andmedia organizationsaroundtheworldwitha comprehensiverangeofcreativeand editorialassets.
Jonbelievesthatthecompany’sgrowth intoasuccessfulandsustainable businessisunderpinnedbyitsabilityto providecustomerswithcompelling content,innovativetools,andpremium servicestofueltheircreativity
DeterminedtoBestowCustomers withHigh-qualityDigitalAssets, ToolsandServices
Thedigitaltransformationoverthelast decadehasleftShutterstockcustomers, especiallythoseinadvertising,film, andmedia,withanever-increasing needformorevisualcontent.
Workingwithitsgrowingcommunity ofover400,000contributors, Shutterstockaddshundredsof thousandsofimageseachweek,and currentlyhasmorethan190million imagesandmorethan10millionvideo clipsavailable.
Whenthecompany’simagearchive crossedthe100millionimagesmark, Shutterstockturneditsattentionto helpingitsclientsfindexactlywhat theyneeded,asquicklyaspossible.
ThecompanyalsoownsBigstock,a value-orientedstockmediaagency; ShutterstockCustom,acustomcontent creationplatform;Offset,ahigh-end imagecollection;PremiumBeata curatedroyalty-freemusiclibrary;and
RexFeatures,apremiersourceof editorialimagesforinternationalmedia houses.
Shutterstockrecentlyannouncedthe releaseofCompositionAwareSearch, itsrevolutionarynewsearchfeature. Thisamazingtoolallowsusersto specifyoneormorekeywords,orto searchforcopyspace,andarrange themspatiallyonacanvastoreflectthe specificlayoutoftheimagetheyare seeking.
Additionally,theplatformoffers customersthefreshestcontentand valuableinsightstofacilitatetheir creativeprocess.Shutterstock’steam ofexperiencedcreativeprofessionalsis determinedtogiveitscustomersbestin-classdigitalassets,toolsand services.
TheDrivingFactors
Shutterstockhasalwaysdistinguished itselfbyprovidingthehighestquality ofcontentandthebestsearch experience,whichaddsuptosuperior valueforthecustomer.Thecompanyis continuingtobuildindustry-leading technologytoimproveitsofferingsby leveragingcomputervisionandAI technology.
Theroleofmarketersandsocialmedia managerstodayincreasinglyincludes thecreationofvisualcontent,butthey havelittletimetocreatecompelling visualcontentthataccurately representstheirbrandandengages theirtargetaudience.Shutterstock recognizesthatoneofthemost
commonpainpointsfortheseindividualsisthelackof simplebutpowerfuleditingtools.
Forthesebusyhybridcreativemarketersandsmallbusiness owners,ShutterstockintroducedEditor,asimpleonline editingtoolthatallowsuserstoquicklyandeasilycreate high-qualityvisualcontent.
ShutterstockEditorisaweb-basedapplicationthat leveragesShutterstock’sinnovativesearchtechnologyto helpusersfindtheimagerytheyneed.Thetoolfeatures professionallydesignedtemplates,theabilitytoupload visualassetssuchasalogo,savedesigns,andthepowerto publishfinisheddesignstosocialnetworksdirectlyfromthe application.
ThisisjustanotherexampleofShutterstock’sabilityto identifycustomerneedsandtoquicklydevelopasimple andeffectivesolution,whichhasbeenthemajordriving factorbehinditssuccess.
StrivetoReachattheEveryCorneroftheWorld JonstartedShutterstockin2003bybootstrappingithimself with$10,000ashesetouttointroducethesubscription modeltothestockphotographyindustry
Tokick-starttheidea,Jonshotmorethan30,000images andmadethemavailableforlicenseontheplatform.He thenopenedthemarketplaceuptootherphotographers. Today,thecommunityhasgrowntomorethan300,000 photographers,artists,videographers,andmusiciansfrom allcornersoftheworld.
AsShutterstockcontinuestoexpanditsplatformandrange ofproducts,thecompanyalsostrivestoensurethatits contentisavailablewhereverthecustomerneedsit.It achievesthisthroughthedevelopmentoftoolsthat integratemediasearchwiththecustomer’sworkflow ThroughstrategicAPIIntegrations,Shutterstockisnow availableinproductslikeGoogleSlidesandAdobe CreativeCloud,improvingcontentcreators’workflowsby givingthemaccesstopremium,professionalimageryfrom withinaplatformtheyarealreadyusing.
Inadditiontothis,Shutterstock’srecentpartnershipwith MicrosoftPowerPointgivesusersintegratedaccesstoits collectionofphotosandillustrations,afullintegration directlyintoFacebook’sadcreationtool.
Shutterstockstrivestoprovideworld-classdigitalcontent andhascontinuedtoinvestinmakingitsimages,video,and musiccontentavailableinbusinessapplications.Italso envisionsenablingbusinessestobuildtheirown applicationsthroughanewdeveloperportal.
The 10 Most Innovative CDN Disruptors to Watch, 2022.
Sizmek: Creating Impressions that Inspire
Anincredibleamountofresearch,planning,and resourcesgointoeveryadthatwesee.Teamsof advertisingprofessionals,assistedbyimmensely powerfulcomputersequippedwithArtificialIntelligence (AI)contributetoitscreation,thendecideontimingand delivery Thisisamassiveinvestmentandevery advertiserwantstoseeresultsthatjustifytheiroutlay
However,advertisingmanagementfirmshave traditionallybeenreluctanttosharetrueinsightsintothe ROI.Now,onecompanyisrevolutionizingtheindustry withitsuniquebrandofservicedeliverywhichcombines excellentadvertisingexposurewithunparalleled transparency.
ThatcompanyisSizmek.
Sizmekistheworld’slargestindependentbuy-side advertisingplatform.Itcaterstoagenciesandbrandsin morethan70countriesthroughouttheAmericas,EMEA, andAPAC,andconnectsmorethan20,000advertisers and3,600agenciestoaudiencesaroundtheworld.
Thecompany’spowerfulintegratedsolutionsenable data,creative,andmediatoworkseamlesslytogether TheirAI-drivendecisionenginethenidentifiesinsights acrossthefivekeydatadimensions-campaigns, consumers,context,creative,andcost.
Theresultisaward-winningservicethattranscends industry,geographicallocation,targetdemographics,and mediumofdelivery.Sizmek’sincisive,targetedmedia
plansareaugmentedbypricingandshowcasealevelof transparencyunprecedentedintheadvertisingindustry
ExperiencedGuidance
Leadingthistrailblazingcompanythroughitsslewof recentsuccessesisCEO,MarkGrether.Hehasbeen withSizmeksince2017.Markisnostrangertothe marketingarena;hehasperformedvirtuallyeveryrolein theindustryinthemanyyearsthathehasbeenapart ofit.
Hisjourneybeganinacademiaasaprofessorof marketingbeforetheappealofreal-worldmarketing technologypulledhimontohiscurrentpath. ImmediatelypriortojoiningSizmek,Markwasthe globalChiefOperatingOfficerofWPP’sXaxis,a platformthatheco-founded.
BeforeXaxis,MarkworkedatGroupM,theworld’s largestmediainvestmentgroup.AsitsGlobal DevelopmentDirector,hehelpedsetuptheirdigital tradingdeskacross10countries.
Mark’stenureatSizmekhasbeenmarkedby transformativechange.Herevampedthefirm’sstructure togiveregionalGMs-whounderstandtheirlocal marketsbest-thepowertomakemoredecisionswhile armedwiththeconfidencethatcomesfrombeingpartof amajorglobalenterprise.
Anotherofhismajorinitiativeshasbeentogive actionabledatatheattentionandpriorityitdeserves. ManyofSizmek’scompetitorsareonlyjustwadinginto thesewatersatatimewhenthecompanyhasalready madeitaprimefocus,andincludesitsclientsand partnersintheimplementationprocess.
AnticipatingandLeveragingChange
WhenMarkjoinedSizmek,hequicklydeterminedthat twoindustry-criticalchallengesneededtobeovercome. Thefirstwastransparencyandthesecond,theEuropean Union’supcomingGDPR(GeneralDataProtection Regulation)whichhassincebeenimplemented.
Theadvertisingindustryis,unfortunately,ahotbedof playerswhointentionallyconcealhowdollarsarespent andwhereinvestmenthasthelargestorleastimpact.By contrast,Marknamed2018thecompany’s‘YearofTotal Transparency’.
UnderMark’sleadership,Sizmekoffersfulltransparency acrossitsentireAI-enabledplatform,includingmedia, creative,data,technology,andservice-relatedcosts.
Agenciesandadvertisersgetincreasedvisibilityand controlovertheirmediaplanningandbuying;theycan identifyhoweveryelementworksandthenhonetheir strategiesforthebestresults.
Meanwhile,theEU’sGDPRhasshakentheadvertising industry.Non-compliancecanbedevastating–theEU imposesfinesof4%ofglobalrevenueor20million Euros,whicheverishigher
Sizmekinitiatedpreparationstocounteritseffectsas soonasplansforthelegislationwereannouncedyears ago,makingsuretheirAI-poweredfusionofcreative, media,anddatawasready.
Thecompanyallowsitsclientstodeploytargeted campaignswithoutresortingtotheuseofpersonaldata. ThisisachievedthroughtheirPeer39contextualtargeting solutionthatappliesartificialintelligencetoanalyzewords andphrases,andtherelationshipbetweenthemtofully understandthecontextandcategoryofanypage.Theycan alsostaysafefromfineswithfullymanagedservice,from accountmanagementtoDCOtoaudiencedevelopmentto performancereportingandbeyond.
InsteadofsufferingaGDPR-induceddownturn,Sizmek’s clientsarenowbetterpositionedthantheircompetitorsto navigatethischangedmarketinglandscape.
MoldingtheFuture
BecauseSizmekemploysAIextensively,itisfullyawareof howthetechnologyisconstantlyimprovingandbecoming moreaccurate.Itisalreadyabletodecidewhichpersona specificadshouldbedeliveredtooutofmillionsofbid requestspersecond.
AsAIcontinuouslylearns,andwillonlyimproveinthe upcomingyears,Sizmekisworkingtobetterplaceadsat scaleinreal-time,helpingbrandsimproveconversionsand attracttheirmostvaluableconsumers.
Sizmekisalsoinvestinginlearning when individualsare mostreceptivetomarketingmessages.Factorslikethe periodbeforeandafterarelatedpurchase,timeoftheday, anddayoftheweekallformacomplexdatarelationship thatholdsenormousmarketingpotentialifitcanbe unraveled—whichSizmekisalreadyabletoevaluate.
Asitmakesadvancesbyleapsandboundsintermsof technology,Sizmekhasmaintaineditsemphasison transparency.Theirindustry-firstconsumer/businessmodel updateatthebeginningof2018marksthecompany’s visionforhowAdTechshouldbemovingtowardsfulldata accessibilityandpricingtransparency.
Thisleadershipintechnologyadoptionandself-regulation haveplacedSizmekinthedrivingseatofthemarketing world,apositioninwhichitseemsverycomfortable.
“Our AI-driven decisioning engine can identify robust insights within data across the ve key dimensions of predictive marketing—campaigns, consumers, context, creative, and cost.”
—MarkGrether CEO
Vidyard:
Creating Seamless Possibilities through Video
Vidyardisanextgenerationvideoplatformthatis helpingbusinessesdrivemorerevenue,boost employeeengagement,andcreatenewareasof competitiveadvantagethroughthestrategicuseofonline video.
Designedtogobeyondtraditionalvideohostingand management,theplatformhelpsbusinessesquicklycreate andsharenewvideocontent,connectwithmoreviewers throughinteractiveandpersonalizedvideoexperiences,and
The 10 Most Innovative CDN Disruptors to Watch, 2022.
turnpowerfulaudienceinsightsintoaction.
Vidyardalsohelpsbusinessestransforminternal communicationswithsecurevideomessaging,private contentsharing,internallivestreaming,custom-builtvideo applications,andmore.Thesefeaturescanintegrate seamlesslywithexistingbusinessworkflowsandcorporate securitymodels.
Globalleadersandindustrypioneers,including Microsoft,Honeywell,Lenovo,andLinkedInrelyon idyardtopowertheirvideostrategiesforboth externalcustomerengagementandinternal employeecommunications.
VisionaryLeadership
MichaelLittistheCo-founderandCEOof Vidyardandanavidentrepreneurwithapassion forbuildingSaaScompanies.Michaelleadsthe developmentofVidyard’sinnovativevideo technology,isarespectedauthorityon entrepreneurshipandstartupculture,andisa masterofconnectingwithaudiences.
Michaelcontributestothegrowthofthemedia industrybysharinghisinsightfulperspectives withbroadaudiencesasaregularcontributorto Fast Company,anAmericanbusinessmagazine. Hehasbeenquotedin Forbes, The Wall Street Journal, The New York Times, TechCrunch andotherleading publications.
Hehassharedhisengagingandinspiringpublicspeaking stylewithglobalaudiencesofallsizesthroughTEDx,The DigitalCollective,DreamforceandYCombinator’sAdInnovationConference.
Theseeffortshaveledtomanyrecognitionsandawards, includingthePeterBrojdeAwardforCanada’sNext GenerationExecutiveLeadership,MarketingMagazine’s Top30Under30,andErnst&Young’sEntrepreneurofthe Year.
QualityServices
Vidyard’srangeofservicesencompasscloud-basedvideo hostingandmanagement,videoanalytics,videocontent personalization,interactivevideo,andlivestreaming.They aresupportedbytoolsthatsimplifyvideocreationand sharingbyemployees.
Vidyard’sfreepersonal-videomessagingapp,Vidyard GoVideoallowssalesreps,supportreps,andindividual
employeestoeasilyrecordandshare personalvideomessageswhile trackingengagementlevelsforthat content.
Theseinsightscanbeleveragedtohelp businessesunderstandwhichmaterial isresonatingwithcustomers,partners, andtheirownemployees.
OutshiningtheCompetition
WhenVidyardwasfirstlaunched,its biggestbarriertosuccesswere prominentvideo-hostingandplayback solutionplatformsthatwereavailable forfree.Thechallengewasgetting businessestounderstandthatthese platformsofferedlimitedanalytics, security,scalability,andintegration intoexistingtechnologies.
Duetotheselimitations,videoviewer datacouldnotbemappedintoa MarketingAutomationPlatform (MAP)orCustomerRelationship Platform(CRM). “Competing with “free” is never easy unless you can demonstrate a clear and quantifiable return-on-investment that aligns with their business goals,” statesMichael.
Oncebusinessesrealizedthese shortcomings,Vidyardwas immediatelymoreappealing.The companyhassecureditsdominanceby demonstratingclearvalueandROI, coupledwiththeabilitytohelp organizationsmorerapidlyadoptvideo acrossdifferentteamsasastrategic businessadvantage.
GlobalImpact
WithVidyard’spersonalizedvideo solution,brandshavetheabilityto createuniquevideocontentthat seamlesslyweavesinanindividual viewer’sname,companyname,title andotheruniqueinformation.
Thesevideosaredrivingconversion rateshigherthanthatoftraditional
content.Whetheritisatelcosendinga personalizedvideomessagetoexplain abill,auniversitysharingacustommadevideotorecruitnewstudents,or aB2Bcompanyusingbespokevideos topromoteanewproductorevent,this isapowerfulwaytostandoutandto engageaudiencesinamemorableand compellingcontentexperience.
AFlawlessGamePlan
WhileVidyardcontinuestogrowits ownmarketingandsalesteams,akey partofitsstrategyistoinvestfurtherin partnerships.Lastyear,itlauncheda seriesofnewpartnerprogramstowork withresellers,agencies,systems integrators,andtechnologypartnersto broadenitsmarketreach.
Inadditiontoleveragingnewchannels, thecompanyrecentlylaunchedits VidyardGoVideopartnerprogramthat enablesanytechnologyproviderto embedaspectsofVidyard’splatform withinitsownofferings,freeofcharge. Vidyardisalsopartneringwithtraining andeducationorganizationssuchas AlwaysHired,SalesBootcampand
SalesforLife,whicharetraining studentsonhowtousevideoto improvetheirsalesprocess.
EvolvingwiththeJourney idyardisexpandingitsfootprintin differentmarketsandgeographies.The companyisacceleratingitsgrowthin financialservices,manufacturingand educationwhilerapidlygrowingits customerbasesinEMEAandtheAsiaPacific.
Muchofthisexpansionwillbefueled byitsproductinnovationinareassuch asvideopersonalization,videosales, interactivevideo,andvideofor customersupport.
Vidyardisleadingthechargein deliveringacomprehensivevideo platformtohost,analyze,and operationalizevideoinawaythat exposeskeyflawsinmostexecutives’ assumptions.Itisonamissiontohelp everyoneleveragethepowerofthis mediumtobuildbetterrelationships, communicatemoreclearly,and humanizethewaywedobusiness.
TheRewardsofPerseverance
InDecember2017,Vidyardwas recognizedforitsrapidrevenue growth,boldinnovationand entrepreneurialspiritwithaDeloitte TechnologyFast50programaward, ranking16thwithagrowthrateof21.4 %overthepreviousfouryears.
Thecompanywasalsoselectedasa finalistforthe2017MITSloanCIO Symposium’sInnovationShowcase basedonthestrategicvalueand innovationitbringstodigital enterprisenowandinthefuture.
Vidyardhasalsobeennamedoneof the‘TopRatedEnterpriseVideo Platforms’byTrustRadiusand‘Leader forOnlineVideoPlatformsforSales andMarketing’byForrester
VR is a way to escape the real world into something more fantastic. It has the potential to be the most social technology of all time. — Palmer Luckey
Virtualreality(VR)hasbeenaround formanyyearsnow,inspiteofthisitis averyunderdevelopedtechnology.It holdsavastpotentialoutsideof entertainment,ithastakenovervarious aspectsofourlivesrightfromtheway weshop,experience,converseand evenwaystoconductbusiness.
Withtimethistechnologyhasgained popularitywithmanypowerhouses, whichhasencouragedthemtoinvest profoundlyinVRtechnology.Ithas becomemoreandmoreaccessiblefor users,withmanufacturershaving alreadyreleasedhouseholdsetsandare continuingtodoso.
TherecentadvancementintheVR technologyhasmadeitmore accessibleforthegeneralpublic.Due tothis,ithashadaremarkableimpact onthebusinessworldalso.Thesole aimofthetechnologyistochange humanperceptionusingvirtual systems.TheadoptionofVRbyusers isstillinitsnascentstagesandhas gainedpopularity,andmoreandmore businessesarecomingupwithVR basedsolutions.Thereducingpricesof VRheadsetshavealsoposedtobean advantagefortheconsumersaswell.
Ithasalsoposedtobeanadvantagefor theconsumersaswell,withthe reducingpricesofVRheadsets.This hasprovedthatVRisatoughand emergentmarket,withgreatscopefor platformswhichcanallowbusinesses toleverageVRforprocess developmentandadvancedmarketing.
BusinessesareUsingVRtotheir Benefit
VRhasthepotentialtobecomethe mostimportanttoolthatbusinessescan leveragetoaddontotheirsuccess.
Establishedbusinessesaretakingthe helpofVRtotraintheirnew employeesinamorecost-effectiveand efficientway WiththehelpofVR,one canhaveanemployeeinLosAngeles meetingwiththeoneinLondonasif theywere/areinthesameroom.
VRoffersanaddedadvantagewhenit comestotheoutwardfocusofthe businesses;itallowsanovelwayto connectwithcustomers.Thecompany canbuildupamorestorydrivenway ofmarketingwhichdrawspeopleinto thecompany'sbrand,inatangibleand relationalway.Virtualrealityhas potentiallytransformedtheworldof media.Ithasopeneddoorsfor businesses;toadvertiseinawaythey hadneverimaginedbefore.
Consumersarenow equippedwiththe abilitytotestoutandexperience products,thattheyintendtopurchase, inanentirelynewway.Itallowsyouto preciselyvisualizehowapieceof furnitureorpaintingwouldlookina particularroom,oreventestdifferent makeupstyleswithoutleavingthe room.Astructuredassessment, planningofthefutureofbusinesses, andwiththerightdataVRcaneven giveavaluableinsightintothesuccess ofthebusiness.
VRisnowbeingusedtosimplifyand reducethecostoftheprocessof productprototyping.SinceVRhas madeitverycost-effectivefor businessestodesignaproductoran intricatecomponentofanoutsized machinevirtuallythanactuallybuild
theprototype,theuseofVRinthis sectorislikelytodevelopquickly VR andARhavealsoadvancedtheareaof Computer-AidedDesign(CAD).
Prototypescannowbeshapedwithin thevirtualspace,allowingdesignersto accuratelypindownitsworkingway beforetheresourcestobuildthe productareacquired.Thishaseased theprocessoftestingtheproductwhile savingbothmoneyandtime.
Themajorsetbackthatthee-commerce industryfacesisthesales;customers arereluctanttobuyproductsthatthey haven’ttried.WiththehelpofVR,the consumerscanpotentiallytryoutand visualizedemonstrationsforvarious productcategories.Allowingamore clearvisionofhowtheirpost-purchase experiencewilllooklike.
Novelbusinessopportunities
There are as many applications for VR as you can think of; it’s restricted by your imagination. — John Goddard.
VirtualRealityhasnumerous businessesperspective;notjustby providinginnovativefeaturestothe businessproducts,butalsoinhelping innovatorscreatenovelbusinesseswith thesetechnologiesatthecore.
Justlikeold-fashionedcafes,VRcafes wouldsoonbeahit.Theseplaceswill beasocialgatewayforpeoplelooking foraugmentedandvirtuallyenhanced experiences.VRcafeswouldoffer choicesondiversevirtualreality equipment,comprisingofgames, videotapes,team-buildingexercises, socialmediapractices,3Dbooksand contentexperiences,andvirtually enrichedmeditation.
Inrealestatemarkets,VRplatforms
permithousetourstopeoplefrom anyplacearoundtheglobe.Peoplecan designandevenpainttheirhomeswith thistechnologyastheywouldinreal lifesetting,toprovideanoutlookinto thefuturelookoftheirhomes.
CarslikeAudiR8offersaVR-powered “testdrive”experience.Similarly,even Airbushasintroducedaircrafttoursfor itsairlineexecutives,whichallows themanenrichedexperienceandtour oftheaircraftwithoutactuallyvisiting it.
TheFutureLooksPromising
AsVRandARcarryondevelopment, moreandmoreknowledgeabouthow itcanbeefficientlyincorporatedinto thebusinesseshascometolight,this amalgamationofnewwiththeoldwill potentiallyhaveahugepositiveimpact oneverysector.Newentrepreneurs, startups,andbusinessesshouldsurely keepaneyeoutforthistechnology,as ithasbecomeanintegralpartof marketingandbusinessesprocessesin thenearfuture.
Bearinginmindhowseveralindustries andbusinessesarequicklyvalidating andacceptingvirtualreality,the estimateisthatitwilltakeoverthe businessscenarioalmostcompletely, isn’tbloatedbyanymeans.
Viral In Nature:
Simple, Straightforward, Effective Social Media Management
Socialmediahascompletelychangedthewaywe interactandshareideas,howweinfluenceothers,and howweallowourselvestobeinfluenced.Itisthetool ofchoiceforworldleaders,governments,major corporations,celebrities,andanyoneelsewhowantsto connectdirectlywithanaudienceofmillions.
Thisremarkableabilitytobeseenandheard-andto personallycommunicatewith-suchlargeswathesofthe humanraceinstantlyisunprecedentedbothinscopeand scale.Ittranscendsbarriersofrace,religion,nationality, age,socialstatus,andalmosteveryotherfactorwhichwe usetodivideourselves.
Itistrue,instantdemocracy.
Wieldinganypowerfultoolrequiresalevelofskill,and socialmediaisnoexception.Thisisamplyevidentfromthe newsstoriesweregularlyhearofdisastroussocialmedia fauxpasfromstars,politiciansandrespectedorganizations. Theycouldallhavemadethenewsfortherightreasonshad theychosenViralInNature
TheBuildingBlocksofSuccess
ViralInNaturewasfoundedin2010asGoWowMedia,and rebrandedtoitscurrentnamein2013.BesidesSocial MediaManagement,italsospecializesinReputation ManagementandWebDevelopment.
TheCanadiancompanyfocusesonhelpingsmalland mediumenterprisesutilizethepowerofsocialmedia.It helpsthemtobridgethegapbetweenremainingalocal presenceandacquiringaglobalcustomerbase.Their incrediblesuccessratewithsmallerbusinesseshas promptedglobalcompaniestoseekouttheirservicesas well.
Hardworkandcommitmentisinthefirm’sDNA.12hours ofeachday,7daysaweek,and365daysarethehoursof coveragetheydofortheirsocialmediaclients.ViralIn
Naturedevotesmoretimeandenergytosocialmedia managementandliveeventsocialmediamanagementthan itsrivals.Andtheresultsspeakforthemselves.
ViralInNaturehasbecomethemostawardedsocialmedia agencyinNorthAmerica.Respectedpublicationslike Clutch.coandGoodFirms.cohaveconsistentlyrankeditas oneoftheworld’stopsocialmediamarketingagencies. CV Magazine namedittheUSA’sBestSocialMediaAgency for2018.
Withaccoladeslikethat,itisnowonderthatthefirmis poisedtobecomeoneofthemostpowerfulsocialmedia hubsforbusinessanywhere.
Multi-FacetedExcellence
ViralInNaturemaintainsasingularfocusonitsclients. Whileothercompaniesmayclaimtobeclient-centric,Viral InNaturehasprovenconsistentlythatittrulyembodiesthat spirit.Thisisevidentnotjustfromtheindustryaccolades thatkeeppilingup,butfromthetestimonialsofcustomers whomthefirmconsidersitsbestambassadors.
TheotherareainwhichViralInNatureinvestsconsiderable timeandeffortistechnology.Socialmediaisbyitsvery natureatech-drivenfield,anditisonlybyleveragingthe vastpotentialitholdsthattrulyspectacularresultsare possible.
Thecompanyconstantlyseeksout,tests,develops,and implementsthelatestadvances,applicationsandhardware suchasnewanduniquecamers.Inthisway,everyclientis assuredacutting-edgesolutionthatkeepsthemaheadofthe competition.
Tofosteranenvironmentofconstantlearningand adaptability,thecompanyholdsregularmeetingsthatfocus primarilyonemergingtrendsinsocialmedia.Conductedin anopendiscussionformat,itallowsteammemberstokeep abreastofdevelopmentsthatmaynotrelatetotheir
specialtydirectly Thiscreatesarich tapestryofresidualknowledgeupon whichtheycandrawinthefuture.
Apro-activeapproachiscriticaltohow ViralInNatureoperates.Theagency adoptsapolicyofcreatingawide footprintforeachclientacrossarange ofsocialmediaplatforms.Itadheresto thisphilosophytomitigatethenegative effectsofpolicychangesatanyoneof thosecompanies,andtoinsulateits clientsfromunforeseeabledownturns liketheonecurrentlyplaguing Facebook.
TheManBehindtheBrand ShawnAlainisthePresidentofViral InNatureandtheownerofthe company
Mr Alainbeganhiscareerinmedia withthepublishingindustry.He
recognizedthemassivepotentialof socialmediamarketingbeforeithad becometheglobalphenomenonitis today.In2010,afteradecadein publishing,hesetupGoWowMedia, thepredecessortoViralinNature.
AslewofsuccessinTwitterand FacebookmarketinggaveMr.Alain thegroundworkandanintimate understandingoftheindustry.Itwas uponthisfoundationthatViralIn Naturewasborn.
TheJourneyBeyond ViralInNatureisundoubtedlyoneof thebestsocialmediamanagement agenciesinNorthAmerica.
However,Shawniseagertotakehis brandtoatrulyinternationallevel, withplansforEurope,Australiaand LatinAmericaalreadyonthecards.In
fact,thefirmhasalreadyhiredstaff fluentinFrenchandSpanishasthefirst steptothisexpansion.
Inlinewithitspolicyofgivingevery clientawidesocialmediapresence, ViralInNaturehasalwaysmanaged themacrossfivetosevenplatforms. Withanincreasinglybusiness-centric focusandundauntedbychange,the companyisalwaysonthelookoutfor newer,betteroptionsthatwillmore thoroughlyserveitsclients’needs.
Technologyisunbiased–itwillfavor themosteffectivesolution.ViralIn Naturedoesnotonlyapplythis philosophy,ithasitselfbecomethe bestexampleofitsveracity.
“We commit ourselves to constantly improving our services, performance and push through our comfort barriers to improve value to our clients.”
— Shawn Alain President
YUDU
TheMediaandEntertainment Industryhasdisplayedevident growthglobally,sinceits commencement.Theadventof innovativetechnologiesandtheir pioneersinthisindustryand subsequentdisciplineshascatapulted itsdevelopment. YUDU isonesuch innovativepioneerofthedigital publishingindustry
Foundedin2007, YUDU isan applicationstechnologycompany specializingindigitalpublishingand crisiscommunications.Itupholdsa visionofharnessingcloud-based technologytomeetgrowingmarket needs.Itwasoneofthefirstcompanies tohelppublishersproducedigital versionsoftheirmagazinesandother publications.Theorganizationholds simplicityandeaseofaccessatthe heartofitsvision,bothforitsclients andcustomers,andproducessolutions thathavebeenwidelylikedbyusers.
ExemplaryLeadership
YUDU’sFounderandCEO,Richard Stephenson,hasbeenatthehelm sincethecompany’sinceptionin2007. HeholdsajointhonorsB.Sc.in EconomicsandMaterialsSciencefrom SwanseaUniversity.Hehasdriventhe growthofthecompanyasithasgrown initsinternationalclientele,adaptedto changesinthepublishingindustry,and mostrecently,ledthedevelopmentof thecompany’sCrisisManagementapp named Sentinel.
Reforming Digital Publishing and Crisis Management
Theonlineshifttowardse-reading,ecommerceandappshasopenedupnew opportunitiesfor YUDU,which Richardhasbeenattheforefrontof capitalizingonandhelpingclients adapttochangingconsumerwantsand needs.Overthepast10years,Richard hasoverseenthegrowthofthe companytobecomeagloballeaderin cloudbaseddocumentdistributionand corporatecommunications.
Richardhasbeenrunningtechnology ledinternationalbusinessesforthepast 30yearsandcompletedhisfirstprivate equitybackedMBOin2001.Richard pastrolesincludebeinganOperating PartnerwithDukeStreetCapital, ChairmanofXafinityHoldingsLtd, PresidentoftheSupervisoryBoardof NavimoS.A.andChairmanofDeloro StelliteLtd.
RedefiningInnovation
Although YUDU hasdevelopedover 1,000appsoveritstenyearsintech, communicationisattheheartofthe company’sfunctionality.The organization’scoreproductisitsdigital publishingplatform, Publisher.It allowsanyonetoturnaPDFintoan intuitive,re-flowable,IOS,Android andWindowscompatibledigital version.
Clientsrangingfromretailerslike Screwfix topublicationslike National Geographic use Publisher tocreate highqualitymagazines,catalogues,
newslettersandmore,allwithfull statisticalanalysisbuilt-inandoptional subscriptioncontrol.
YUDU’smostrecentlydeveloped software Sentinel,combinesmass alertingviaSMS,emailandin-app messaging,offlinecriticaldocument handlingandanHRdatabaseof contacts.Allofthisishostedona securecloudserver,sothatifacyber attack,poweroutageoranactofterror takesdownserversandphonelines, incidentmanagerscancheckthat everyoneissafeandinstructstaffon whattodo. Sentinel isusedasa businesscontinuityand communicationstoolbyarangeof industriesincludinglawfirms,hotels, andtheatres.
Amongpublishers,thedigital transformationhasbeenembracedby someandfearedbyothers.E-book readerslikeKindlewerehailed simultaneouslyastheendofthebook industryandasapassingfadbyits detractors,andmoremobileformsof entertainmenthavebroadenedthe optionsformagazinesdistributionand consumption.
With Publisher,theorganizationwas abletotakepublicationsintothedigital arena.Itcouldalsoenhanceprint magazineswithvideoandinteractivity, helpingmediacompaniesand educationalpublishersreacha massivelywideraudiencewiththeir mostinnovativecontent.
StrategizingforConquests
Whenpeoplebeganconsumingmoremediaviatheir mobilephonesandtabletsandlessondesktops, YUDU facedthechallengeofmakingcontentaccessible. Consumerswantedasmoothreadingexperiencewithout havingtopinchandzoom,thusthecompanyneededto rethinkhowitdelivereditsclients’content. PhoneView is itssolutiontodevice-responsivedocumentviewing.
“The roadmap for YUDU’s development has always been user-centric. We listen to feedback from our clients and are continually adding new features to our apps based on our clients’needs, and that is what keeps us ahead of our competitors,” statesRichard.Thecompanyhasadedicated supportteamintheUKandisproudofitsveryhigh customerapprovalrating.
YUDU’sstrategyistodeliverthebestpossibleproductand givethebestpossibleclientexperience.Expressinghis viewsonadaptingtothechangingtrendsintheindustry, Richardasserts, “The consumer has migrated from desktop to mobile passing tablets on the way. We have anticipated this trend by developing the technology for displaying rich content on smaller screens.”
EmbracingOpportunities
Thenextstepfor YUDU istoenterintoanewterritory,of businesscontinuityandcrisismanagement.Thecompany’s expertiseindocumentmanagement,communicationsand appdevelopmenthassetituptofulfillthegrowingneedfor areliable,simplesoftwaretohelporganizationskeeptheir peoplesafeandkeeptheinformationflowingduringan emergency
Immediateaccesstobusinessrecoveryplansonmobilesis vitalforinstantresponse.Theorganization’spublishing backgroundenablesittouseitsdocumenthandling technologytoofferfeaturesthatotheralertingsystemsfail todeliver.Itscompetitorscan’tofferincidentmanagersthe abilitytosharebusinesscontinuitydocuments,press statements,clientslistsetc.offlineandsecurelyinacrisis.
BeholdingNewHorizonsofAchievements
While YUDU continuestoofferindustry-leading technologyfordigitalpublishing,itisbroadeningits portfolioofappsallthetime.Thecompanyisexpandingits corporatecommunicationsofferingbycombiningdocument handlingandcommunicationsinitsappforsalesteams;
addingnewfeatures,likegroupspecificpushnotifications, toitsexistingappsandcontinualrefinementofitsapp technologyinthefaceofchangestoappstoresand operatingsystems.
Inthenearfuture, YUDU isgrowingits Sentinel product intoawholerangeofbusinesscontinuitysolutions.Ithas excitingworklinedupwithsecurityandcounter-terror specialiststocreate Sentinel Alaris and Sentinel Alert.With the Sentinel rangeofproductsitisbuildingastrong portfoliooftopclientsanddevelopinginastrongly growingmarket.
“Knowing that our apps are going to be used to help organizations safeguard their staff and help save lives in an increasingly dangerous world makes it an incredibly worthwhile work,” statesRichard.
Richard Stephenson Founder & CEO
YUDU helps publishers, corporations, educators and organizations engage with their audiences digitally.
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