LightFlow, an Epic Labs company, the AI platform for video streaming optimization, today announced the release of the Network Aware Optimization (NAO) service available in the LightFlow platform.
The NAO solution is a smart video multi-CDN balancer that automatically distributes streaming payload among different CDN providers according to business rules and real time performance analytics. Its intuitive UI allows customers to define business rules and publishing decisions to determine the optimal path to each user. Additionally, LightFlow NAO connects to customers’ analytics, as opposed to more traditional solutions that rely on synthetic probes, and feeds real time actual performance data into the AI algorithm to determine the optimal route according to customer’s trade-off between savings and quality of service.
LightFlow NAO client can automatically assign video sessions or segments to different CDNs attending to publishing business decisions and QoE requirements, whether it is optimizing costs, enhancing quality, providing a fail-over and so on. Balancing criteria is fully configurable and can be customized using parameters affecting a particular region, a type of content, a type of viewer, an origin domain or a time zone. On top of that, the AI engine monitors performance in real time and provides the fine tuning for each viewer.
“LightFlow NAO is a unique and outstanding solution. So far, I had never found the product which can implement the business rules I really needed,” said Andrés Pedrera, CIO for ¡Hola!/Hello! Group. “LightFlow went even beyond that and implemented new rules and features to better fit our needs.”
“We are excited to introduce a solution that actually satisfies our customers’ requirements when it comes to take the right decision about how to deliver video, in real time,” said Miguel Serrano, LightFlow CEO. “Allowing customers to define a first layer of business rules and letting a second layer of AI perform and even improve those rules provides excellent results in the final quality of service while saves costs.”
As it is the case for every LightFlow product, the NAO solution is designed to be consumed through APIs, allowing a smooth integration with any existing workflow. LightFlow NAO can also be deployed as an Output Hublet in Haivision SRT Hub, a cloud-based service for routing low-latency, secure and reliable media, built on Microsoft Azure.
“This second Hublet developed by LightFlow is another milestone in the scope of the SRT Hub,” said Peter Maag, CMO for Haivision. “The value of the SRT Hub platform to interconnect devices and systems is reinforced every time that a new component is enabled in the ecosystem. This Hublet is key to enable intelligent CDN management, which is a critical piece in the video workflow.”
LightFlow NAO solution is the third cornerstone of the full video Optimization Suite. It completes, LightFlow CAO (Content Aware Optimization), an AI-based per-title encoding engine and LightFlow DAO (Device Aware Optimization), a solution to select the most ideal delivery format -codec, aspect ratio and ladder– depending on the specific conditions for each device.
“At Epic Labs we are proud to see how LightFlow, its great Team and technology are making an impact on the market,” said Alfonso Peletier, CEO of Epic Labs. “We keep looking for ways to improve QoE through AI. LightFlow understanding CDNs performance and managing its complexity is bringing improved viewer experience while reducing the cost of operations.”
At the IBC 2019 conference in Amsterdam, September 13-18, LightFlow will be presenting the full suite of video optimization products at Hall 14, booth 14.A05 and in the session “Live & VOD AI Stream Optimizer” on CE Hub Theater, Hall 14, on Saturday, September 14 at 10:00
The SRT Hub will also be showcased at:
- Haivision booth (Hall 14 — 14.G27)
- Microsoft booth (Hall 1 — 1.C27)
- SRT Showcase - Sunday, September 15 in Hall 14, Room G104
About LightFlow
LightFlow Media Technologies, a venture spun off from Epic Labs, is an AI-driven video optimization platform that helps publishers to improve Quality of Experience and reduce operation and distribution costs. The LightFlow API-first architecture is enabled to interoperate with every major Cloud provider, CDN, file storage system or any other component of the Media workflow. Member of the SRT Alliance, LightFlow products include AI-based Content/Device/Network Aware Optimization, as well as Optimal Ad Placement technology. Learn more at lightflow.media
