Beyond the buzz: The future of AI in enterprise live streaming

Ask a question, get an answer: generative AI chatbots like ChatGPT have taken the world by storm. But when it comes to the complexities of live video, a generic approach simply won’t cut it.

In the tech world, AI has become a ubiquitous buzzword, often invoked with enthusiasm. But while many tout AI as the silver bullet for virtually every challenge, its application and benefits are not universally grasped. True AI encompasses a broad spectrum of technologies, from clustering analysis to neural networks, each offering their own distinct advantages.

However, without a deep understanding of how these technologies function and integrate into existing systems, organizations risk missing out on the true potential AI offers—transforming data into actionable insights, increasing operational efficiency, reducing spend, and creating technology-driven competitive advantages.

This gap between perception and reality highlights the need for a more nuanced discussion on how AI can genuinely transform an enterprise from the ground up – especially so when it comes to business-critical internal video communications.

AI and beyond: How data science informs our product architecture

Hive Streaming has strong roots in scientific scholarship, from our origins as a research project at the Swedish Institute for Computer Science and the Royal Institute of Technology to the 100+ patents that lie at the foundation of products that push the limits of video experience. We combine our research, state of the art approaches within AI, and a wealth of data to create precise analysis and recommendations.

In this article, we’ll walk you through how we utilize AI and data science to build our next-generation solutions.

Data is the foundation of innovation

Data is at the heart of everything we do. With over 14 years of experience and insights from working with the world’s largest enterprises, we have developed algorithms that leverage this vast pool of data to offer specific, actionable solutions. Our commitment to collecting high-quality data means that we are not only prepared to train AI models but can use this data to assess the performance of our systems.

Precise recommendations, beyond generative AI

Our solutions offer unique value that sets us apart from generative AI applications. We pride ourselves on understanding and addressing the root causes of issues, offering actionable recommendations based on data. This approach ensures that we are not just detecting anomalies, for example – but that we provide targeted solutions to fix them and prevent future occurrences – something that lies beyond the capabilities of generative AI models such as chat bots.

One such solution is an innovative product designed to identify and help resolve video quality issues in real time: Control the Event.

Control the Event: Not just another AI tool

Control the Event is a next-generation video experience (VX) product that integrates AI with real-time data analysis, root cause analytics, actionable insights – and solutions. This dynamic approach allows us to address complex, multi-dimensional problems in networks without relying solely on machine learning:

• Data-powered technology

At its core, Control the Event employs statistical analysis to identify patterns within data, enabling the system to detect anomalies—events or instances that deviate from the norm. This step is crucial for understanding the system’s current state and identifying potential issues.

• Anomaly detection and root cause analysis

The work doesn’t stop when an anomaly is detected. The problem can lie anywhere from the source of the broadcast to the browser – and everything in between. Behind the scenes, more data is analyzed and compared against known patterns. A combination of statistical and clustering techniques – along with finely tuned algorithms based on expert knowledge – identifies the most likely root cause. Understanding the root cause, in turn, enables swift responses to address video experience issues.

• Precise recommendations

Based on the identified cause, the product recommends specific actions tailored to address the issue directly. This could involve adjusting a parameter, changing a configuration, or implementing a new process. The recommendations are not generic; they are finely tuned to address the specific anomaly, ensuring effective resolution.

• Actionable insights beyond generalized AI

Unlike generalized AI solutions, which might only identify anomalies and offer broad reasons, Control the Event goes beyond simply flagging an issue by also explaining the probable cause and suggesting a concrete course of action to rectify it. This capability ensures that if the cause is something within control, steps can be taken immediately to fix it – steps as simple as clicking a button to instantly adjust video quality levels.

Future-proofing the enterprise with next-generation video experience technology

Our focus extends beyond just providing data-driven anomaly detection. We are dedicated to delivering outcomes that improve operational efficiency and future-proof our clients’ businesses, as well as help them avoid catastrophic financial losses in the process.

One customer of ours has shared that prior to using our video optimization technology, they experienced a network outage of 45 minutes that ended up costing the organization 3.4 million dollars. Our eCDN and Premium Video Optimization products were developed to prevent similar scenarios, now fortified by the release of Control the Event and IT & Network Analytics, tailor-made to support IT mangers in charge of the corporate webcasting ecosystem and network performance. 

Business-critical live events are incredibly high-stakes affairs, and the risks that come with their full or even partial failure are sky-high. Through our unique Core Hive IP, we offer solutions that provide full-cycle video experience and network optimization support, and believe that the data, algorithms and expertise we leverage in combination with AI allow us to create the most advanced VX products available on the market today.

The next frontier of AI-driven breakthroughs in live streaming

Our strategy embraces the ongoing advancements in AI, aiming to utilize these improvements to enhance our products on a continuous basis. This ensures that we can seamlessly integrate AI to enhance our live streaming services, with upcoming AI-powered advancements including:

• Automatic network discovery

Enterprise networks are constantly changing. Automatic network discovery will capture network changes as they are made instead of requiring manual intervention, eliminating the need for time-consuming updates.

• Low latency streaming

A game-changing advancement within corporate video communication, low latency streaming will enable close to real-time feedback for enhanced interactivity and maximized audience engagement.

A laser focus on customer outcomes

Our approach to AI and data science is not just about utilizing advanced technologies for their own sake – it’s about redefining the possibilities of what these technologies can help our customers achieve. By focusing on outcomes, leveraging real-time data, and continuously innovating, we are not just keeping pace with advancements in AI; we are setting new standards for what is possible, ensuring that Hive Streaming always remains at the forefront of technological innovation.

If you would like to learn more about how our next-generation solutions can help your enterprise transform data into actionable insights and increase operational efficiency, contact us.

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