Flow Works delivered a system spanning from technical base to production and editorial backend, to custom playout-frontend with an innovative, auto-scaling CDN usage. The solution Flow Works implemented has three tears: technical, editorial and playout frontend. All three elements are fully integrated, they are one single system with different views and different users. The technical area is handled and operated by Flow Works directly, the editorial environment is handled by a production house hired by Porsche, and the playout front-end is the global viewership.

 

The technical tear is based on a Flow Center Core, a highly integrated, complete workflow and asset management solution. It incorporates and combines all key modules: database, user-management, user-interfaces, automated workflow-management, transcoding, file transfers, playout and third-party -system management; in this case CDN.

In this system the Flow Works manages all video assets technically. First, all available video assets were ingested from various sources and quality-checked. Accepted contents were unified, to assure quality and then auto-transcoded into the desired the playout derivatives for VOD and Live-Streaming in different qualities. Publication is auto-cross checked to ensure metadata, languages, rights, dates and channel-requirements are fully met. Files are then auto-distributed onto CDNs (or any other targets such as Social or VODs) and playout frontends are updated on the availability and structure of playout-sites (categories, order, dates, time, etc).

 

The editorial environment is based on a Flow Archive software and handled by a production house. Flow Archive is a dedicated GUI for editorial users. It is simple, intuitive, all drag & drop. It is all about managing media content and media processes - without having to worry about technical aspects. In this tier, Porsche has access to their archive where they can upload, search and see the available content, make decisions on what to publish where and when. Editorial users have the full range of editorial tools on any browser to manage individual items, projects, approvals and publication/distribution. Editors can manage metadata (titles, descriptions, etc), edit media (cut, brand, subtitle, add languages, add thumbs, etc), create projects and collaborate (internal and externally for reviews and approvals) and take publishing / distribution decisions to any target / playout. Importantly, this GUI does not ask the editorial staff to master any technical questions or decisions. All processing is automated based on workflows and rules set by admins. Easy to use.

 

The third tier is the playout frontend. News TV is a fully customized website that is "hooked" onto Porsches' editorial backend via API. There is no need for a CMS, as this role is already fulfilled by the editorial GUI. No data is ever duplicated, all content, the entire page structure (categories), all metadata and all functions come directly from the backend. Editors have instant control of everything and all their actions are instantly reflected. The architecture is simpler and leaner, as are the costs — and the frontend can do what it does best without compromise: look and feel good to the viewer. For Porsche Flow Works also mastered a new challenge: run the service so flexibly that viewership scales totally freely. Flow Works not only put the media content on the CDN, we put the entire pages on the CDN. No matter if there are two or two million viewers – it will automatically scale up by itself as it is entirely CDN based. A real benefit because it is ultra-cost efficient as you only pay for what is being used. There are no set up fees, there are no reserve fees, there is no cascading, whatsoever.