With record-breaking numbers of attendance, one more year the Mobile World Congress 2019 has highlighted the extraordinary success of media and video content, which continue to be presented as the main characters in the future of communications. From VSN, we review some of the most outstanding trends and innovations of the Barcelona event and analyze how they will play a prominent role in the development of audiovisual content.
The latest edition of the Mobile World Congress 2019 (MWC), which took place between February 24 and 27, has broken a new attendance record. Almost 110,000 visitors from 208 countries attended the event – a 7% more than the previous year – of which more than half are executives from the most important technology companies in the world. In addition, the event has attracted more than 2,400 companies from various sectors, although with a clear participation of technological giants such as Xiaomi, Samsung, LG, Microsoft, Nokia, Telefonica, Vodafone or Huawei, among others. What tendencies did all of them highlight and what are their main bets for the future of communications? Let’s review some of them below.
Much faster connectivities. Almost immediate data transfers.
The Association of Mobile Communications Operators (GSMA, for its acronym in English), has presented this edition of the MWC under the theme of Intelligent Connectivity. But what does this concept mean and why is it important? From VSN we conceive Intelligent Connectivity as the combination of the new generation of 5G networks -flexible and high-speed-, artificial intelligence, the Internet of Things (IoT) and big data. These trends are transforming, not only the world of mobile technology (around which this annual event revolves), but also society, our way of living day to day and of course, also the Broadcast and Media industry that closely concerns us.
Undoubtedly, the 5G has been one of the main characters of this edition. After many years of development, the first devices with this technology have finally arrived at the MWC, which allow greater speed and data capacity, and therefore a minimum response time. And what does this imply for the distribution and broadcasting of content? The consumer will demand more and more immediacy. Are we prepared?
According to estimates, and as we have seen in this edition of the MWC, the volumes of video content will double in the upcoming years, so for companies in the Broadcast & Media sector it will be crucial to have software tools for the planning, automation and playout of content in order to optimize the delivery and management of audiovisual content. Therefore, broadcasters and media companies must be able to prepare themselves for this new challenge well in advance and have innovative software solutions capable of managing more and more video files, as well as sharing these contents with a large mass of users, devices and platforms in an immediate way and with almost instantaneous data transfers.
Foldable phones. Consumption of digital content anytime & anywhere.
The latest models of mobile technology, a great protagonist of the event and that this year has surprised the market with the new folding mobile terminals, could not miss the event either. Among the companies that have left everyone with their mouths open with their new models are Huawei – with Mate X, prepared for the 5G and that will go on sale in the middle of this year – and Samsung – with the new Galaxy Fold, which launched to the market a few days before the MWC in San Francisco.
In this sense, as professionals of the Broadcast and Media industry we must be aware that, increasingly, mobile terminals will be a fundamental tool not only to consume content anywhere and any time, but also to create, publish and/or issue it . Therefore, key systems such as Media Asset Management (MAM) and its advanced functionalities, such as the cataloging and automatic search of Media or the ability to upload content to these systems immediately through acceleration protocols and mobile applications, such as the app of VSNExplorer, are some of the products that are called to play a prominent role in the future of the sector and will undoubtedly revolutionize the immediate future of producers and audiences. Companies are called to become authentic live and a la carte TV channels, since communications will be made in video format, both internally and externally. And in this sense, the format of mobile journalism or “MoJo” are a clear example of this.
A global innovation center.
The Innovation City was another of the hot spots of the MWC, in which companies such as Google, Huawei or KT Corporation showed the technological innovations of the year. The most outstanding? Undoubtedly, Artificial Intelligence, or more specifically, machine learning. Today’s society expects that the new connected devices and services have the power to perform functions uninterruptedly, integrating themselves in any scenario. These tools are especially useful in any kind of industry and in the case of Broadcast and Media one, it could be said that this technology has ceased to be a trend and has already become a reality of the day to day of many companies. Solutions such as VSNExplorer MAM integrated with AI tools have opened the door to new possibilities of workflow automation, cataloging, use and monetization of media files. In this way, it allows users to be faster and more efficient in the creation of content and when analyzing empirical data from the media to extract consumption patterns. In fact, they are already beginning to generate more and more interest in on-premise IA services that guarantee the accuracy, security and ownership of results.
The future is here; There is no time to waste.
One more year, the future of technology has been seen in the MWC Barcelona. Technologies that are already changing our lives, such as robots, artificial intelligence, data, games, connected industry, new terminals and networks … are here and they are here to stay.
Therefore, it is extremely crucial for companies in the Broadcast and Media industry to have the most advanced and innovative tools on the market that allow them to continue positioning themselves as leaders in the industry so that the continued development of innovations does not leave them behind.
