AirWatch by VMware, an enterprise mobility management (EMM) provider, introduced AirWatch Video, the latest application in the AirWatch EMM suite.
AirWatch Video will be an enterprise application that integrates with content delivery network (CDN) operators to simplify video distribution, security and management and enables organizations to scale and secure companywide video initiatives.
The platform is designed to provide businesses with a scalable, secure way to distribute videos to users, manage access and sharing permissions for sensitive video content and deliver updates in real-time.
“Video is yet another example of the consumerization of IT. Forbes reported that Americans, on average, watch more than 30 videos a month,” Blake Brannon, lead solutions engineer for AirWatch by VMware, told eWEEK. “Employees from shift workers to the C-suite want to bring the storytelling capabilities of video into the enterprise. In return, companies are realizing that videos are an effective, easily digestible and engaging channel for internal communications, sales and training.”
Users will be able to experience an intuitive video sharing experience with options including view recent or trending videos, favorite videos and download videos for offline viewing.
In addition, IT administrators will be able to manage compliance settings and set security policies and enforcements, such as restrict viewing to WiFi only to prevent data charges and view usage and engagement statistics, all built into the AirWatch EMM platform.
“There are two main trends we see in respect to CDN and improving the end user experience, specifically for AirWatch Video. The first is live streaming. Not all CDN’s support live streaming well, if at all. This feature is crucial for businesses, and end users simply expect it. The second is security around the CDN,” Brannon said. “Today most CDN tools are used for distributing content but typically do not support authentication or limiting access to the content to certain applications or only managed devices. As businesses start leveraging CDNs for distributions they will drive strong support for authentication and security integrations.”
AirWatch Video will also provide organizations with analytics and statistics for training and compliance purposes–a feature that could be especially attractive for highly regulated industries that require video completion for advancement.
For instance, an organization may require video training before granting access to secure information, and AirWatch Video will be able to provide that authentication.
The platform, which is expected to be available publicly by the end of the fourth quarter, will also enable organizations to leverage AirWatch capabilities like advanced grouping by business units, regions, user groups and more to get the right content to the right user.
“Mobile has transformed nearly every aspect of business, but video has been especially promoted thanks to mobile. In fact, mobile viewing makes up almost 40 percent of YouTube’s global watch time,” Brannon explained. “It’s clear that people prefer to watch videos on-the-go, and many of the teams that will benefit from AirWatch Video are highly mobile, including sales. Accessing these videos on tablets or mobile devices is critical to successful completion and compliance. One of the benefits of AirWatch Video is our ability to manage how these videos are streamed, for instance IT can restrict 3G streaming for telecom expense management.”