MediaHub broadcast services moved its web management from an outsourced model to an in-house system from Akamai, distributing workloads and applications faster and more securely.
Broadcast services provider MediaHub Australia recently moved its web management processes from an outsourced model to an in-house system that allows it to better control the direction and scope of its growth in today’s challenging, fast-changing industry.
MediaHub manages the playout of over 400 services every day, serving millions of viewers. Regularly handling asset management, live streaming, local and international content distribution and delivery, transcoding, master control, connectivity and data storage means MediaHub operates in a dynamic area of broadcasting. Adopting the right security tools and measures is critical.
Bringing Cloud and Edge Computing Together
The company began looking for new ways to distribute workloads and applications, and improve its customers’ overall experience. After using Akamai’s security software for several years, MediaHub opted to work with Akamai’s Connected Cloud computing platform, chosen mainly for its high performance, scalability, affordability and ease of use.
Particularly important is scalability. For applications to stay relevant, they need to scale automatically and securely, anywhere in the world, which a traditional, centralised cloud cannot support.
Instead, the Akamai Connected Cloud is built on a widely distributed platform, with tools for security and content delivery, and brings core cloud computing and edge computing together. It results in the global scale, speed, performance and flexibility needed to build resilient applications, and reach more users in more locations.
Managing the Web Presence
“Akamai’s cloud and security solutions have allowed us to continue growing our business as the broadcast industry moves rapidly forward. Our growth would have been limited without these products, which have helped MediaHub win new business by supporting the quality of our services overall,” said Alan Sweeney, CEO at MediaHub.
“Being able to efficiently manage our web presence is reassuring to clients and gives our services a stronger sense of security. The future is all about tailoring the right systems for clients, and we have been able to continuously improve performance across our teams and for our customers.”
MediaHub establishes and secures virtual access to applications for approximately 300 remote and on-premises users, including clients and staff. The company’s ongoing security deployments and integrations necessitates remote work for staff through a secure platform, which is based on the system they used to achieve continuous uptime during the pandemic.
Cloud Security
For this work, the organisation chose Akamai’s Enterprise Application Access, a Zero Trust Network Access tool, for secure, real-time identity-based access to enterprise applications. Simon Scott, Chief Digital and Information Officer at MediaHub, said, “The pandemic forced us to change the way we worked. We had to find a solution quickly where we would be able to work from home while requiring intensive internet resources and bandwidth.
“We stood out as an Australian broadcast services provider that was fully prepared to work from home – which would have been impossible without Akamai’s help. We can confidently say now that wherever we are, we can work securely regardless of the situation.”
MediaHub also uses Akamai’s Secure Internet Access Enterprise, a cloud-based DNS firewall, to proactively identify and block targeted threats such as ransomware and malware. Security teams can use it to securely connect all users and devices, while it blocks malicious DNS requests including malware, ransomware, phishing and low-throughput DNS data exfiltration. With no appliances to deploy, manage or upgrade Secure Internet Access does not add to MediaHub’s security complexity. www.akamai.com
