A Holistic Approach to Teleport Services
by Virgil Labrador
In the competitive and rapidly changing teleport business, one company is making waves and gaining substantial market share in a relatively short time through its holistic approach to providing services. iKO Media Group (iKOMG) is a boutique end-to-end media service partner for broadcasters and content owners. They provide tailor-made solutions focused on customer needs through dedicated service to a wide range of global and local networks and a keen ability to offer the best SLA for mid-size networks.
The company provides a single, complete-end-to-end solution or as scalable service offering.
This approach allows iKOMG to deliver effective solutions customized to specific budgets and requirements without compromising on quality of service. As a trusted partner to dozens of global and local networks, iKOMG is identified with expert knowledge, dedicated service and professionalism. iKOMG is committed to operating its business with the goal of creating value for all stakeholders. The company’s sustainability strategy focuses on social, environmental, and economic responsibility.
State-of-the-Art Facilities
iKOMG operates a state of the art teleport in Rome, Italy containing over 20 satellite dishes for receiving/transmitting, ranging in size range from 0.9m-4m in diameter that uplink/downlink from major satellites in orbital positions span from 80°E-45°W. I had the privilege of visiting their facility and was impressed with how the teleport was fully automated and interconnected. The gtt POP with main facilities for fiber and power management is located in the very next building on southeast side of their offices. Cable duct are are provided between the three areas (gtt POP/iKO indoor/iKO outdoor).
“iKOMG has been fastidious in the way it has responded to the specific requirements of each individual customer and designed solutions that are bespoke and deliver to those needs. The company is unique in that it offers the benefits of reliable distribution using all major satellites with a boutique approach to customers’ needs and our unique value added services approach,” said David Treadway, Chairman of the Board of iKOMG.
To differentiate itself from other teleports, iKOMG offers a suite of value-added services to its customers ranging from simple to bespoke playout solutions, complex content management, OTT and streaming services and using the latest technologies and platforms to reach specific audiences. “No other media and broadcast services company can match the range and competitive propositions that iKOMG offers. It’s not just about distribution but about how the content is delivered and on which platforms,” added Treadway.
Playout Solutions
One of the innovative services that the company provides is iKOFLiX--an OTT platform for media distribution distribute their clients’ audio, video and other media services directly to their customers over the internet via streaming media as a standalone product.
iKOFlow is another service they provide to customers to ensure a back up of their clients’ networks. With iKOFlow, clients can upload five hours of content of TV channel content with logo and playlist – which can be updated anytime. Accessible from anywhere and any device (PC, Phone, iPad), iKOFlow takes only five minutes to setup.
iKOMG also collaborates with ViXi to provide customized ViXi TV themes which are like WordPress or WIX themes, just for TV. Each theme is customized for every TV screen with any remote control navigation. Pick a theme, place your content and publish and done – you are live in less than a hour! iKOMG sorts out all device complexity such as remote control adaption, different browser behavior and high performance UX.
Customized Solutions
When a world renowned French music channel group needed a solution to launch an existing channel for the Latin American market earlier this year and another channel for Brazil later this year, iKOMG provided them with a cost-effective solution. Both channels are HD channels of 5.5mbps each. The chanels are encypted using Viaccess 6.0. The channels are picked up by fiber from Paris to iKOMG’s teleport in Rome from where they are uplinked to the IS 11 satellite to cover Latin America. iKOMG provides iKOFlow solution to secure the source of the playout in case of failure coming from Paris.
A key to iKOMG’s success is the approach they take in serving their clients. “iKOMG believes that it is not enough just to offer uplink, capacity and downlink services. Channels need more than simply point to point distribution and the suite of services that we offer our customers allows them to take advantage of the full market opportunity in video services delivery. But those services are tailored to the customer’s needs so that they maximise their channel and audience opportunities and potential, said Treadway. “Teleports are a gateway to distribution and audiences but it is as important to offer solutions that address the end platform and how the channel and content is consumed as it is to get it there.
Traditional broadcast focused teleports are usually associated with distribution via satellite, but in today’s marketplace this is just one means of distribution and customers often now require hybrid solutions both for distribution and delivery to specific platforms. It is important to be able to offer the range and breadth of services that meet those customer requirements. We believe that we have to be flexible and innovative to stay competitive and are highly confident of our ability to continue to deliver business growth by doing just that,” he added.
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Virgil Labrador is the Editor-in-Chief of Los Angeles, California-based Satellite Markets and Research which publishes a web portal on the satellite industry www.satellitemarkets.com, the monthly Satellite Executive Briefing magazine and occasional industry reports called MarketBriefs. Virgil is one of the few trade journalists who has a proven track record working in the commercial satellite industry. He worked as a senior executive for a teleport in Singapore, the Asia Broadcast Center, then-owned by the US broadcasting company CBS. He has co-authored two books on the history of satellite communications and satellite technology. He holds a Master’s in Communications Management from the University of Southern California (USC). He can be reached at virgil@satellitemarkets.com.
