Deployment Models for Cloud Video Platform

Ever thought why you need multiple deployment options for storing data on a cloud video platform?

We are not making it up—videos are exploding. According to the IDC Global DataSphere forecast, the amount of unstructured data created by 2026 would be roughly 200,000 exabytes. Obviously, videos would constitute a significant share of it.

According to Gartner, 85% of businesses will have a cloud-first principle by 2025. This will force organizations to rethink how they will store the sheer amount of video data on the cloud.

The above forecasts highlight the increasing need for scalable and secure video cloud storage. However, there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to cloud video storage since we have multiple deployment models to choose from. 

You might be wondering why we need multiple cloud deployment options. Why does not having a single, standard approach suffice? If that’s the case, then you’ve landed at the right place.

Beginning by explaining what a cloud video platform is, the blog progresses to discuss cloud deployment, evaluate different deployment options based on their pros and cons, and offer readers criteria for choosing the right fit for their organization.

So, without making you wait any longer, let’s just get started by exploring what a cloud video platform is.

What is a Cloud Video Platform?

A cloud video platform, as the name suggests, is a cloud-hosted solution for creating, uploading, hosting, analyzing, and sharing videos securely – all from a centralized platform. Bundled with scalability and security benefits, businesses can efficiently achieve their goals while maintaining compliance.

With technological advancements in cloud computing, the popularity of cloud video platforms has increased exponentially. Today, businesses are using cloud video platforms to enable external and internal communications, empower the workforce and learners with training and learning video content, host live events and webinars, and a lot more.

It would be safe to say that cloud strategy has become an ingrained part of the organizational strategy.

Since we have now discussed what a cloud video platform is, it is time to understand cloud deployment.

Deployment in a Cloud Video Platform

Video is the future, and organizations need to embrace it to capitalize on the trend. However, video production raises a crucial question: where will you store and deliver your content?

Cloud deployment offers a compelling solution.

Cloud deployment refers to the practice of storing and accessing data and applications over the Internet on remote servers managed by cloud service providers (such as Amazon Web Services, Microsoft Azure, etc.) instead of hosting them on physical hardware located within an organization. 

This eliminates the need for companies to maintain their own IT infrastructure, offering advantages like scalability, cost-effectiveness, and improved accessibility.

Considerations for Choosing Cloud Deployment Model

Choosing the right deployment model for cloud video storage is critical before selecting a video streaming solution. This ensures that your video cloud platform offers the flexibility and security you need to streamline your business operations.

But how do you choose the best cloud storage for videos? Look no further. Here are important factors to consider:

Control and Customization

This factor focuses on how much influence you have over your video hosting environment. Do you need complete control over security settings, data storage location, and access permissions? Or are you comfortable relying on a provider's pre-configured settings? 

Understanding your level of desired control over these aspects will help you determine if a highly customizable model or a pre-configured option is the better fit.

Scalability and Performance

Video libraries can grow rapidly, and your cloud deployment model needs to keep pace. When choosing a deployment model for hosting video content, consider how easily the model can adapt to fluctuations in terms of storage and user scalability.

Will you require frequent scaling up or down? Does the model offer reliable performance to ensure smooth video playback even during peak usage times? 

Prioritizing scalability and performance ensures your cloud video platform can handle your current and future video hosting demands.

Upfront and Ongoing Costs

Cloud deployment offers a range of cost structures, with some models requiring significant upfront investments and others featuring pay-as-you-go pricing. 

Are you prepared for a larger initial investment in exchange for lower ongoing costs? Conversely, would a model with lower upfront costs but higher monthly fees be a better financial fit? 

Understanding the full cost picture, both upfront and ongoing, allows for informed budgeting decisions.

Security and Compliance

The security of your video content is paramount. Hence, it is essential to evaluate the security measures offered by the deployment model. 

Does it meet your industry's compliance standards for data privacy and protection? Will you have control over user access and data encryption? 

Prioritizing robust security safeguards ensures your valuable video content is protected from unauthorized access and potential breaches.

Deployment Time and Ease of Use

How quickly do you need your video cloud platform up and running? 

It is important to consider the complexity of the deployment process and the level of technical expertise required. 

Do you have an IT team equipped to handle a more intricate setup, or is a user-friendly, rapid deployment option essential? 

Prioritizing deployment time and ease of use ensures your cloud video platform is operational and accessible when you need it most.

So, if you’re looking for the best cloud storage for videos, first decide on the deployment model for your organizational infrastructure. 

Multiple Deployment Models for Cloud Video Platform

Here’s a detailed guide on different cloud deployment models available today to help you decide faster:

SaaS-Shared Cloud

SaaS is a ready-to-deploy model for cloud video platform in a vendor-managed multi-tenant environment (shared cloud). It is a method of delivering a video CMS or any other software over the Internet, primarily on a pay-as-you-go basis.

In this cloud deployment model, customers have various packages to choose from, including a consumption-based model or a registered user model.

In the consumption-based model, customers only pay for the named (authenticated) users who use the software within a month. Meanwhile, in the registered user model, customers pay a flat fee for all named (authenticated) users registered in the account.

Benefits

Let’s look at the top benefits of using SaaS for cloud video storage:

Lower Costs

Since SaaS typically resides in a shared environment, it cuts a significant chunk of hardware and software licensing and system maintenance costs. 

Scalability

SaaS solutions generally use an on-demand pricing model. Therefore, you can scale it as your organization grows. Similarly, if the demand decreases, the on-demand pricing drops as well. 

Automatic System Updates

You don’t need to be a tech geek to maintain the software. 

Unlike the traditional model, where you need to buy an upgrade package or pay for specialized services to upgrade the environment, with SaaS, the provider upgrades your software whenever an update is required, or a new feature is released and makes it available for customers.

Drawbacks

To get a clear picture, you also need to learn about the pitfalls of using SaaS. Here’s a glimpse:

• The SaaS environment is often less customizable compared to other deployment options.
• Limited control over their operations is in the hands of your IT team.
• SaaS solutions are hosted online; therefore, Internet service failures may compromise your company’s operations. However, some SaaS platforms also offer offline capabilities to make sure the system works at least partially. 

Vendor-Provided Cloud

Vendor-provided cloud deployment model for video hosting offers businesses greater control over different aspects of the software.

Benefits

Let’s have a quick glance at the benefits of video hosting with a vendor-provided cloud deployment model.

Customization

Highly configurable and customizable, you can tailor this solution according to your organizational needs. 

Greater Control

Customers can choose the data center worldwide and rest assured that they’re not sharing the cloud with any other organization. 

Thus, they gain greater control and visibility over system performance, data, storage, and cybersecurity posture. 

Test Upgrades before Implementation

When you opt for a vendor-provided cloud deployment model, you can test and validate software integrations and updates in the staging environment before their release to internal & external customers. 

This helps you make sure that the new update aligns well with your organizational systems and won’t disturb your workforce’s current productivity. 

Drawbacks

Some of the downsides of a vendor-provided cloud are as follows:

• While the vendor-provided cloud deployment model offers greater control than SaaS, it still offers limited control over self-hosted cloud or on-premises deployment.
• If the vendor discontinues the service or significantly changes its pricing, switching to a different vendor later can be complex, as you’ll have to reconfigure everything according to the new vendor's requirements.
• Vendor-provided cloud deployment may take longer to set up compared to SaaS. This is because the vendor needs to configure the environment specifically for your needs, which can involve additional steps and coordination.
• Operational costs may be higher as the vendor will utilize professional services to ensure your convenience for regular updates and maintenance.
• Just like SaaS, you’ll need a functioning Internet connection to access and use the cloud video platform effectively.

Customer-Provided Cloud 

This is a "Bring-Your-Own-Cloud" (BYOC) model that provides customers the flexibility to host and deploy the cloud video platform in any public or private cloud provider of their choice. Hence, customers only pay for the vendor's software and services to manage the solution.

Benefits

The following are the advantages of customer-provided cloud (BYOC):

Greater Control & Customization

With BYOC, you have complete control over data residency (choose data centers of your choice!) and cloud infrastructure (hardware, software, access management, networking, and firewall configuration).

This allows for deep customization of the environment to perfectly match your specific needs and security requirements, including custom security and compliance options.

Flexibility and Scalability 

You have the freedom to choose the best cloud storage for videos to meet your specific needs. This allows for highly scalable (with tiered storage) deployments, making BYOC a reliable and flexible option. 

Additionally, BYOC offers a variety of customizability options to tailor the solution to your specific use case.

Drawbacks

While BYOC offers convenience and flexibility, it also comes with some drawbacks:

• Managing and maintaining the cloud infrastructure of the cloud video platform yourself in BYOC may require a significantly higher level of technical expertise compared to SaaS or vendor-provided cloud solutions.
• You may need to hire additional staff or outsource technical tasks, such as server administration, network security, and cloud resource management, which can increase the cost.
• Setting up a BYOC environment requires an initial investment in infrastructure and potentially additional software licenses. This can be a barrier for smaller organizations with limited resources.
• Like vendor-provided cloud deployment, setting up a BYOC environment and its maintenance can also be a significant time commitment for your IT team.
• BYOC relies heavily on a dependable and high-speed Internet connection. Uploading large video files, streaming content, and maintaining overall system performance all depend on a strong internet connection.

Hybrid Cloud

The hybrid deployment model combines the strengths of public and private cloud solutions, offering a flexible and adaptable approach for cloud video storage and management.  

Benefits

Here are some key advantages of the hybrid cloud:

Strategic Resource Allocation

A hybrid approach allows you to store sensitive or frequently accessed video content in a private cloud for maximum control and security while archiving less critical data in the public cloud.

Flexibility and Scalability

Hybrid cloud provides scalability of cloud solutions. You can easily scale your cloud video storage and processing power up or down as your needs evolve.

Affordability

With hybrid cloud, you can avoid high costs for hybrid video cloud storage for infrequently accessed data while maintaining control over sensitive information.

Smooth Migration to Cloud

Hybrid cloud allows for a gradual migration of your video content management system to the cloud. You can start by migrating less critical data and functionalities first, minimizing disruption and allowing for a smoother transition.

Maintains Control and Security 

Hybrid cloud lets you maintain control over sensitive video content. This can be crucial for organizations in highly regulated industries with strict data privacy requirements.

Drawbacks

• Managing a hybrid environment can be complex. It requires careful planning, configuration, and ongoing maintenance to ensure smooth integration between public and private cloud components.
• In a hybrid environment, DevSecOps (development, security, and operations) teams may find it challenging to acquire comprehensive visibility across all systems, processes, and applications across public and private clouds.
• Hybrid cloud deployment might require a higher level of IT expertise compared to simpler deployment models.
• Depending on the specific cloud provider and services used, there's a potential for vendor lock-in. Switching to a different cloud provider later could be challenging and expensive if your system is heavily integrated with its cloud video platform.
• Security becomes more intricate in a hybrid environment. To avoid vulnerabilities, you need to ensure consistent security policies and procedures across both public and private cloud infrastructure.
• Data transfer between public and private cloud environments can introduce network latency, impacting performance if not properly managed.  

Other Cloud Deployment Models to Consider

The commercial cloud refers to cloud computing services offered by providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. These services are typically accessible to any business regardless of industry, highly scalable, and capable of supporting a wide range of applications and workloads.

Commercial Cloud

The commercial cloud refers to cloud computing services offered by providers like Amazon Web Services (AWS) and Microsoft Azure. These services are typically accessible to any business regardless of industry, highly scalable, and capable of supporting a wide range of applications and workloads.

Government Cloud

A government cloud, specially designed for highly sensitive data, allows government organizations to securely access mission-critical data or video content. 

The US government and public sector agencies must comply with several regulatory requirements while maintaining the highest levels of security. 

The main difference between commercial and government clouds is that a government cloud has complete sovereignty and is entirely separate from a commercial cloud. It is dedicated to data associated with state, local, and federal government agencies only. 

Looking for a Reliable Cloud Video Platform with Flexible Deployment Options?

Look no further! VIDIZMO EnterpriseTube is a Gartner-recognized cloud video platform offering flexible deployment options, including the following:

• Cloud
• On-premises
• Hybrid
• SaaS

Whether you want to manage your increasing enterprise video content and digital media for internal and external communications, training and learning, or any other use case, EnterpriseTube offers you flexibility, scalability, security, and much more.

Sign up today for a 7-day free trial or get in touch with us today to decide which cloud deployment model is the right fit for your organization.