In our previous blog post, we debunked some myths around software-based contribution solutions compared to traditional hardware solutions. With these myths cleared up, let’s now examine the most common reasons for choosing software-based solutions over traditional hardware appliances for contribution.
Hardware-based solutions have served the industry for years, but they come with inherent limitations that restrict innovation and scalability. Software-based solutions, on the other hand, bring the agility that is needed to adapt to changing requirements. Let’s explore in more detail.
Hardware-Based Contribution: Installing Rigidity
Choosing a hardware-based contribution solution means opting for rigidity in your media platform. Here’s why.
– You are locked into your vendor. If you want a new feature, functionality, or orchestrator, you just have to hope that your vendor supports it – and are totally dependent on them for the time to market. If it takes them one year to develop it, you will have to wait one year. But what if the event is next month?
You could, of course, buy a new appliance from a different vendor. That would multiply your hardware investment by the number of vendors required to cover all the new functionalities you need. It would also increase your operational costs due to greater rack space requirements, energy expenses, and the need for a highly specialised solution to solve the problem of orchestrating a fleet of devices. This, on top of the already higher costs for hardware sourcing and repair, which often cannot be done locally.
A software-based solution let’s you install solutions from multiple vendors side-by-side on the same physical device, increasing flexibility, as well as saving rack space and energy.
– You are locked into fixed functions – and miss out on innovations. With many fixed function hardware products, once your device is out in the field, you cannot change its functionality. You’re locked into whatever functionality was initially included in that device, so you miss out on innovations.
– You are locked into a pre-defined set-up. Do you know which of the numerous combinations of transport mechanisms you might require in the future? Whichever combinations are supported by your hardware contribution solution, those are often the ones you’re locked in with. Many traditional hardware solutions do not have full support for SRT, for example with bandwidth limitations (because they run SRT on a CPU designed purely to render a web page), or feature limitations on Zixi, for example, which can be extremely useful when using the Public Internet to augment your traditional fibre services. Will 5G or Starlink be the next transport method (we think so!)? It’s therefore important to choose a platform that’s ready for the future.
– You are locked into a security model controlled by the vendor. As explained in the previous blog post, one of the myths of software is that it’s less secure than hardware. If anything, the opposite is true as hardware platforms usually use older OSs and provide updates in a monolithic way, which may break other functionality as well as applying security updates. A software platform lets you apply updates at the same speed as the IT industry.
Software-Based Contribution: Tailored for Every Need
A software-based contribution solution solves these issues, introducing adaptability to your platform.
– Add the features and functionalities you need. Whether they are provided by your vendor, developed in-house, or supported by a third party, it makes no difference. A software-based contribution solution gives you the flexibility to add whatever capabilities your customers require, in a single device – and even to provision the device dynamically. The benefits? Reduced investment in hardware equipment, coupled with reduced operating expenses: you occupy less rackspace and use less energy. And, if you need an orchestrator, you can use widely accessible tools such as Ansible and Terraform instead of a custom niche solution.
As explained in the previous blog post, many hardware vendors are implementing new features on a low-power CPU intended originally for creating a web page and monitoring. For this reason it’s often very challenging for them to add new protocols such as SRT, Zixi or RIST. Software applications are different, we are able to add new features like SRT and ST-2110 with in-field updates.
– Reduce complexity. Using a software solution turns your platform into a Cloud-native architecture, meaning you can control and monitor edge devices as if they were Cloud instances (because the same technology can be used to provision and monitor physical devices and cloud instances) – something that is not easy to do with hardware. This creates huge efficiencies, enabling remote and automated monitoring and control. It also simplifies tasks such as updates, software patches, and troubleshooting through access to widely available Cloud-native tools.
– Adapt your set-up to changing technologies: Whatever combination of transport mechanisms you might want in the future, you’re all set with a software-based contribution solution. Unlike hardware-based solutions, which require specific, pre-configured setups, software solutions can be quickly updated and reconfigured to meet your future needs, ensuring that you’re always ready to handle whatever comes next. Your contribution system can grow with your business, without costly and time-consuming hardware replacements.
– Adapt to changing market requirements: When you choose a software-based contribution solution, flexibility is built into your system. For example, you can benefit from time-based licensing and scale up temporarily to meet peak demand, avoiding the hefty up-front costs inherent in hardware-based solutions. You are also free to innovate and add value as the market changes, adopting new features as they come out, which enables you to adapt to new use cases a.
– Choose the best form factor for every situation: Software solutions offer the flexibility to run on any platform, from compact, rugged servers for field use to powerful server configurations in broadcast facilities or cloud environments. This allows you to select the ideal form factor depending on factors such as space, performance needs, or environmental conditions. Whether you need a rugged, space-saving solution for remote fieldwork or a high-performance server for handling large-scale transmissions, software-based systems can be tailored to fit your exact requirements, ensuring optimal performance and efficiency in every scenario.
The Choice is Yours
If you want to keep your options open, software-based solutions are undoubtedly better.
Some companies may nonetheless prefer turnkey appliances, and at Open Broadcast Systems, we offer that as well. You can find out more about our hardware offering here.
But if you want the flexibility to change your configuration, your set-up, and your architecture, software solutions are ideal. They provide the agility to grow with your business, respond to changing market needs, and seamlessly integrate with the latest technologies. And their achievements in terms of reliability, security, and latency are second to none.
