Tata Communications launches world’s first cloud-based broadcast-quality video transcoding and delivery service

Viacom18 uses service to tackle piracy through faster transcoding and delivery of HD video, globally in the cloud

Mumbai (NSE & BSE) - Tata Communications, a leading provider of A New World of Communications, today announces that it has launched the world’s first cloud-based broadcast quality video transcoding and delivery service. The new content transformation service has already been selected by Viacom18, a joint venture between Viacom Inc. and the Network18 Group, to provide high-definition (HD) content transcoding and delivery via the cloud. Developed in partnership with Harmonic, the service allows Viacom18 to maximise its return on investments made in creative programming and to tackle piracy by enabling simultaneous syndication play-out anywhere in the world.

The new service offers content creators, service providers and media professionals an integrated end-to-end workflow for moving content files to the cloud and transcoding them into broadcast quality formats ready for immediate delivery and transmission globally. This drastically reduces the delivery time compared with traditional solutions that rely on the physical transport of media.

Viacom18 is currently using the service for the daily transcoding and delivery of HD Masters of leading Indian soap programmes to its customers in Pakistan for same-day syndicated play-out. Before, Viacom18’s customers had to broadcast content from previous soap seasons, leaving a gap where some viewers could only obtain content from unauthorised sources to stay up-to-date with their favourite shows. Same-day distribution of play-out eliminates this problem, and maximises the value of the content for the broadcaster. In addition, this increases the value of the rights owned by Viacom18, allowing it to maximise the revenue generated from each show.

Rajasekharan Harikrishnan, Chief Technical Officer at Viacom18, says, “Tata Communications’ cost-effective and intuitive service has meant that our shows are picked up and transcoded to formats as required by our international customers, all delivered in a seamless manner. Authorised content available for simulcast in HD format has resulted in more revenue for us while also discouraging piracy.”

Viacom18 submits jobs to the content transformation service by using accelerated connections on Tata Communications’ network, and monitors their status in real-time via a simple browser user interface. The agreed transcode uses the source file to create a TX-ready variant for Viacom18’s broadcast partners in Pakistan who receive the file over another accelerated connection. Using this workflow, it is able to insert local advertising breaks and broadcast the content immediately.

Sameer Kanse, Business Head of Tata Communications’ Media Services says, “Content creators, service providers and media professionals are under tremendous pressure to maximise the return on their investments, as pirated content can be so easily accessed on illegal websites. By speeding up monetisation of creative content through more efficient production and distribution of digital content globally, we are helping the industry to bridge the gap between broadcast and the Internet, and to remain competitive in the rapidly evolving digital media economy.”

The cloud-based content transformation service has a pay-as-you-go pricing model, making it highly scalable, cost-effective and it eliminates the need for dedicated new hardware. Unlike many other cloud-based transcoding services - which can be used for transcoding video files into low-resolution versions for playback on devices such as smartphones, tablets and PCs only - Tata Communications’ service makes it possible to transcode HD video for broadcast purposes. The service leverages Tata Communications’ global data centre facilities and expert understanding of the media ecosystem requirements to deliver an optimal solution.

About Tata Communications
Tata Communications Limited, along with its subsidiaries (Tata Communications), is a leading global provider of a new world of communications. With a leadership position in emerging markets, Tata Communications leverages its advanced solutions capabilities and domain expertise across its global and pan-India network to deliver managed solutions to multi-national enterprises, service providers and Indian consumers.

The Tata Communications global network includes one of the most advanced and largest submarine cable networks and a Tier-1 IP network with connectivity to more than 200 countries and territories across 400 PoPs, as well as nearly 1 million square feet of data centre and collocation space worldwide.

Tata Communications’ depth and breadth of reach in emerging markets includes leadership in Indian enterprise data services, leadership in global international voice, and strategic investments in South Africa (Neotel), Sri Lanka (Tata Communications Lanka Limited) and Nepal (United Telecom Limited). Tata Communications Limited is listed on the Bombay Stock Exchange and the National Stock Exchange of India.

www.tatacommunications.com

Forward-looking and cautionary statements
Certain words and statements in this release concerning Tata Communications and its prospects, and other statements, including those relating to Tata Communications’ expected financial position, business strategy, the future development of Tata Communications’ operations, and the general economy in India, are forward-looking statements. Such statements involve known and unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, including financial, regulatory and environmental, as well as those relating to industry growth and trend projections, which may cause actual results, performance or achievements of Tata Communications, or industry results, to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. The important factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements include, among others, failure to increase the volume of traffic on Tata Communications’ network; failure to develop new products and services that meet customer demands and generate acceptable margins; failure to successfully complete commercial testing of new technology and information systems to support new products and services, including voice transmission services; failure to stabilize or reduce the rate of price compression on certain of the company’s communications services; failure to integrate strategic acquisitions and changes in government policies or regulations of India and, in particular, changes relating to the administration of Tata Communications’ industry; and, in general, the economic, business and credit conditions in India. Additional factors that could cause actual results, performance or achievements to differ materially from such forward-looking statements, many of which are not in Tata Communications’ control, include, but are not limited to, those risk factors discussed in Tata Communications’ various filings with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission. These filings are available at www.sec.gov.Tata Communications is under no obligation to, and expressly disclaims any obligation to, update or alter its forward-looking statements.