Discovery Communications has engaged with interconnection and datacenter company Equinix to implement an Interconnection Oriented Architecture (IOA) that will enable the company’s digital business to be a fully cloud-based, distributed model.
By co-locating the company’s IT infrastructure in Equinix International Business Exchange (IBX) datacenters, Discovery will consolidate 80 percent of its IT infrastructure, optimize delivery of worldwide content, and accelerate real-time product delivery via fast low-latency connections. The deployment process includes consolidation of Discovery’s back-office support systems, applications and network connectivity, and it provides access to Equinix Media Cloud Ecosystem for Entertainment (EMCEE) which supplies a gateway to media services in the public cloud.
Reaching more than three billion cumulative viewers across pay-TV and free-to-air platforms in more than 220 countries and territories, Discovery was looking to accelerate its real-time product delivery to meet rising end-user consumption demand, and to integrate IT infrastructure from Eurosport, a provider of locally relevant, premium sports and Home of the Olympic Games across Europe.
“In this connected era, industry leaders like Discovery are rethinking content from creation to distribution in order to drive innovation and manage a global digital supply chain for an on-demand, multi-screen customer base. The IOA approach provides a robust, secure and neutral framework for Discovery’s new cloud-based paradigm, enabling the company to achieve the agility, efficiency and quality of experience they need to be successful in the digital age,” said Tony Bishop, Vice President, Global Vertical Strategy and Marketing, Equinix.
David Duvall, Senior Vice President of Infrastructure & Support Services, Discovery Communications added, “The cloud is the future for digital media and entertainment – the agility and cost advantages are immense. Once we started our digital journey, it was quickly apparent that we needed a neutral interconnect partner who would enable us to connect our entire ecosystem physically and virtually, allowing us to scale up or down to address current and future requirements. Equinix has been key to Discovery’s success with this digital transformation, and we look forward to expanding our network with Equinix as we grow our global business.”
