A developer’s MCU service in the cloud.
Video MCUs are challenging. Every once in a while I get a question from someone about adding that multipoint video capability and how to achieve it. So when I found out about Media Network Services and their hosted software MCU, I knew I wanted to share that information here.
Kjell Oksendal, the CMO and SVP Global Alliances of Media Network Services introduced me to their services and capabilities in this interview.
What is Media Network Services all about?
Media Network Services (MNS) is all about creating great video experiences. Our core service, VideoRoaming, removes the factors that often lead to degraded video experiences; Packet loss, jitter and high latency. Today VideoRoaming enables 250k+ users to video call anywhere in the world with a business class quality previously only offered on dedicated closed networks. VideoRoaming is offered to Video, UC and WebRTC service providers on a white-label basis. Another service that we have is MCU1.com that works as a WebRTC gateway for the traditional video conferencing and as a multipoint platform and SIP/H.323 gateway for WebRTC service providers.
What is your current offering that is related to WebRTC?
WebRTC developers can embed the VideoRoaming service using our globally distributed TURN service and offer users a business class WebRTC experience. VideoRoaming ensures an optimized route between A and B by relaying traffic to the closest TURN service via the most optimal local path and take the shortest path within the VideoRoaming dedicated network.
We also provide WebRTC developers with MCU infrastructure through our MCU1.com service. The service enables developers to embed and offer virtual rooms with capacity up to 50 seats and SIP/H.323 interop. MCU1.com infrastructure is today available in North America, Europe and Asia, with more locations to come. MCU1.com is also offered with VideoRoaming to ensure business class quality regardless of where participants are located.
What excites you about working in WebRTC?
The potential to reach and enrich communications for billions of people is very exciting. WebRTC lowers the barriers for newcomers and open up for great business opportunities for companies that are able to combine great WebRTC applications with sound business models and service quality.
Why a software MCU – and why a hosted one?
We developed a software based MCU (MCU1.com) as it is far more cost efficient to replicate and scale than traditional hardware-based MCU, and with the same great quality.
We decided on a hosted delivery model as we believe there is a growing market of service providers not wanting to the increase their CAPEX but simply want to white-label an existing MCU service in the cloud. The beauty with the global MCU1.com infrastructure and the distributed VideoRoaming network is that a small start-up in California may offer a business class WebRTC multipoint service with a global footprint with no or little investment and time to market.
Where do you see WebRTC going in 2-5 years?
I believe that WebRTC has become a standard across browsers and devices, and that smart TVs, watches and glasses have WebRTC natively embedded. Applications that do not follow WebRTC will soon become niche-products.
If you had one piece of advice for those thinking of adopting WebRTC, what would it be?
Look for service providers that combine great user experience with great quality at an affordable price. Sometimes free is not the answer when a paid service can create better experiences that lead to faster user adoption and collaboration
What’s next for Media Network Services?
We are full of plans and ideas and will in the near future announce our next service intent. It has something to do with a white-label WebRTC/SIP Video IVR service, but I guess I have already revealed too much …
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The interviews are intended to give different viewpoints than my own – you can read more WebRTC interviews.
Great post Tsahi and outstanding article. Super work by Kjell and his team at MNS – Congrats!