Security is key in professional IPTV and is likely to become more important as the reach of these services grows. Eleuterio Fernandes sheds light on how the Middle East is safeguarding its content Businesses of all types are increasingly adopting video services to stay on top of the news, inform their workforce and provide entertainment […]
Security is key in professional IPTV and is likely to become more important as the reach of these services grows. Eleuterio Fernandes sheds light on how the Middle East is safeguarding its content
Businesses of all types are increasingly adopting video services to stay on top of the news, inform their workforce and provide entertainment to consumers. In the Middle East, IPTV is increasingly chosen to meet professional demand for video services across a wide range of organisations. This trend has led to questions regarding the security of content distributed internally over IP.
Lucintels “Global Broadcast Media Industry Analysis 2012-2017: Industry Trend, Profit and Forecast Analysis” report states that internet broadcasting is expected to be the fastest growing media sector, with the Middle East one of the regions spearheading this movement due to low barriers to entry and increased broadband penetration. Ultrafast broadband in the region is expected to rival IP-friendly markets such as Eastern Asia and Europe in the near future.
Increased broadband availability, in tandem with more operators and broadcasters launching new services in the region, clears the path for enterprise IPTV to become widespread in the region. In the Middle East, demand for video from local companies, international brands and visitors means that IPTV is catching up with more mature markets.
With the World Expo coming to Dubai in 2020, followed by the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, hospitality developments are in full swing. Competition among high-end establishments, as well as a growing number of two- and three-star hotels, has resulted in increased IPTV uptake due to video services shifting from an additional extra to an expected feature.
The market may be growing at a frenetic pace but it is also maturing, which means that more attention than ever before is given to ensure that content is secure from end to end.
As the broadcast landscape in the Middle East switches from coaxial networks to IPTV, many organisations in the region have started streaming content directly over IP alongside emails and internal communication services.
Tackling the security issue in internal content distribution
To enable IPTV systems to become a commodity in the region, vendors need to ensure that their solutions provide support for encryption from end to end, especially as high value content is increasingly distributed over these networks.
Many operators have put in place industry standards such as Conditional Access (CA) and Digital Rights Management (DRM) systems, but professional IPTV also requires support for Hi-bandwidth Digital Content Protection v2 (HDCPv2) to offer advanced security. HDCP is the only standard for delivery over IP, protecting communications over one or more links in a network including both wired and wireless communication between devices.
This enables organisations to avoid piracy and distribute high-quality live and commercial channels, a key requirement for a growing number of industries in the Middle East such as education, hospitality and transport hubs.
Organisations in the region are quickly becoming aware of how intricate the content industrys requirements are and are looking at market proven and future-proofed IPTV solutions to prepare for the upcoming wave of international visitors.
To enable organisations to understand the content industrys security issues and combat all forms of piracy in that sector, Middle East broadcasters, satellite operators and service providers have joined forces as the Anti-Piracy Coalition.
By implementing advanced secure professional IPTV systems, organisations are making great strides towards eliminating security threats. To ensure businesses can meet the piracy challenge, technology providers must incorporate efficient encryption. This is particularly relevant for professional IPTV systems, which can be deployed in a wide range of installations, such as a stadium looking for flexible infrastructure to distribute video in real time to all attendees, or a mining company providing entertainment to employees on-site.
Venues are especially vulnerable to content being spread illegally due to the limited window in which their revenues peak, while the hospitality sector needs to adhere to the content industrys security requirements in order to offer premium pay TV to guests.
Increased broadband availability has opened up many new video opportunities spanning countless industries as organisations attempt to modernise their businesses. This desire for video content means, of course, that it has become a prime target for piracy. All organisations investing in video-based solutions must take steps to ensure their IPTV solutions not only provide a seamless service but also have demonstrably robust security.
Eleuterio Fernandes, Middle East Sales Director, Exterity.
