Telefónica strengthens Movistar+ VOD with Aquila On-Demand from MediaKind

Aquila On-Demand, a technology developed by MediaKind, has been integrated into Telefónica’s Movistar+ platform.

The Aquila On-Demand solution, which was launched in August 2020, will be deployed to provide fast asset processing of Movistar+’s OTT and IPTV on-demand content, covering transcoding, transformation, packaging and delivery capabilities.

MediaKind’s system will enable Telefónica to deliver new VoD content to the Movistar+ platform. To do so, the system relies on several digital rights management (DRM) platforms, including HLS/Fairplay and DASH/CENC. Similarly, 4K content will be enhanced by leveraging the latest HEVC/H264 codec implementations.

Microservices architecture

MediaKind notes that Aquila will provide Movistar+ with a “dramatic increase” in performance, given that the solution is built on microservices that allow media to be processed “twice as fast.” At the same time, Telefónica’s operations will be simplified thanks to the unification of the graphical user interface (GUI) with the VoD controller.

Eugenio Lojo, head of broadcast and conditional access at Telefónica, believes that Aquila will be instrumental in improving the user experience: “This past year has demonstrated the insatiable consumer demand for premium quality on-demand video streaming, a trend that will continue. We are continuously looking for new ways to pioneer and deliver the best quality service to our customers. MediaKind’s Aquila On-Demand solution provides us with the ideal tools to ensure Movistar+ provides a consistently exceptional viewing experience. The deployment means that Movistar+’s on-demand content can be made available faster and reach more devices, with an improved video and audio quality. Such a deployment is key to delivering a truly next-generation VOD experience that exceeds our viewers’ expectations.”

Stuart Boorn, vice president of product management at Mediakind, believes that Movistar’s service will be enhanced by Aquila’s flexibility: “We are delighted to help Telefónica enhance its Movistar+ service with Aquila On-Demand. The solution’s innovative microservices design provides Telefónica with the flexibility and scale required to meet increasing on-demand video streaming requirements, exacerbated by the recent global lockdowns. Relying on our robust in-house processing and delivery software, we can help Telefónica deliver a premium viewing experience to its subscribers that exceeds consumer expectations for a modern VOD service, such as premium picture quality and reach on even more devices.”