Itochu Cable Systems Corp. (ICS) was founded in 1986 as a cable TV related subsidiary of ITOCHU Corporation, one of Japanese trading giants. ICS provided multi-vender products and solutions, and, acts as a system integrator offering series of business, not only in the field of cable TV companies but also in those of terrestrial and satellite broadcasters, video distribution providers and telecom carriers.

6 questions to Kenichi YAMAGATA - 山形 賢

1- Who are you?

I have been working in the broadband internet and media industry for nearly a quarter of a century. I originally started my career as a telecom engineer, and have spent much of my time at ICS in new business development, launching VOD and interactive video networks using Cable infrastructure, and most recently driving the OTT business. I am also a beloved holiday sea kayaker.

2 - How did you hear about easylive.io?

We were asked if we could do a cloud playout for one of our projects, and ICS only had software products for Tier-1 Broadcaster. The client requested a pay-as-you-go model, and we came across easylive.io in the course of our various discussions.

3 - What's easylive.io and Itochu Cable common values?

CS has been committed to providing broadcast-quality systems. On the other hand, the market is demanding a more lightweight live-streaming platform that uses the cloud. In addition, content owners today can directly live-stream their own content, to social networking services and or their own platform. Both together we can discover such larger demands in Japanese live streaming.

4 - What's the current broadcast market and uses in Japan?

Most broadcasters launched AVOD, SVOD and catch-up services and they are going to start simulcasting terrestrial broadcasting soon. However, simulcasting is a service that, like terrestrial broadcasting, is regulated by the government. Terrestrial broadcasters will try to have other streaming only programs.

5 - Why Japanese companies need a solution as easylive.io?

It is a simple answer! We could not have any domestic partners who has a solution like easylive.io. Furthermore could based live production service are still early stage in Japanese market not only for traditional broadcasters but any content owners.

6 - What kind of Japanese companies could use easylive.io solution?

According to the feedback we received during our reference exhibit at last November's InterBEE, we envisioned two main use cases. One is when traditional broadcasters produce streaming-only programs, and the other is when sports teams and many other content owners distribute their own live programs.

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