As we are preparing for the More Screens team to attend this year’s IBC, we’re sharing our CEO’s latest article on how to choose the right partner for a new OTT project.

As the CEO and co-founder of More Screens, I’m deeply honored to celebrate 25 years in the streaming industry. Over the past quarter-century, I’ve had the unique privilege of witnessing the rise and fall of countless groundbreaking technologies, each arriving with the promise of transforming the way we consume content. For those who have been in the industry as long as I have, you’ll recall the early days of RealNetworks, Flash Media, Windows Media, and 3GPP formats, along with the countless Mobile and Smart TV operating systems like Symbian and Netcast.. Back then, we at More Screens invested significant resources and capital to integrate these technologies into our offerings, all with the goal of delivering a seamless and reliable experience to our customers.

But where are those once-promising technologies today? Sadly, many have faded into obscurity, replaced by more robust and standardised solutions like HLS, DASH, and HTML5. This evolution underscores a fundamental truth about our industry: technology is transient, and innovation is a constant. It’s a reminder that to remain relevant and competitive, we must continually invent, evolve, and embrace new technologies.

Today, as More Screens continues to develop and provide cutting-edge technology for OTT platforms, we frequently hear industry buzzwords like “industry-leading,” “unique,” or “award-winning.”  These terms are indeed powerful, but they carry even greater weight when we reflect on the journey we’ve all taken and the valuable lessons we’ve learned from the technologies that have come and gone.

So, how do we evaluate the right partner for a new OTT project? Here are five key considerations that I believe are essential:

1. Long-Term Partnership Approach:  In my experience, successful OTT projects resemble a “marriage” between the supplier and the customer. Success is built on deep mutual understanding, compromise, and respect, ensuring that the relationship can thrive and the customer can continue to grow over the long term. At More Screens, we’ve maintained relationships with some of our clients for over a decade, a testament to the value of nurturing and sustaining long-term partnerships that support mutual growth.
2. Commitment to Innovation: The streaming industry is in a constant state of flux, and the willingness to innovate and experiment with new technologies and processes is crucial. By embracing innovation, companies can improve daily operations, enhance scalability, and provide a superior user experience—key factors in maintaining a competitive edge.
3. Flexibility and Responsiveness: A strong technology partner must be adaptable, ready to adjust and upgrade their product based on customer feedback and evolving market demands. Rather than being rigidly bound to their own product roadmaps, they should demonstrate flexibility to ensure the partnership can evolve and meet the ever-changing needs of the market.
4. Support Excellence: For many customers, OTT is their core service, meaning that it requires around-the-clock support to ensure everything works as expected. A reliable partner should provide 24/7 support services, with a team that is easily reachable through various communication channels, whether it’s a support desk, phone, or any other platform.
5. Flexible Licensing and Pricing: It’s essential for both the supplier and the customer to have a sustainable business model where both parties can generate profit. Each customer is unique and deserves a tailored pricing or licensing model to match their specific needs, whether it’s through CapEx or OpEx.

As we move forward in this dynamic industry, these principles will continue to guide how we at More Screens approach new opportunities and challenges, ensuring that we remain a trusted and innovative partner in the OTT space.

We’d love to connect with you at the upcoming IBC in Amsterdam! Visit us at our booth in Hall 1, F11, to learn more about us and our projects. If you’d like to schedule a meeting in advance, you can do so through this link. We look forward to seeing you there!

Predrag Mandlbaum

CEO, More Screens