Unlocking Flexibility with Wowza’s Deployment Options

When it comes to live productions, one size never fits all. Each project or event comes with its own unique requirements. Recognizing this, Wowza offers unparalleled flexibility with its deployment options. Whether you’re a security-conscious enterprise, a cloud-first innovator, or a hybrid solution seeker, Wowza has you covered. This article discusses how Wowza’s deployment models can fit diverse needs, as explored in a recent webinar featuring Wowza’s Barry Owen.

Self-Managed Deployment: Full Control Over Your Infrastructure

For organizations or events that require complete control, Wowza’s self-managed deployment offers robust solutions for deployment on-premises or in a public cloud. As Owen explained during the webinar, “For organizations with strict security requirements or the need for customized deployments, this is the ideal choice.” Whether leveraging an existing on-premises setup or spinning up instances in a public cloud like AWS[BO1] , self-managed deployment ensures flexibility and scalability.

By way of background, self-managed deployments are powered by Wowza Streaming Engine, a robust, customizable, and scalable media server that enables you to deliver high-quality video and audio to any device, anywhere. Supporting a wide range of streaming protocols and formats, Wowza Streaming Engine enables seamless delivery across diverse platforms while offering an extensible architecture that allows organizations to fine-tune their workflows to meet unique requirements. This makes it the go-to choice for those seeking maximum control over their streaming infrastructure.

For those wrestling with the cloud vs. on-premises hosting decision, note that self-managed cloud deployments enable instant scalability, a critical factor for applications like UGC, gambling, or auctions, where transcoding demand can fluctuate dramatically within minutes. As Owen pointed out during the webinar, “It’s pretty easy to spin up servers or containers in a cloud environment, particularly compared to having to provision on-premises resources, where it’s challenging to roll out a new server on demand for transcoding.”

Wowza-Managed: Simplify Scaling with Wowza Video

 

For businesses prioritizing speed and simplicity, the Wowza-managed solution, powered by Wowza Video, offers a compelling alternative. Briefly, Wowza Video is a comprehensive cloud-based streaming platform built to facilitate both live and on-demand video delivery across devices. With adaptive bitrate streaming, a global CDN, and an advanced content management system (CMS), it ensures high-quality, scalable, and secure video distribution.

Deploying via Wowza Video combines scalability with ease of use, providing API- and UI-driven operations that eliminate the hassle of managing infrastructure. Rather than dealing with hardware or cloud instances, businesses can focus on delivering great content while Wowza handles the backend. As Owen noted, “If you’re looking to deploy quickly and scale your services without having to manage any underlying infrastructure, Wowza Video is the way to go.”

Hybrid Deployments: The Best of Both Worlds

 

For organizations that need flexibility between on-prem and cloud, Wowza’s hybrid deployment model provides a seamless integration of local infrastructure with cloud-based resources. With this model, organizations can efficiently manage resources, optimize costs, and maintain a high-performance streaming experience. By combining local control with Wowza’s global CDN, real-time analytics, and customizable video player, businesses can balance reliability and scalability without compromising on quality.

Wowza hybrid deployments are ideal for businesses that require on-prem control but need the ability to scale dynamically during peak demand. As Owen described, “We give you this great option of a hybrid infrastructure. If your on-prem gets overloaded or if you need to burst to the cloud, you can leverage the hybrid model for additional capacity.”

Key Considerations for Deployment

Choosing the right deployment model requires evaluating several factors. As Owen outlined in the webinar, here are the most relevant questions to point you in the best direction:

• Resources: “Do you have the resources to self-manage, whether hardware or public cloud?”
• Demand Variability: “Do you have unknown variability or a fixed number of channels?”
• Economics: Consider CAPEX vs. OPEX to determine the best fit for your business model.
• Customization Needs: Do you need to integrate specific hardware encoders or manage unique workflows?
• Security: Does your environment require secure, local deployments, or can it leverage the cloud?

Obviously, there are a lot of factors to consider. Since Wowza supports all these deployment models, you can trust us to help you identify the best for your project. We’re here to help, if you’d like to speak with an expert, click here.

Wowza’s Commitment to Your Success

With self-managed, managed, and hybrid options, Wowza provides adaptable solutions that fit your needs, no matter your infrastructure or scale requirements. Whether you value full control, ease of use, or a blend of both, Wowza ensures you can optimize costs and performance as your business grows.

Want to find the best deployment model for your streaming needs? Contact us today to get started.