IBC 2025 Preview: Cloud production scaling challenges and workflow evolution

While cloud-based production has transformed media workflows over the past year, industry professionals preparing for IBC 2025 report persistent challenges in scaling cloud-native infrastructure across global teams and events.

Despite significant technological advances, barriers remain in areas ranging from protocol optimization to cost predictability.

The September trade show in Amsterdam will showcase solutions addressing these scaling challenges while demonstrating how workflows have evolved to leverage cloud capabilities more effectively.

Protocol bottlenecks limit infrastructure performance

Network and protocol limitations continue to constrain cloud production scaling, particularly for high-resolution content workflows. Traditional file-sharing protocols struggle to match the performance capabilities of modern infrastructure investments.

“The biggest barrier isn’t bandwidth or storage capacity, it’s the protocol bottlenecks that choke your infrastructure when you need it most,” said Duncan Beattie, market development manager at Tuxera. “I’ve seen broadcasters invest heavily in 100GbE networks and high-performance storage, only to watch their workflows crawl because the SMB layer can’t keep pace.”

Moving uncompressed video between different vendors’ cloud solutions remains particularly challenging. Industry initiatives are addressing these interoperability gaps through open specifications.

“We know that moving uncompressed video between vendors’ solutions is near-impossible and often lightly-compressed alternatives aren’t practical,” said Scott Kewley, CEO of Techex. “The industry needs an open specification like the EBU’s proposed Media eXchange Layer to open up low-latency, studio-quality video in the cloud.”

Cost predictability concerns

Usage-based pricing models in cloud environments create uncertainty for broadcasters, particularly during peak production periods. Traditional cloud transfer solutions can produce unexpected costs that exceed budget projections.

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“Cost predictability remains the primary concern, with traditional cloud transfer solutions often surprising clients with usage-based pricing that can spiral during peak production periods,” said Lee Otterway, commercial director for Dot Group.

The challenge extends beyond transfer costs to processing expenses. Video file manipulation and processing generate substantial cloud computing charges that can accumulate rapidly.

“The dirty secret of cloud migration is that it’s not always the cost-saver it’s marketed to be,” said Jan Weigner, CTO of Cinegy. “When you’re moving and processing massive video files, every gigabyte and CPU cycle costs real money, and those costs can spiral faster than a reality TV show budget.”

Legacy integration complexity

Broadcasters face significant challenges integrating cloud-native workflows with existing infrastructure. Organizations at different stages of cloud migration must bridge new systems with established hardware and processes.

“One of the key barriers we see when they adopt and scale cloud workflows is the need to integrate these new cloud workflows with legacy infrastructure,” said Martins Magone, CTO of Veset. “This can be difficult to get right, underscoring why it’s critical that broadcasters choose partners that are knowledgeable, and able to work flexibly and collaboratively.”

Interoperability issues compound when teams attempt to connect cloud systems with older hardware and established workflows.

“Another issue is interoperability, as most teams will not be starting from scratch, so it can get messy trying to connect cloud systems with existing tools and older hardware,” said Ian Godfrey, CTO of TSL Products.

Security and compliance considerations

“The challenge isn’t the cloud itself — it’s the mix of connectivity, storage architectures, and security requirements you encounter across regions, partners, and vendors,” said Taylor Riese, vice president of strategic sales for EMEA at Signiant.

Global scaling introduces complex security requirements across different regions and organizations. Multi-vendor environments create additional security integration challenges.

Data residency regulations further complicate global cloud deployment strategies, particularly for content that must remain within specific jurisdictions.

“Data residency regulations like GDPR complicate global expansion,” said Einat Kahanam, vice president of product solutions at Viaccess-Orca.

Workflow transformations accelerate

Despite scaling challenges, cloud-based production has enabled significant workflow improvements over the past year. High-resolution editing capabilities have expanded beyond traditional direct-attached storage requirements.

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“Over the past year, we have seen new technologies emerge that allow editors to work with full resolution material directly from cloud-based S3 storage,” said Geoff Stedman, chief marketing officer at SDVI. “This new capability means that content can be accessed in its native format, rather than having to create proxies to work with.”

Cloud integration has reduced deployment timelines for new systems, moving from multi-year implementation projects to rapid provisioning.

“We’ve demonstrated that we can minimize time-to-value for our customers,” said Derek Barrilleaux, CEO of Projective. “In some cases, we’re able to get new systems implemented in days, a far cry from the huge, multi-year SI projects of the past.”

Technical capabilities have advanced faster than user adoption in many organizations. Distributed working has improved acceptance, but workflow changes still face resistance.

“Perhaps the primary remaining barriers are more about users accepting new ways of working than they are about technical capability,” said Stedman. “While distributed working has changed attitudes, there are certainly more cultural barriers at this point than technical ones.”

Organizations implementing cloud workflows must address training and change management alongside technical deployment.

Cloud adoption has introduced new dependencies that limit flexibility in platform selection. Organizations report more vendor lock-in compared to traditional on-premises deployments.

“While the cloud promised more flexibility, we’re actually seeing more vendor lock-in than expected, when compared to traditional on-prem set ups,” said Godfrey. “Ideally, you’d pick the right platform for each event based on size, complexity, and budget, but right now making that choice isn’t as straightforward as it should be.”

Resource optimization advances while collaboration increases

Cloud providers have introduced more sophisticated resource management tools that enable better cost control and performance optimization.

“Over the past year, our workflows have shifted from simple lift-and-shift cloud adoption toward actively optimizing resources as providers like AWS, Google Cloud, and Oracle have introduced more efficient instances, storage tiers, and automation tools,” said Chris Pulis, CTO of Globecast.

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Despite scaling challenges, cloud-based workflows have enabled improved collaboration across distributed teams and time zones.

“With distributed teams, workflows, and tighter timelines, organizations are adopting cloud infrastructure to keep content moving from capture to production, post-production, archival, and CDN delivery,” said Gene Villeneuve, CRO of MASV.

Cloud infrastructure supports global talent access and improves response times for breaking news and tight deadline situations.

“Cloud workflows are now central to our approach, enabling secure, collaborative editing from anywhere,” said Craig Wilson, product evangelist at Avid. “This shift has made it easier for customers to tap into global talent pools, respond to breaking stories or tight deadlines, and maintain high-quality output without the constraints of physical infrastructure.”

As broadcasters gather at IBC 2025, solutions addressing these scaling challenges will demonstrate how the industry continues to refine cloud-native production approaches while managing the complexity of global, multi-vendor environments.