Richard Humphreys |
Cloud technologies from Microsoft partner StreamingBuzz are allowing connectivity company Openmatics to deliver a full onboard entertainment system to its bus and coach operator customers.
The Roadcaster entertainment solution gives passengers access to onboard entertainment features including movies, television series, customer surveys and location-specific route information – via a browser or native app on their own smartphones, tablets and laptops.
Leveraging Microsoft Azure to stream content via the cloud, the solution removes the cost of placing a screen on every seat – a common pitfall of traditional onboard entertainment systems.
“Roadcaster provides fleet operators with all the benefits of a full onboard entertainment package at a fraction of the cost and complexity of installing a hardware-based system,” says Thomas Rösch, managing director of Openmatics. “Our solution harnesses technologies from StreamingBuzz and the power of Microsoft Azure to handle streaming and digital rights management for blockbuster Hollywood movies, the latest must-watch TV series and more, and can be configured for use in both Wi-Fi and offline environments.”
Numerous elements of Microsoft Azure are used within the solution. Azure Media Services enables broadcast-quality streaming video, while Azure IoT Hub handles device-to-cloud telemetry data, Azure SQL Data Warehouse is used for storage of data and Azure Stream Analytics enables the processing and analysis of information.
“This is a great example of how our partners are developing Microsoft Azure solutions to help businesses in every stage of their digital transformation,” says Tony Emerson, Microsoft’s worldwide managing director for Media and Cable.
“This cloud computing platform complements our products like no other,” said Thomas Rösch, Managing Director of Openmatics. “Microsoft Azure enables us to easily manage the solution and scale it to our customers’ needs, with the knowledge that it is secure and flexible.”