Google Cloud Platform Case Studies ARD: Transforming Public Broadcasting with Google Cloud

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	ARD: Transforming Public Broadcasting with Google Cloud Google Cloud Platform

ARD: Transforming Public Broadcasting with Google Cloud

Google Cloud Platform

Technology Category	Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms Sensors - Camera / Video Systems
Applicable Industries	Cement Construction & Infrastructure
Applicable Functions	Logistics & Transportation Product Research & Development
Use Cases	Construction Management Infrastructure Inspection
Services	Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services System Integration
Challenge	ARD, the world’s largest public-service broadcaster network, was facing challenges in keeping up with changes in how users consume content. The organization's previous hosted data center infrastructure was 10 years old and had a monolithic architecture, which resulted in a development turnaround cycle of three months. Video content was distributed without being tailored to particular devices. In 2018, ARD decided to change the monolithic infrastructure for its video delivery platform to improve the user experience, regardless of how users were watching or listening. The challenge was to build a new platform that could cover all touchpoints, support a truly digital-first strategy, and improve the user experience on a global scale. Read More
About Customer	ARD (Association of Public Broadcasting Corporations in the Federal Republic of Germany) is a public service broadcast organization founded in 1950. Its mission is to inform, educate, advise, and entertain. With a budget of €6.9 billion and more than 22,000 employees, the ARD network consists of nine regional broadcasters and the international state-funded broadcaster Deutsche Welle. ARD is responsible for approximately 250 hours of television and 1,500 hours of radio programming daily. The organization represents nine self-governing regional broadcasters across 16 federal states in Germany. Read More
Solution	ARD chose to build its new platform on Google Cloud, due to its range of tools and services. The organization adopted a cloud-native approach, building a new infrastructure for its media platform, Mediathek, using Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). ARD also took an API-first approach and developed an event-driven architecture that offers better data integration. The organization used Google Cloud managed services, running managed MongoDB clusters and using Memorystore for managed Redis. For content delivery, Apigee provided API management, enabling easy distribution across its network, while Firebase offered user management functionality. This new infrastructure allowed ARD to easily scale its services up and down according to demand, enabling the organization to focus on more value-driven development. Read More Log in to view content
Contents

Technology Category

Platform as a Service (PaaS) - Application Development Platforms

Sensors - Camera / Video Systems

Applicable Industries

Cement

Construction & Infrastructure

Applicable Functions

Logistics & Transportation

Product Research & Development

Use Cases

Construction Management

Infrastructure Inspection

Services

Cloud Planning, Design & Implementation Services

System Integration

Challenge

ARD, the world’s largest public-service broadcaster network, was facing challenges in keeping up with changes in how users consume content. The organization's previous hosted data center infrastructure was 10 years old and had a monolithic architecture, which resulted in a development turnaround cycle of three months. Video content was distributed without being tailored to particular devices. In 2018, ARD decided to change the monolithic infrastructure for its video delivery platform to improve the user experience, regardless of how users were watching or listening. The challenge was to build a new platform that could cover all touchpoints, support a truly digital-first strategy, and improve the user experience on a global scale.

About Customer

ARD (Association of Public Broadcasting Corporations in the Federal Republic of Germany) is a public service broadcast organization founded in 1950. Its mission is to inform, educate, advise, and entertain. With a budget of €6.9 billion and more than 22,000 employees, the ARD network consists of nine regional broadcasters and the international state-funded broadcaster Deutsche Welle. ARD is responsible for approximately 250 hours of television and 1,500 hours of radio programming daily. The organization represents nine self-governing regional broadcasters across 16 federal states in Germany.

Solution

ARD chose to build its new platform on Google Cloud, due to its range of tools and services. The organization adopted a cloud-native approach, building a new infrastructure for its media platform, Mediathek, using Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE). ARD also took an API-first approach and developed an event-driven architecture that offers better data integration. The organization used Google Cloud managed services, running managed MongoDB clusters and using Memorystore for managed Redis. For content delivery, Apigee provided API management, enabling easy distribution across its network, while Firebase offered user management functionality. This new infrastructure allowed ARD to easily scale its services up and down according to demand, enabling the organization to focus on more value-driven development.

Impact #1	The migration to Google Cloud and the adoption of an API-centered approach transformed ARD's development process. The organization moved from a monolithic to a microservices mindset, supporting a more agile way of working with distributed teams. The new infrastructure also enabled a more tailored user experience across devices. ARD consolidated its services, moving 150 products into five key platforms, and plans to have ARD Audiothek fully hosted on Google Cloud in 2020. The organization is now able to test new ideas and launch updates much faster, moving from three-month development turnaround cycles to a new release into production every day. The cloud-native solution on Google Cloud has developed more trust among ARD's developers and set the organization apart.

Impact #1

The migration to Google Cloud and the adoption of an API-centered approach transformed ARD's development process. The organization moved from a monolithic to a microservices mindset, supporting a more agile way of working with distributed teams. The new infrastructure also enabled a more tailored user experience across devices. ARD consolidated its services, moving 150 products into five key platforms, and plans to have ARD Audiothek fully hosted on Google Cloud in 2020. The organization is now able to test new ideas and launch updates much faster, moving from three-month development turnaround cycles to a new release into production every day. The cloud-native solution on Google Cloud has developed more trust among ARD's developers and set the organization apart.

Benefit #1	Increased views from 50 million to 100 million annually since migrating to Google Kubernetes Engine on Google Cloud
Benefit #2	Reduced time to market for updates, with a new release into production every day instead of every year
Benefit #3	Enabled a more tailored user experience across devices with an API-centered infrastructure managed using Apigee

Benefit #1

Increased views from 50 million to 100 million annually since migrating to Google Kubernetes Engine on Google Cloud

Benefit #2

Reduced time to market for updates, with a new release into production every day instead of every year

Benefit #3

Enabled a more tailored user experience across devices with an API-centered infrastructure managed using Apigee

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Overview

ARD: Transforming Public Broadcasting with Google Cloud

Operational Impact

Quantitative Benefit