The challenge
The news division of a multinational media and entertainment company held an enviable market position with brands that included some of the industry’s most trusted and recognized outlets. But as the news division began moving into the streaming sector, it realized its mobile app experiences were falling short. The apps lacked the reliable, high-quality video needed to attract advertisers and subscribers, impeding success with streaming models, such as over-the-top (OTT) and direct-to-consumer (DTC). The division partnered with Cognizant to reengineer solutions for quality video.
Our approach
Cognizant originally partnered with the division to support platform development and QA for streaming services. However, as the division’s platform expansion encountered the video setbacks, we transitioned to product engineering, bringing a unique mix of video engineering expertise and Agile development methodologies. We upgraded video playback using a combination of cloud- and HTML5-based development technologies. Agile development sped up feature upgrades, with enhancements ready for release every two days, down from two weeks. Our team customized and implemented an automated QA solution to identify the root causes of playback issues. We also addressed tactical needs, such as crowd testing the apps prior to launch, enabling the division to assess features and incorporate user feedback.
