Viacom Brochure 2019

ENTERTAINING THE WORLD THROUGH DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION PROJECT PARTNERS

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TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION DRIVES AN EXCITING CONTENT EXPERIENCE AT VIACOM

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GLOBAL ENTERTAINMENT COMPANY VIACOM’S CTO DAVID KLINE DISCUSSES THE COMPANY’S TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION AND HOW IT STAYS ABREAST OF A VAST, RAPIDLY EVOLVING LANDSCAPE

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ith universally renowned brands from MTV and Comedy Central to Nickelodeon and Paramount Pictures under its umbrella, for almost 50 years

global entertainment company Viacom has been delighting viewers the world over. With a commitment to delivering quality content through a wide range of digital 04

media, the company operates across a range of markets and places technology at the forefront of maintaining a quality, tailored experience.

Behind the significant digital transformation Viacom has undergone in order to achieve such lofty aims is David Kline, Executive Vice President and Chief Information and Technology Officer. With eight years at the media behemoth under his belt, Kline has enjoyed a 35-year career focusing on technology and has been fascinated by the development of digital. “I got to see technology from yesteryear – punch cards and reel-toreel tape,” he recalls. “And the world was changing because there were connectivity opportunities across longer distances… through to today, where you can connect via the cloud.

“I’m really thrilled to have seen those journeys. They’re happening faster, almost at lightning speed, today.” All

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Empowering Viacom’s technology business with long-term partner REDspace.

Changes in the entertainment industry over the last decade have transformed how content is created and consumed. With a multitude of devices and formats, media networks have had to completely rethink their strategies in order to reach their global audiences.

Viacom is a media industry leader and one of the world’s largest producers of digital content.

Engaging their audience demands constant business

Trusted Industry Experts REDspace applies industry standards and best practices to build scalable, best in class software for the rapidly evolving media tech sector. Our feature-based development and agile methodologies ensure we achieve the flexibility and quality our partners need.

and technology innovation. To stay ahead of the curve, Viacom partners with third-party technology experts to help navigate the chaos of reaching their fragmented audience. Since 2006, Viacom has trusted REDspace to help with strategy, architecture, development, and support of their ongoing digital transformation.

Collaborate with a dedicated partner.

Take advantage of a team completely dedicated to your media technology needs.

While you focus on your content and business strategies, REDspace’s priority is to make your journey to the finish line as efficient and effective as possible.

Viacom works closely with REDspace to connect their global audience to their content across an ever-shifting and expanding array of platforms and devices. REDspace has helped shape the network’s entire digital strategy—re-architecting and building Viacom’s content delivery systems and platforms, creating award-winning mobile applications, and supporting live events that have engaged millions

Customized to your needs and your audience.

A user-driven approach ensures a personalized and dependable experience for your viewers while also being consistent across all your channels and platforms.

of concurrent users around the world.

REDspace helps global leaders innovate and capitalize on digital transformations happening in a variety of industries including broadcast, corporate learning, and more. We can help you engage your audience, giving you the confidence to take game-changing risks. Every project is unique, so we tailor our approach to fit your business.

Let’s start with a conversation. Contact Mike Johnston, President & CEO: mike.johnston@redspace.com

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Teen Mom

Canoe is proud to be a Strategic Transformation Technology Partner to Viacom for their TV networks including Nickelodeon, BET, Comedy Central, CMT, MTV, Paramount Network, TV Land, and VH1 Canoe is an advertising technology company dedicated to providing software and services to over 100 national TV networks. We perform service assurance for video on demand (VOD) dynamic ad insertion (DAI) on video platforms including set-top-box, IP, and mobile across 36 million households. www.canoeventures.com

this experience lit up a fascination with

see today with apps and connected

the “art of the possible” for Kline, which

devices – now, everywhere you go,

he has brought to his team at Viacom.

there is some kind of digital footprint.”

“We aim to identify what’s possible for the divisions we guide and influence –

CUSTOMER CENTRICITY THROUGH TECH

whether it’s advertising, production,

As technology has developed, so too

research, distribution… it is important to

have customer expectations across

understand what they’re doing and deliver

the various demographics Viacom

the technology that works for them.”

caters for. “The millennial audience

At the time of its fruition in the 1970s,

really took a whole new swing at what

Viacom was something of a “walled

connectivity meant – they want what

garden”. “It was very segregated from

they want when they want it. We have

the rest of the world,” says Kline. “As

to be able to deliver that,” he explains,

the world grew, digital connectivity

adding that nowadays on-demand

became more of an opportunity, like we

programming is an expectation rather

E X E C U T I V E P R OF IL E

David Kline Having been at Viacom for eight years, David Kline provides strategic leadership for the company’s technology infrastructure and oversees Viacom’s Online Central Platform Technology and Interactive Services, Content Creation and Distribution Technology, Application Development and Information Security and Compliance. During his time at the company, Kline has led several successful initiatives as well as developing and promoting a strong, diverse team of talented people. Prior to working at Viacom, Kline served as Executive Vice President of Technology and CTO at Discovery Communications, having also held senior technology roles at Rainbow Media

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“ THE MILLENNIAL AUDIENCE REALLY TOOK A WHOLE NEW SWING AT WHAT CONNECTIVITY MEANT – THEY WANT WHAT THEY WANT, WHEN THEY WANT IT”

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than an added extra. “How do we make

different countries, so when you see

that more dynamic?” Kline asks. “How

MTV in the US, UK, Poland or Singa-

do we update that content so that you

pore… each brand has opportunities to

have a larger library? How do we add

be more effective in certain spaces.

advertising that’s not stale and

For example, Latin America is more

changes with the times?”

Android-driven, and so while Roku is a

In an increasingly connected world,

great platform in the US, we have

Viacom works to ensure a consistent,

growing platforms in Europe like

quality and above all exciting service

Amazon and Netflix.”

for consumers regardless of location,

In addition, short form content, like

device, platform or demographic. “We

the video footage shared across

have 84 apps on 11 different platforms

Snapchat, Facebook or Twitter to

– whether it’s Roku, Apple TV, iOS,

promote a new TV series, is an

Android, PlayStation… We’re in 180

increasingly lucrative focus, paying w w w.vi a c om . com

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growing dividends. “We need to make sure we’re aligned with the generations in terms of what they want to consume – creating original short form, not just taking pieces of a show. You have to know your audience, how the demographic is shifting, and what’s relevant.

It’s vital to stay tuned in and deliver on what the consumer is expecting.”

DRIVING A TECHNOLOGY TRANSFORMATION With a mission to entertain and excite firmly at its heart, Viacom has used technology as a driver of growth – but has done so thoughtfully, ensuring that new technologies are implemented to make positive change for various stakeholders, rather than chasing what Kline calls the “bright, shiny object”.

“Cloud computing is a great example,” he says. “We started looking at cloud when it first came out, and at the time we weren’t ready to make a jump.”

While cloud technology offers storage solutions, Viacom already had extensive – and expensive – infrastructure in place for this.

However, the business did implement cloud technology for its live events, posting interactive social media w w w.vi a c om . com

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content and creating live video footage at the likes of the VMAs and Kids’ Choice Awards. Since then, Kline’s team has felt enabled and empowered by the cloud, and after abating cybersecurity concerns by rolling out the new tech slowly and sensitively, Viacom now has its full Office productivity in the Cloud with Office365. “It’s about overcoming fears, being smart enough and strong enough to say, ‘we need to focus because change is

“ AS TECHNOLOGY SHIFTS, IT’S IMPORTANT TO MAKE SURE EVERYONE HAS AN UNDERSTANDING OF WHAT IT IS AND NOT TO BE FEARFUL, BUT INQUISITIVE” — David Kline, EVP and Chief Information and Technology Officer, Viacom

coming’. That’s something you have to grapple with in any leadership role –

inquisitive. What does this mean to me?

especially technology.”

To the people I serve? To our industry?

As such, Kline is no stranger to the

And how do we approach it?”

culture shift involved in a technology transformation – and he says both

SMOOTH TRANSMISSION

listening and educating are key to

As well as improving the way content is

change management. “It’s important to

enjoyed, technology has been vital in

listen to what’s going on in the world

improving process within Viacom’s

and within the company, and under-

operations. “The product teams work

stand different needs. Rather than just

very centrally with my technical teams,

putting in technology for technology’s

and we’re all focused on making sure

sake, have a rationale and a really

anything across our platforms, from

responsible understanding of why

video to data, is functional, scalable

you’re doing it. As technology shifts,

and is being delivered,” says Kline.

with Internet of Things (IoT) and 5G for

Over the past few years, a key

example, it’s important to make sure

achievement has been centralizing

everyone has an understanding of

code to develop single code base –

what it is and not to be fearful, but

with WebPlex used for websites and w w w.vi a c om . com

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Play Plex used for apps. “We’re now

RPA (robotic process automation). It’s

down to a single web base so I can

given our team back some time to

deliver the same backend for MTV in

really focus on the next generation and

Poland as I do for Nickelodeon in the

what’s to come, while still delivering on

US. It’s the same with apps. This is a

what’s necessary today.”

pleasing and lucrative opportunity for

“We’re big believers in consumer

the business to be able to go out and

likes and dislikes – how do I make sure

sign deals, knowing they can get

it’s not disruptive for them while it’s

something up and running in a matter

disruptive for us? Obviously, changes

of hours.”

– like introducing AR and VR – are

Yet more technologies are set to

disruptions. They could be good

improve Viacom’s operations, with

disruptions or dramatic disruptions, but

automation affording staff time for

the goal is to make it perfectly seam-

more value-adding tasks. “We’re

less, regardless of whether it’s on

looking at innovative ideas around

television or another device – perhaps

machine learning and AI, as well as

eventually a HoloLens.”

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Centralization enables staff to really concentrate on this frictionless development – for example, a single service desk within Viacom is available for any problem, from lost keys to a serious tech malfunction. “With that, we continue to automate a lot of the tools we have – we’re using chat and automated tickets,” Kline explains.

Further, the company has created application stacks for staff to download all the software they need onto a device at once and has automated solutions from HR and payroll to ERP 18

utilizing SAP’s best-in-class platform.

THE PERFECT PARTNER No technology transformation can take place in isolation, especially one which takes place internally and externally across 180 markets. As such, Viacom works closely with its vendors and partners – including Adobe, Redspace, Canoe Ventures, Insight and Freewheel, to name but a few – to ensure technology can be a true enabler for the business.

“Vendor management’s hugely important,” says Kline. “I have a vendor management office – a small group of people who work closely with my

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CLICK TO WATCH : ‘COMPANY OVERVIEW 2018’ 21

“ AUTHENTICATION WITH ADOBE PASS IS A GREAT EXAMPLE WHICH VIACOM HELPED CRAFT. IT SHOWS THE COMPANY HAS THE INGENUITY AND CREATIVITY TO REALLY HELP PUSH PRODUCTS FORWARD” — David Kline, EVP and Chief Information and Technology Officer, Viacom

internal group, third party parents and vendors, and our sourcing team. It’s a three-way connection. In many cases, Viacom has a rich history of enabling vendors to build products we inspired, or else we have built them ourselves and pushed the intellectual property off to a vendor if that makes sense for the rest of the globe. Authentication with Adobe Pass is a great example which Viacom helped craft. It shows the company has the ingenuity and creativity to really help push other products forward – not just content but technology.”

While Kline is a keen negotiator – “I w w w.vi a c om . com

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believe everything is free until you tell me otherwise” – he also stresses that relationships must be collaborative to thrive. “The worst thing you can do is bleed a vendor to a point where they’re ready to go out of business, or can’t support something you’ve taught them to support… the best thing you can do is work together for the best cost and best possible product that shines for both them and you.”

Together with its partners and vendors, the organization that brings us entertainment in all its forms from award ceremonies to movies will continue to utilize technology to ensure its diverse content is enjoyed. “At Viacom, we’re big on long range plans,” says Kline. The organization is already pushing its 2022 strategy, and though there is no telling what technology will look like in three years’ time, Kline is dedicated to keep to an overall vision of satisfying customers. “That really drives the type of technologies we’re looking to focus on,” he explains. “It’s important to really bond with what the company’s strategies are and make sure we’re thinking that through both the immediate lens as well as the long-range plans.”

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1515 Broadway, New York, NY 10036, US T +1 212-258-6000 www.viacom.com