The idea of pre-recording something so that it can be watched later is the foundation on which broadcasting and streaming services are built. But for the consumer, the experience is taken for granted.
In the past, families gathered around a television screen to watch a favorite program at the time it was scheduled to be broadcast. These days, on-demand means consumers can choose what they watch and when, even when the content is uploaded.
With a click of a button, the consumer has the power to select a video on demand from an ever-growing library. This is the power of streaming platforms. While they currently dominate the entertainment sector, this concept of an asynchronous viewing experience has the potential to transform the distribution of human knowledge in a way that has never been possible since the written word.
Video has been one of Ashraf Alkarmi’s passions for many years. The chief product officer of video-sharing company Vimeo says: “I’ve made a lot of career choices, and when I started making more video, I realized how attractive it is and how transformative it can be. communication is on video,” he said. “They say a picture is worth a thousand words – imagine what moving pictures can do. Video is a powerful communication medium.”
Alkarmi leads Meta’s Facebook Watch and Amazon’s enterprise-grade streaming service. He started his tech career in set-top boxes for on-demand video and worked in the business-to-business space at Brightcove before moving into business-to-consumer video services.
Make things better
Talking about his work on Vimeo, Alkarmi says: “First and foremost, it’s about empowering ourselves with the customer’s problems, solving their pain points. That’s the most exciting thing that teams can watch.”
“They say a picture is worth a thousand words – imagine what moving pictures can do. Video is a powerful communication medium”
Ashraf Alkarmi, Vimeo
He says that this helps motivate the staff and enables them to see how the work they are doing can make customers do something better. “The way we set priorities and expectations is based on what customer problems we want to solve and how we solve them,” he added.
When it comes to collaboration, while video-conferencing enables global teams to connect, these platforms tend to focus on live meetings that take place in a timezone that is only suitable for a group of employees. This is where asynchronous communication plays a role, according to Alkarmi.
A pre-recorded video message can be shared with everyone. People can choose to watch the message at a time that is most convenient for them, rather than having to tune in to a live video stream that might happen at midnight, local time. “People can record an answer and share it with the team. It creates a very different collaborative environment,” he said.
AI and analytics
Looking at technology trends, Alkarmi believes that the way artificial intelligence (AI) is incorporated into applications and the experiences that AI can now offer to customers will accelerate.
“It’s impossible to deny the rapid evolution of AI today,” he said. “I believe that in the next year, 50% of users will touch some form of augmented application powered by AI, whether it’s speech, written word or computer vision algorithms.”
One area of video that Alkarmi believes will see a lot of growth going forward is analytics. He said it is possible to create a deeper experience for viewers if they are able to search within a video, view summaries and notes, or skip to a particular section where the presenter says something that the viewer wants to know more about. .
He says AI can be used in video players to automatically insert chapters into a video, helping viewers navigate to specific sections quickly.
Leadership and motivation
Looking beyond technological innovations, the current economic climate means many organizations are feeling the pinch. Alkarmi sees several significant differences between what is happening now and the banking crisis of 2008. “There are many changes that have happened. The life cycle of startups is getting longer – now it’s 10 to 15 years to get from funding to IPO [initial public offering],” he said.
“This is the first time that a recession is combined with inflationary pressures from a pandemic. How do you manage that by just focusing on people and keeping your people motivated and eager to solve customer problems”
Ashraf Alkarmi, Vimeo
“This is the first time that a recession is combined with inflationary pressures from a pandemic. How do you manage that by just focusing on people and keeping your people motivated and eager to solve customer problems,” he added.
Alkarmi believes in the importance of having the right leadership team to ensure teams stay focused on business goals.
The untapped potential of video
What was interesting from the conversation with Alkarmi was the untapped potential of video. With budgets shrinking, business owners may feel they can’t justify overseas travel.
There was a time, not too long ago, when people treated online video conferences as “second best” compared to attending events and meetings in person. But the Covid-19 pandemic has shown the power of online video conferencing to connect people, and it is now culturally accepted as always the “best” way to hold a meeting.
Video messages are sometimes seen as a slightly ridiculous and arguably cheesy way for family members and friends to send greetings, but if Alkarmi is right, such an asynchronous video could be a normal part of business communications.
In fact, it is easier to demonstrate or demonstrate a new product using a pre-recorded video than to try a live demonstration online. The only factor is whether the intended audience will download the content in a timely manner, which requires a cultural shift.
