Friend MTS announces watermarking interoperability with Amazon Web Services to enhance security of on-demand video workflows

Friend MTS, a content and revenue protection specialist, today announced interoperability with its Distribution iD watermarking and Amazon Web Services (AWS) Elemental MediaConvert to provide an added layer of security against streaming piracy for on-demand video.

The invisible, distributor-level watermarking, along with Friend MTS’ global content monitoring service, enables providers of on-demand content to gather intelligence about the sources of streaming piracy.

Friend MTS’ automated global monitoring can quickly identify illegal content redistribution, and the subsequent extraction of a Distribution iD watermark enables identification of the specific distributor from whom content is being stolen. This intelligence allows the content owner to target further security measures in the markets where streaming piracy is most prevalent, such as deploying subscriber-level watermarking to enable the termination of content redistribution.

“The integration of our watermarking with AWS Elemental MediaConvert video processing allows AWS Elemental customers to quickly deploy extra security without changing their content delivery workflows,” said Simon Hanna, Partnerships Director, Friend MTS. “Importantly, this distributor-level watermarking can be readily integrated with subscriber-level watermarking for even greater protection against streaming piracy.”

AWS Elemental MediaConvert is a file-based video transcoding service with broadcast-grade features. It allows users to easily create video-on-demand (VOD) content for broadcast and multiscreen delivery at scale. The service combines advanced video and audio capabilities with a simple web services interface and pay-as-you-go pricing. With AWS Elemental MediaConvert, users can focus on delivering compelling media experiences without having to worry about the complexity of building and operating their own video processing infrastructure.

Friend MTS works closely with many of the world’s largest media and entertainment companies to secure their content against streaming piracy. Its services protect premium sports and entertainment, including live channels, Pay-per-view (PPV) events, and on-demand assets.

The company’s Emmy Award winning service portfolio includes automated, global channel monitoring using fingerprint-based content recognition, and this integrates with both distributor-level watermarking and client-side, subscriber-level watermarking. Friend MTS’ watermarking services are invisible, robust, and fully scalable. The security services can connect directly with subscriber management systems to stop streaming piracy in minutes.