Media content management platform

About the project

ANC is a New York-based company that builds unforgettable digital experiences for brand marketing. Through immersive design and multimedia services, they transform commercial spaces – stadiums, entertainment venues, transit hubs, and trade centers. With talented designers and engineers on board, their team deploys media systems for over 10,000 events annually. 

Challenge

Our cooperation with ANC has a long history, dating back to 2014. At the time, their team was in the product discovery phase, trying to identify user needs and figure out ways to address them with a software solution.

Initially, ANC partnered with us for custom software development and integration, aiming to build software for remote access to deployed computers for audit and maintenance. But when our dedicated development team came into play, they saw growth potential and created a new product value. Since security was top of mind for our client, we designed several implementation options. It was challenging to find technologies that would match their security requirements, namely firewalls and protected ports. But once we developed the remote access system, we were able to join multiple computers into VPN servers.

The product quickly grew beyond its original concept and transformed into a multifeatured hub that orchestrates multimedia across locations. As the product scaled, we faced another challenge – combining diverse technologies into one system. But despite these challenges, we found a solution that allowed us to add more sophisticated features like real-time video editing and a mobile-friendly web app.

Solution

Our team provided full-stack web development for the client, scaling from small projects to 20-25% of all production. We’ve implemented a cloud-based remote control for secure access to deployed computers protected by a VPN shield. The solution lets users control all computers and screens using one interface.

To balance the system load and maximize data security, we distributed the services among three core servers. In this way, we isolate different components to prevent access to the entire system. If one server gets hacked, the components on other servers will remain secure and not accessible to the hacker.

The key features include:

• Connection hub for user and feature access management
• Service installed on computers connected to the hub
• VPN and SSH connection service
• UX for remote media management
• Extension for stand-alone media players
• Web app with client-side workspace
• License management

While users manage multiple screens through the workspace, the remote media manager provides more granular control over individual screen groups. VPN server makes every data source instantly available from anywhere on the network and lets users control all screen content from a single location.

We also developed a virtual internal switcher that connects and disconnects screens from one another, increasing the number of deployed devices without affecting performance. Each server has its own virtual internal switcher with 16 channels. This means that up to 16 devices can be connected to each other at any given time on each server

The platform provides immersive experiences by synchronizing various digital display technologies, such as LED, LCD, etc. It combines pre-scheduled content, including dynamic content triggering, social media feeds, and other real-time data streams. Thanks to in-built scheduling capabilities, multimedia managers can schedule up to 50 pieces of content across 50 screen locations in just a few clicks — it’s like a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) solution.

Features

• Multichannel virtual internal switcher on each server
• Content scheduling and monitoring 24/7
• On-demand modification with live graphics on-the-
• Real-time streaming and integration of multiple data feeds
• Unlimited preview channels with live data
• Direct content distribution to any device in the network
• Audio stabilization
• HTML5 playback capabilities
• 4K and higher resolution support
• Dynamic messaging
• Viewing exposure reports
• Access control

Technologies

Typescript

HTML5

SAAS

RxJS

Angular

NGRX

Highcharts

WebSockets

Ag-grid

Java

Spring Boot

Gradle

Apache Flink

Node.js

REST API

Swagger

Postgre SQL

Cassandra

Redis

Kafka

RabbitMQ

Docker

Kubernetes

Helm

Prometheus

Business value

By implementing secure remote displays, the solution significantly reduces event management and advertising costs. Customers benefit from bi-directional audio and video sharing without pricey direct connections, cable runs, and infrastructure upgrades. They can manage multiple screens and billboards from one remote location instead of hiring a team for each site.

Aside from flexibility that allows users to handle complex tasks easily, the platform offers unmatched security. Automated backups and multi-layer data protection with live stream encapsulation ensure steady work within any circumstances. Database encryption and non-sequential IDs prevent user data disclosure in case of a security breach, and precise user access eliminates this possibility altogether. As a result, it’s one of the best-protected systems in its class.

The platform blends diverse technologies into one hub and stands out as one of the most versatile solutions for multimedia management. It has been deployed in numerous high-profile media installations, including New York City’s Fulton Center, Westfield World Trade Center, Lucas Oil Stadium, Wells Fargo Center, JP Morgan Chase NY Flagship Branch, and other locations.