iWorld
Google Cloud to elevate Synamedia’s OTT offerings
MUMBAI: Synamedia, the world’s largest independent video software provider, has partnered with Google Cloud to expand its video network portfolio with new over-the-top (OTT) “as a service” offerings. This partnership enables Synamedia to further address customer needs for high availability, increased scalability and maximized performance for OTT services while simultaneously reducing operational costs and complexity, particularly with live sports events.
To be successful in the new video landscape, service providers require similar viewing experiences between live broadcast and OTT streams at scale. One primary challenge for OTT services is latency, often airing delays up to a minute behind traditional broadcast TV, commonly referred to as the “goal effect.” With this partnership, both OTT streaming services and traditional broadcasters will benefit from Google Cloud’s best-in-class low latency network and Synamedia’s best-in-class low latency solution for live linear video delivery. Synamedia achieves this from content ingest to OTT device delivery in 5 to 7 seconds – equivalent to broadcast capabilities.
A recent report cites a 58 per cent year-over-year increase in streaming video consumption in 2019. As more viewers look to OTT services for video content, OTT service providers can reach enhanced video network stability and maximized channel uptime with Synamedia’s proven high availability deployment options on Google Cloud Platform (GCP).
“As the live TV landscape shifts toward OTT delivery, the industry needs technology that matches what viewers have become accustomed to with premium digital TV services,” said Julien Signes, Senior VP and general manager, video network, Synamedia. “Thanks to our partnership with Google Cloud, we are enabling the Infinite Entertainment viewers expect, without delay and with the highest quality.”
Synamedia will leverage Google Kubernetes Engine (GKE), an enterprise-grade platform for containerized applications, to enable customers to scale as they grow with an end-to-end automation pipeline that can ramp up media processing workflows in minutes and recover from disasters more quickly than ever before. This video network “as-a-service” offering unifies previously siloed workflows on one platform, making operations more seamless and deployment faster.
This partnership will also bring together artificial intelligence and machine learning innovation from both companies to enable customers to create powerful content and better media experiences. Intelligent pattern matching techniques allow deep content awareness in media workflows, providing premium experiences such as live sports with minimal bandwidth requirements.
“We’re excited to partner with Synamedia to help advance the future of streaming video and entertainment,” said Anil Jain, managing director, media & entertainment industry solutions at Google Cloud. “By delivering Synamedia’s portfolio of OTT solutions, running as a service on Google Cloud, we can deliver high-uptime, low-latency, and scalable video services to businesses around the world.”
Synamedia’s video network portfolio includes award-winning services and solutions that enable secure distribution, processing and delivery of media.
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iWorld
Meta plans 8,000 layoffs in new AI-led restructuring wave
First phase from May 20 may cut 10 per cent workforce amid AI pivot.
MUMBAI: At Meta, the future may be artificial but the cuts are very real. The social media giant is reportedly preparing a fresh round of layoffs, with an initial wave expected to impact around 8,000 employees as it doubles down on its artificial intelligence ambitions. According to a Reuters report, the first phase of job cuts is slated to begin on May 20, targeting roughly 10 per cent of Meta’s global workforce. With nearly 79,000 employees on its rolls as of December 31, the move marks one of the company’s most significant workforce reductions in recent years.
And this may only be the beginning. Sources indicate that additional layoffs are being planned for the second half of the year, although the scale and timing remain fluid, likely to be shaped by how Meta’s AI capabilities evolve in the coming months. Earlier reports had suggested that total cuts in 2026 could reach 20 per cent or more of its workforce.
The restructuring comes as chief executive Mark Zuckerberg continues to steer the company towards an AI-first operating model, committing hundreds of billions of dollars to the transition. Internally, this shift is already visible: teams within Reality Labs have been reorganised, engineers have been moved into a newly formed Applied AI unit, and a Meta Small Business division has been created to align with broader structural changes.
The trend is hardly isolated. Across the tech sector, companies are trimming headcount while investing aggressively in automation. Amazon, for instance, has reportedly cut around 30,000 corporate roles nearly 10 per cent of its white-collar workforce citing efficiency gains driven by AI. Data from Layoffs.fyi shows over 73,000 tech employees have already lost jobs this year, compared with 153,000 in all of 2024.
For Meta, the move echoes its earlier “year of efficiency” in 2022–23, when about 21,000 roles were eliminated amid slowing growth and market pressures. This time, however, the backdrop is different. The company is financially stronger, generating over $200 billion in revenue and $60 billion in profit last year, with shares up 3.68 per cent year-to-date though still below last summer’s peak.
That contrast underlines the shift underway. These layoffs are less about survival and more about reinvention. As Meta restructures itself around AI from autonomous coding agents to advanced machine learning systems, the question is no longer whether the company will change, but how many roles will be left unchanged when it does.
