iWorld
Benchmark Broadcast System is Now Adobe Certified Solution Partner
Mumbai: In September 2020, Adobe introduced the Adobe Certified Service Partners for Video and Audio program. The idea was to help system integrators gain high-level knowledge and confidence needed to deliver their services in three strategic areas: support, workflow, and system design, and in software integration. Systems integrators that meet proficiency requirements in all three areas become Adobe Certified Service Partners for Video and Audio.
Ahead of the CXO Connect event, Adobe, senior manager and head of ACeSP Program, Michael Gamboeck and Benchmark COO, Eswaran MP got into a freewheeling conversation with Indiantelevision.com to discuss what this programme is all about, and how does this partnership helps in providing better services to their clients.
Edited Excerpts:
On the importance of this partnership and how it benefits one to become an Adobe certified partner
Michael Gamboeck: Adobe delivers the best experiences for creatives and the best UX to our broad user base. With a partner like Benchmark we are completing the offering to our clients. Benchmark will consult, support and integrate Adobe technology for clients.
Eswaran MP: Benchmark has been serving in the Broadcast Media industry for more than 20 years and has been successful in earning trust and confidence through the work delivered. Each customer is unique in the way they handle their process and use different sets of applications. Now, as an Adobe Certified Video Products Service Provider, Benchmark can serve the uniqueness of customers better in terms of integrating their workflow with Adobe suite of video products and related third party video applications. Benchmark sees a great potential in its handling these interactive customer requirements by creating extension panels, customising according to requirement and giving focused support to the customers, which would bring in more efficiency and ease of operation.
On the services Benchmark plans to bring to the table as ACeSP and how it will help the video customers
Michael Gamboeck: Video is still the most complex part of content creation today. Projects were complex always, but with the use of new technology, we have seen some big transformation in the video industry. First is a shift of the business models. For example, preference for VOD like Netflix. Second we do see a general transformation of technology toward standard IT. A vision mix is replaced with software and IP based solutions. The same is true for video editing, which is no longer a single editing suite. Now everyone in an organisation should be able to tell a story with the video. And last but not least, clouds. Remote workflows are the new standard. All of that are big challenges for our client, and this program aims to help our clients. Thanks to partners like Benchmark they will be able to focus on their strength and be agile when they are planning systems and solutions.
Eswaran MP: Benchmark as Adobe Certified Service Provider (ACeSP) offers enhanced workflows. Customers would enjoy full advantage of the product features and seamless integration of Adobe products with their own creative production ecosystem. Benchmark offers automated workflows by streamlining content creation processes, removing repetitive drudgery and enabling professionals to focus only on the required creative process.
On the global and India perspective:
Michael Gamboeck: Globally, we are adding more and more partners to the program. We will support them with deep technical training and help them build solutions for our clients. That is needed for India as the rest of the world.
On the certification and how it is going to enhance the overall business scope and potential
Eswaran MP: With adobe certification, Benchmark team has been trained to produce Adobe extension panels to integrate with Newsroom system, MAM, editing system, etc., integrating scripts to customise the workflow and user interface according to the requirements, automating workflows to help customers focus on creative process and provide collaborative remote project management features.
On what customers can expect out of this program
Eswaran MP: Customers can expect to improve their efficiency by focusing on their core strength and take the full advantage of the product without the need to put extensive man hours into learning each tool and tricks. Benchmark as the trained service provider will work to provide those benefits and work with customers for their workflow. This program aims to expand on the importance of an automated and collaborative environment of production and introducing service partners such as Benchmark and its capability of providing such solutions to enhance overall customer experience of the Adobe suite of video products.
iWorld
JioHotstar to launch micro dramas during IPL
Streaming giant plans free, ad-supported bite-sized stories during IPL to engage mobile-first audiences
JioHotstar is gearing up to launch a wave of micro dramas, eyeing India’s fast-growing appetite for bite-sized storytelling and new revenue opportunities. According to sources close to the matter, the streaming platform is expected to go live with the content during the Indian Premier League, which runs from 28 March to 31 May.
The move comes as the micro-drama market in India surges, with Redseer Strategy Consultants projecting the overall interactive media segment could reach $3.1–3.4 billion by FY2030, with micro dramas leading the growth. The format has already proven commercially viable abroad — China’s micro-drama sector generated $360 million in 2023, up 267 per cent year-on-year.
Micro dramas are designed for rapid consumption on mobile devices. Episodes typically run 60–90 seconds, shot in vertical 9:16 format, and rely on fast-paced plots and cliffhangers to keep viewers glued. Stories tend to revolve around high-stakes drama, from romance and revenge to corporate intrigue, blending social-media immediacy with professional production values.
Sources said the IPL provides the perfect launchpad, with millions tuning in to the platform for live cricket, creating a ready audience for short-form narrative experiments. The content will initially be free and accessible to all.
JioHotstar, which already boasts over 300 million subscribers, plans to roll out more than 100 micro dramas across multiple genres and languages, including Hindi and South Indian languages. The move is expected to strengthen its regional content strategy and appeal to mobile-first viewers, particularly in metro and Tier-1 cities where the format is currently most popular.
“The timing is perfect,” said a source close to the project, requesting anonymity. “With micro dramas on the rise, this is a chance for JioHotstar to experiment with new formats and engage audiences in a way traditional series cannot.”
The platform is not the first in India to test the format. ALTBalaji, StoryTV and Zee Bullet have all dabbled in short episodic storytelling. But JioHotstar’s scale — and its ability to pair content with one of the country’s biggest sporting events — could make it a defining moment for micro dramas in India.
With mobile consumption and vernacular content on the rise, the gamble seems clear: capture attention fast, keep it longer, and turn bite-sized narratives into a robust revenue engine.
Note: The cover image used is AI-generated.
