1. How is the transition to cloud-native workflows transforming the media and entertainment industry's approach to content production and post-production? 

I think we’re seeing a real shift in mindset. Cloud-native workflows are giving teams a way to break out of rigid, legacy systems and work faster, with fewer handoffs. Instead of being tied to a single location or hardware setup, everything from ingest to delivery can now happen in one virtual space. At CREE8, we’ve built our platform to take full advantage of that giving creators the flexibility to spin up workstations on demand, collaborate in real time, and keep moving without delays. It's not just remote work anymore, it's rethinking how production should work.

2. In what ways are cloud-based solutions facilitating real-time collaboration among geographically dispersed creative professionals? 

What’s exciting is that real-time collaboration is finally actually real-time even across continents. Teams can edit the same project from three different countries, with no waiting on file transfers or feedback. We’ve made it possible by virtualizing the entire post stack and syncing everything in the cloud. You can jump into a session with a colorist in London and a director in New York, and everyone’s seeing the same thing, instantly. It’s completely changed what’s possible for global teams.

3. How can media organizations balance the need for high-performance virtual workstations with the goal of reducing on-premises infrastructure costs? 

I think the key is giving teams the power to scale up only when they need it. With cloud-native tools, you don’t have to keep expensive machines running 24/7. You just spin up a high-performance workstation when you need one, then shut it down when you don’t. That kind of flexibility means you’re only paying for what you use, but still getting high performance. And if you’ve already invested in some on-prem infrastructure, we can integrate with that too it doesn’t have to be all or nothing.

4. How is the accessibility of enterprise-grade cloud solutions impacting smaller studios and independent creators in the industry? 

This is one of the things I’m most excited about. Cloud used to be something only big studios could afford to figure out  but that’s not the case anymore. With tools like our Free Edition, even small teams can access enterprise-grade collaboration, storage, and security from day one. I’ve talked to solo creators who are now running full post pipelines from their laptops, working with teams across the world. It’s really leveled the playing field in a big way.

5. How can organizations effectively manage scalable cloud storage to accommodate varying project needs without compromising performance? 

Managing cloud storage well is all about being smart with tiers and access. We help teams organize their storage so that active files stay on fast, high-performance tiers, while less-used media gets archived automatically but is still easy to retrieve. You don’t want to be paying top dollar for stuff you’re not touching, but you also don’t want to be hunting for old assets. I think the balance comes from having storage that adapts to the creative process, not the other way around.

6. What emerging technologies are poised to further revolutionize cloud-based media workflows in the next few years?

AI is definitely top of mind not just for flashy use cases, but for making real, practical improvements in how we work. I’m seeing tools that can automatically find the best takes, tag footage, or even suggest edits, which frees up time for the creative decisions that really matter. And with advances in cloud rendering, 5G, and edge computing, live cloud production is getting more viable — even from places with limited connectivity. Long term, I think we’ll see more composability too letting teams build their own workflow stacks from the ground up, completely in the cloud.

I joined Alianza more than a decade ago, just a year after Netflix CEO Reed Hastings took to the stage at the first AWS re:Invent Conference to share that the streaming giant would be moving all of its core network infrastructure to the cloud. The news was game changing and encouraged us to think differently about the business. Fast forward 10-plus years and cloud-native strategies have taken hold across almost every industry. Alianza recognized the opportunity for telecommunications and built one of the industry’s only cloud-native communications platforms tailored to service providers.

Today, through our recent strategic collaboration agreement with Amazon Web Services (AWS), we sit at a similar inflection point. Alianza recognizes the opportunities that will be driven by AI and remains steadfast in our commitment to modernizing core network infrastructure capable of delivering the latest technology innovations. These new capabilities will democratize access to technology for businesses beyond the enterprise all the way to Main Street, where Alianza supports so many communications service providers. Small business communications will be transformed by AI and natural language calling features, ushering in a new level of intelligence to the core of our economy.

As Alianza’s Chief Strategy Officer, how do you approach aligning these functions to drive overall revenue growth and business success? 

Strategy is collaborative at Alianza. Our leadership team regularly sets aside “whitespace” to ideate what’s ahead for the business and what various partnership agreements, customer deals and other opportunities will mean, not only from a revenue perspective, but also for product and our customer success organizations. We often have these conversations within a healthy culture of debate, where contrary points of view are not only encouraged but expected to get to the right outcome at the right time for the business. This fosters alignment across the organization before plans are implemented, which enables us to execute with greater speed and agility even as we face challenges or setbacks.

How do you create clear & compelling differentiators for Alianza in the market, ensuring that it not only stands out from the competition but also drives real value for the customers?

Alianza is a B2B technology platform purpose-built to enable communications service providers to deliver a full suite of offerings to residential and business customers. We serve a finite market and unlike many organizations, Alianza isn’t a mere line of business within a larger organization. Our sole focus is delivering core communications services to broadband service providers.

Our complete dedication to the market is emphasized by our partner mindset. We view our customers as indispensable strategic partners. We don’t just compete based on feature functionality; we prioritize being easy to use, easy to consume, and easy to manage to drive value. We actively learn from our customers and take their input into consideration as we build and refine our platform. This alignment ensures we meet our customers’ needs throughout their entire lifecycle.

Alianza focuses on cloud-native solutions for both legacy voice and next-gen cloud communications services. Can you elaborate on the of adopting a cloud-native approach in telecommunications? 

The telecommunications industry is at a pivotal moment. Legacy voice infrastructure is reaching end of life and becoming increasingly risky and costly to maintain. Telco service providers are trying to explore new revenue streams and find ways to invest CapEx, drive down OpEx, and monetize their networks. The logical path forward is cloudification. Migrating legacy infrastructure to the cloud not only reduces the cost of ownership and streamlines operations, but it also sets the stage for mobile convergence and creates an environment ripe for AI. 

As previously mentioned, Alianza is working to democratize AI by bringing it to Main Street. For small and medium-sized businesses (SMBs) to harness the advantages of AI, it's imperative that service providers facilitating their core communications transition their legacy network infrastructure to the cloud.

Can you share some key strategies or initiatives you’ve implemented to supercharge growth and reduce costs for Alianza? 

In late 2022, after increasing our engineering and development spend by 44%, Alianza committed $200 million to research and development to accelerate cloud communications growth. This five-year investment shapes our ongoing strategy, ensuring we continue to deliver service providers with the products they need to successfully move their core communications systems to the cloud.

Our R&D investment continues to drive innovation at Alianza and keep us ahead of the curve. Right now, we’re heavily investing in AI to level up our end-user experience, offer deeper insights, and meet the ever-evolving needs of our customers.

What are some current trends in the telecommunications and cloud industry that businesses should be paying attention to? How is Alianza positioning itself to adopt these trends and stay at the forefront of the industry?

In today’s market, most legacy technology industries are transitioning to the cloud. The driving forces behind this migration are cost efficiency and enhanced end-user experiences. Alianza has already fully embraced the Telco 3.0 shift, offering a full-stack cloud-native platform that helps service providers supercharge growth, reduce costs while elevating the customer experience.

Additionally, we’re witnessing a surge in demand for bundled communication services. With Alianza's robust API, service providers can integrate the Alianza platform into their existing offerings, such as Wi-Fi, broadband, and security, to create a one-stop-shop for residential and business customers. Our platform is also white labeled, enhancing its appeal to customers by granting them end-to-end brand ownership of their platform. 

Given our commitment to innovation and our unwavering grit to consistently push the status quo, Alianza is strategically positioned to deliver the best cloud communications experience for telco service providers.