Qumulo, the leader in data-aware scale-out NAS, today announced that MSG Networks, Inc., broadcaster of eight major New York-area sports teams, has chosen Qumulo Core for better data visibility, easier integration and a cost-effective data storage system that could grow.
MSG Networks, Inc. is a top regional sports network with live sports and entertainment programming and is an industry leader with two award-winning sports and entertainment networks, in addition to the live streaming and a video on demand platform.
MSG Networks’ graphics-laden digitized media devours storage capacity, and the large file sizes strain system performance every time the content is uploaded, transferred or edited in post-production. Frustrated with slow performance and lack of easy scalability, Raoul Edwards, Director, Network Systems Engineering and Field Ops of MSG Networks, was in need of a data storage system that could not only keep up, but also keep data management simple.
“We needed the storage equivalent of a reliable Swiss army knife, and unfortunately our old system – Isilon – just wasn’t cutting it anymore,” said Edwards.
The need for speedier, more scalable data storage was underscored after MSG Networks implemented new state of the art video editing, high-speed transfer and media asset management systems that were changing workflows across the company. The Isilon storage was quickly demoted to basic, ancillary storage, and MSG Networks was left scrambling to find a new solution for its production systems.
MSG Networks worked with media & entertainment solutions provider CineSys-Oceana to vet multiple options, including taking a serious look at new Isilon systems. One thing became clear in that search: many of these scale-out solutions were actually designed around a closed architecture. That limited future scalability and flexibility, as well as driving up cost threatened to put MSG Networks right back where it was in short order.
“We need to be very strategic with purchases and equipment selections because we’re not going to be able to replace it again in two years,” said Edwards. “So when we were looking at storage options, we knew we needed to get as close to a ‘future-proof’ solution as possible.”
It was then that Qumulo emerged as the leading contender to fill the company’s storage needs. MSG Networks purchased five of Qumulo’s QC208 hybrid storage appliances, and as the team deployed the new solution, the process quickly confirmed that Qumulo was the right choice.
“We’ve changed the way we deliver files out of house and internally to other systems, and Qumulo’s easy integration into our workflow and systems is playing a part in that,” said Edwards. “Everyone from the marketing group to our dot-com and interactive groups are relying on it. Whether the files are being sent to cable operators, the MSG on-air promotions department, or our teams’ websites, the deliverables are all passing through Qumulo.”
MSG Networks expects to continue expanding the scope of business units and functions that are interacting with the Qumulo cluster, and also looking forward to digging into one of Qumulo’s defining features: its data-aware design.
As MSG Networks adapts and changes how it uses the new storage cluster, they plan to rely heavily on the Qumulo Care customer success team for support. “I really like the bi-weekly calls I get from Qumulo Care,” said Edwards. “That level of proactivity just isn’t something we see from any other vendors, and it really helps us stay connected and ensure there aren’t any issues with the storage.
“The entire Qumulo experience so far has been thoroughly refreshing,” Edwards concluded.
Learn more by reading the full MSG Networks, Inc. case study.
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About Qumulo
Qumulo enables enterprises to manage and store billions of digital assets with real-time visibility and control built directly into the file system. Going past the design limitations of legacy NAS, Qumulo Core is modern scale-out storage for the new era of multi-petabyte data footprints on premises and in the cloud. It is used by the leaders of data-intensive industries. Founded in 2012 by the inventors of scale-out NAS, Qumulo has attracted a world-class team of innovators, investors and partners. For more information, visit www.qumulo.com.
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Tanya Espe Carlsson
Kulesa Faul for Qumulo
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