SKY × Ation Service Platform
One platform. More activities resolved at first level.
How SKY expanded first-level support capabilities, reduced escalations, and optimized the use of specialist resources across its MediaCentral environment.
Enabling Outsourced First-Level Support
SKY wanted to increase the number of operational activities handled by its outsourced first-level support team without providing direct access to production systems or administrative tools.
Many day-to-day support tasks followed well-defined procedures, but their execution still required the involvement of personnel familiar with platform administration and operational practices.
With Ation Service Platform, these procedures became available through guided workflows and automated routines. First-level operators could perform operational checks, collect diagnostic information, and execute approved actions through a controlled interface.
This allowed SKY to successfully extend the scope of its L1 support service while maintaining control, security, and operational consistency.
Service Platform gave us the confidence to extend first-level support responsibilities while maintaining the operational controls required in a broadcast environment.
Reducing Escalations
SKY also wanted to reduce the number of support cases reaching its MediaCentral specialists.
Many requests required escalation even when the resolution process was already known and documented. This often meant involving experienced resources for activities that followed recurring operational procedures.
Ation Service Platform made these procedures available to first-level operators through guided workflows and automated validations.
As a result, more support activities could be resolved at the first level, reducing escalation volumes and improving response times. Specialist teams spent less time on routine requests and more time on platform improvements, projects, and engineering activities.
Standardized workflows enabled our support teams to resolve more situations independently, significantly reducing the need for specialist involvement.
Extending Operational Control to Media Composer
Beyond infrastructure operations, SKY identified opportunities to improve visibility and control over Media Composer editing workstations.
Using the customization option available with Ation, additional customized functions were introduced into Service Platform to support operational activities on editing clients. This enabled support teams to monitor specific workstation conditions and perform approved actions directly from Service Platform.
One example was the ability to trigger a controlled logout when users left Media Composer sessions active after the end of their shift, reducing manual intervention and improving workstation availability.
The project demonstrated how the platform can be adapted to address operational requirements that are specific to the customer’s environment.
The ability to extend the platform beyond MediaCentral allowed us to address operational requirements specific to our editing environments without introducing additional tools.
What Changed for SKY
After the introduction of Ation Service Platform, SKY established a more scalable support model. Key outcomes included:
• More operational activities managed by first-level support teams
• Reduced escalation volumes
• Better use of specialist resources
• Faster execution of recurring support activities
• More consistent operational procedures
• Additional visibility and control over Media Composer workstations
• Greater traceability of support activities
Rather than depending on a small number of specialists for routine operational requests, support teams became able to handle a larger share of activities independently.
Why It Works
Ation Service Platform makes operational procedures available through a single, controlled interface.
Activities that previously depended on specific individuals can be executed through guided workflows and automated routines, helping ensure that procedures are followed consistently across teams and shifts.
This allows organizations to extend support capabilities, reduce escalations, and make better use of specialist expertise.
The Value for Daily Operations
For SKY, the main benefit was the ability to support a larger operational environment without increasing dependency on specialist resources. Support teams can now manage more activities independently while following approved operational procedures.
The result is a support model built around:
• Greater team autonomy
• Faster resolution of recurring requests
• Reduced escalation rates
• Better use of specialist expertise
• Consistent execution of operational activities
• Improved operational visibility
Conclusion
With Ation Service Platform, SKY transformed operational knowledge into a scalable support model.
By extending the capabilities of first-level support teams, reducing escalations, and introducing additional operational controls for Media Composer workstations, SKY improved support efficiency while maintaining the level of control required in a modern broadcast environment.
Ation Service Platform helps media organizations extend support capabilities, optimize specialist resources, and deliver consistent operational services across their broadcast ecosystem.