Back in 2008, millions of people watched then candidate Barack Obama accept the Democratic Presidential Nomination live from Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium in Denver… on television and potentially more importantly, on their computer. Level 3 was proudly involved as the official streaming partner for the Democratic National Convention, which was streamed for the first time in the history of presidential election campaigns. Having both parties’ conventions streamed online changed the way citizens kept up with the election- and it was a sign of things to come with the upcoming 2012 election. You could probably say it was just the tip of the iceberg when it came to advances in content distribution and the way technology is changing the way we consume content in all aspects of society.
Now that the social media craze has hit full stride, how will we consume content for the upcoming elections? Online streaming certainly is one piece of the puzzle, but what about the plethora of information about the candidates and gathering opinions from those you value? I’d wager a guess and say we’ll see things we haven’t yet experienced, thanks to the power of social media. Between Twitter, Google+ and Facebook, real-time conversations and debates are sure to be popular amongst the politically-inclined; and probably among those who aren’t politicos as well. The ease of communication allows anyone, at any time, to get involved and voice their opinion.
The opportunities are endless. Literally.
Streaming content online through different mediums allows the conventions and debates to be viewed from literally everywhere- we like to call it TV where you want it. No longer is it appointment television; heck, it doesn’t even have to be television at all. There’s a good chance you’ll consume content related to this year’s Presidential Election straight from the shiny screen that’s staring you in the face, either live or on-demand. With 3G and 4G networks and lightning fast Wi-Fi, watching content live online is no longer something that’s painful to sit through; in many instances the quality rivals that of television. And the next day when your friend asks you what you thought about the candidates’ stance on the economy, I’m willing to bet you’ll respond with a Facebook message, a Tweet, or maybe even a simple text message. Information is out there, it’s up to us to figure out how to obtain it.
Once again, Level 3’s world-wide network and suite of services will be involved with the political elections in 2012. The US Government is one of the most virtually integrated and efficient in the world (And Level 3 helps by supporting over 200 federal agencies and divisions). You can learn more about our Vyvx, CDN, and other services and find out how several of our services are helping the news and other information regarding the election reach more people than ever before- I’m willing to bet you’ll even learn some facts about Level 3 that you never knew before. I don’t know about you, but this year’s election may be cause for a streaming party at my house!
Press Release: Aug. 29, 2012 – Level 3 Selected as Official Media and Technology Provider for the 2012 Democratic National Convention
Press Release: Jul. 30, 2012 – PBS NewsHour Producer MacNeil/Lehrer Selects Level 3 for Online Video Delivery of Democratic and Republican National Conventions
About Steve Mokan
