Ask a Streaming Expert: Can you REALLY manage an OTT app without developers?

Welcome to the first post in Applicaster’s Ask a Streaming Expert series, where our team members answer some of the most common customer questions. With decades of experience and hundreds of video apps launched, Applicaster’s experts are uniquely qualified to help media companies build and manage the industry’s best OTT apps.

Today we have a question for Gabriel “Gavri” Guy, Applicaster’s head of product for nearly 10 years and an expert in all things development:

How can you customize an OTT app without coding or a team of developers?

Streaming businesses want complete control of their video apps, which can be difficult when relying on coding and developers that understand the OTT industry’s specific, complex business needs. Reducing the need for these specialized in-house resources can save costs; allow for quicker, easier feature updates; and speed up changes that would normally require individual builds and app store releases.

How do you reach this level of control over your app, operations, and business? These are three app platform features that have helped our customers achieve this without development and coding.

1. UI/UX Building Blocks
   A comprehensive solution will feature ready-made, fully customizable building blocks for user interface and user experience design features. This allows for quicker UI/UX changes based on industry best practices that can be tested in real-time.
2. Business Logic Flows
   Streaming apps need to adjust to business needs. Having built-in flows for managing processes like payment, ad delivery, or analytics is an important benefit, as these features usually involve lengthy developer turnaround time.
   
3. Cross-Platform Updates
   App owners need to play catchup as platforms release new versions, updates, and integrations. Responding to these changes individually is often ineffective—a solution that automatically adjusts without requiring development and coding time is much more efficient for most businesses.

If you’re trying to reduce or remove the need for OTT app development and coding, you need to partner with a company that’s already built a platform with everything considered. This means faster changes, controlled costs, and a leaner team. Applicaster is always here to help think through the best approach for your company, so reach out!

Have a good question for our series? Let us know on Twitter.

Check out our 2022 OTT App Building Guide: The 10 Factors You Can’t Miss.