June 9, 2025 - Ross Video Team, Insights & Resources
Why Experience Matters When Choosing a Broadcast Technology Partner
Broadcast technology is only as reliable as the people behind it. A vendor can promise cutting-edge solutions in their marketing and sales decks, but without deep industry experience and a commitment to long-term success, those solutions can fall short.
Experience is critical to the long-term success of both technology providers and the broadcasters who rely on them. This experience breeds the necessary traits and knowledge required to provide the innovations, products, and services needed to support broadcasters today and in the future. Experience is why 55% of respondents to a recent Forrester survey said they most trust companies that have existed for a long time.
In this article, we’ll explore why experience matters in vendor relationships, highlight the risks of choosing the wrong partner, and offer advice on choosing a reliable partner.
Experience is more than a tally of years in business. It represents a proven track record of solving industry-specific challenges, refining solutions over time, and supporting customers through their ups and downs. Experience breeds empathy and knowledge, which in turn breeds expertise.
Without this expertise—refined by years of experience—vendors will likely struggle to provide reliable services and solutions. Ultimately, broadcasters pay the price.
For example, new or unproven vendors may lack the infrastructure, staff, product portfolio, or institutional knowledge needed to handle the fast-paced demands of live production. This inexperience can cause a litany of problems for the broadcaster, from delayed customer support responses to inadequate troubleshooting—all of which can disrupt broadcasts.
Even worse, some less established or reputable vendors may operate with a short-term business focus, prioritizing quarterly sales targets over long-term service and reliability. This can push the company—and its employees—away from the long-term reliability and stability that modern broadcasters depend on.
It’s important to remember, therefore, that you’re not just selecting a technology partner when you onboard a new vendor—you’re choosing a relationship. That choice, and that relationship, has ripple effects across your entire broadcast team.
The wrong vendor relationship can mean rushed implementation, inconsistent support, and technology that cannot scale with your business. The right one, conversely, ensures that your technical investment remains viable, that your team receives expert and timely support, and that your broadcaster stays on the air—flawlessly.
As mentioned, experience is more than just a measure of time—it’s a direct reflection of a vendor’s ability to solve complex challenges, adapt to industry changes, and support customers with proven expertise.
In live production broadcasting, where every second counts and reputations can be made or broken based on a single event, working with an experienced technology partner can mean the difference between seamless execution and costly disruptions.
Broadcast technology isn’t static. It evolves with industry needs, regulatory changes, and audience expectations.
Vendors with decades of experience—and a proven track record of success to go with that experience—have likely fine-tuned their technology and professional services based on real-world broadcaster feedback. They’ve built decades of institutional knowledge that they can effectively translate into industry-leading products and services that broadcasters actually need. This ensures their solutions are built and refined to meet a wide range of customer needs.
Because of this, experienced vendors provide long-term stability beyond delivering products. They don’t just launch new systems and move on—they support them for years, ensuring upgrades, integrations, and service continuity.
This long-term commitment allows broadcasters to plan for the future, knowing their investments will remain viable.
A vendor with a long-standing presence in the broadcast industry has had years to refine its support structure, ensuring that customers receive fast, knowledgeable assistance from teams that understand industry-specific workflows.
Consistency in leadership and company vision also plays a critical role. Companies that maintain clear, long-term strategic direction are less likely to introduce disruptive business shifts, such as discontinuing critical products, outsourcing support, or restructuring in ways that impact customer service.
Again, these decisions are based on decades of experience, a deep connection with broadcast customers, and strong institutional knowledge.
The longer a vendor works with a broadcaster, the better they understand that customer’s unique challenges, workflows, and operational goals. Experienced vendors take a hands-on approach to customer success, offering:
This level of ongoing collaboration and support enables broadcasters to focus on content creation and audience engagement rather than troubleshooting technology. Of course, that is only possible if the vendor has a deep understanding of broadcaster needs and the intricacies of working in a broadcasting environment—both of which come from years of experience.
The media industry changes rapidly, with new platforms and consumer habits emerging all of the time.
While newer vendors can sometimes drive emerging trends, experienced partners have the advantage of industry insight and established workflows, allowing them to integrate new innovations seamlessly into the broader production ecosystem.
In an industry where stability and performance are non-negotiable, working with a vendor with deep experience, a long-term vision, and a track record of success isn’t just beneficial—it’s essential.
Experienced partners bring more than just technology. They bring knowledge, reliability, and a customer-first approach that ensures broadcasters can operate with confidence today, tomorrow, and for years to come.
Selecting the right broadcast technology partner requires evaluating more than just their products. It’s about finding a vendor with the expertise, stability, and customer-first approach necessary for long-term success.
Here are six traits to look for in a broadcast technology vendor that point to strong experience and a commitment to long-term customer success:
The best vendors don’t just follow industry trends—they help shape them.
Look for companies that have consistently adapted to technological advancements while maintaining a strong focus on practical, scalable solutions. Vendors that actively collaborate with customers to refine their products ensure their technology remains relevant, high-performing, and aligned with real-world broadcast challenges.
A vendor’s commitment to customer service is a strong indicator of their long-term reliability.
Companies that provide 24/7 technical assistance, dedicated account managers, and hands-on training show that they prioritize ongoing partnerships, not just sales.
A well-structured support infrastructure ensures that issues are resolved quickly, minimizing disruptions to live broadcasts and keeping production teams focused on content, not troubleshooting.
A trustworthy vendor operates with clear service agreements, clear pricing, and predictable upgrade paths.
Companies that frequently discontinue products without transition plans or introduce hidden costs after implementation can create unnecessary operational and financial strain.
A partner committed to long-term customer success ensures honest communication, ethical pricing, and continuity in product support.
A vendor’s longevity and business health are key indicators of whether they will be there when you need them.
Companies with steady growth, consistent leadership, and stable ownership are more likely to invest in ongoing support and development, rather than making reactionary changes driven by financial pressures or shifting corporate priorities.
The best vendors retain knowledgeable employees who deeply understand broadcast workflows, technical challenges, and customer needs.
A company that prioritizes employee training and career development fosters a stable, well-equipped support team, ensuring that customers receive consistent, high-quality service from professionals who know their systems inside and out.
Long-term partnerships are built on collaboration. Vendors that actively engage with customers through industry events, advisory boards, and user-driven product improvements are better equipped to adapt to changing needs.
A company that listens, learns, and continuously improves is far more likely to deliver lasting value and innovation over time.
In the high-stakes world of broadcasting, choosing the right technology partner is about more than just product specs. It’s about the underlying reliability, longevity, and commitment that the vendor brings to the table, as well as their commitment to long-term success—both yours and their own.
Experience is at the core of this reliability. Years—or decades—of experience bring with it both a solid product portfolio and rich institutional knowledge that helps to solidify existing operations and makes the company adaptable and agile to meet future demands. Experienced companies offer excellent products and services now and have the ability and knowledge to anticipate and react to industry changes.
By working with a partner that has a proven track record, strong customer relationships, and a commitment to continuous innovation, broadcasters gain the confidence, stability, and expertise needed to navigate the challenges of live production.
We encourage all broadcasters to actively seek experienced and trusted technology vendors to drive their operations. Because the stakes in broadcasting are too high to rely on a vendor that you can’t trust, or who doesn’t have the experience needed to help you succeed.
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