Case Study: Douyin TikTok
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Overview of Douyin (TikTok)
Douyin/TikTok is a popular global social media app that allows users to create, watch, and share short-form videos shot on smartphones. Douyin was originally introduced in China by ByteDance Ltd in 2016, and TikTok, the international version of the platform was launched in its current form two years later in 2018.
Amateur and professional creators alike can add effects like filters, background music and stickers to their videos, and can collaborate on content and create split-screen duet videos even if they’re in different locations.
While originally introduced in China as Douyin by ByteDance Ltd in 2016, Douyin (TikTok), the international version of the platform was launched in its current form two years later in 2018.
While Douyin has enjoyed great success in the Chinese market, TikTok has also joined the international ranks of social media giants in record time. By the start of 2021, it had gained approximately one billion active monthly users worldwide and had been downloaded in the United States at least 200-million times. More recent statistics indicate that TikTok now has over 2.5-billion downloads.
With a mission to inspire creativity and to bring joy, Douyin (TikTok) positions itself as the leading destination for short-form mobile video.
Customer requirements
Douyin invited PCCW Global to provide a connectivity solution for members of the Chinese Olympic and Paralympic Teams at the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics.
Douyin planned to collaborate with Chinese Olympic Team athletes in Tokyo by enabling them to upload and share video clips of the competition and to provide commentary, news and results as well as to interact with their supporters and fans in real-time online.
PCCW Global won the contract to provide Douyin with a connectivity solution for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics on the strength of its Console Connect IoT SIM service. Console Connect’s IoT SIM provides connectivity across multiple mobile networks anywhere, leveraging PCCW Global’s high-speed and robust global network. An innovative “data pooling” usage plan was also included as part of the proposal. In addition, Console Connect IoT provided a self-service SIM management portal for Douyin to monitor the connectivity status and traffic usage of the supplied SIM cards.
Biliang Zhou
Senior Partnership Cooperation Manager, TikTok PTE Limited
After carefully considering Douyin’s requirements for their Tokyo Olympics project, Console Connect IoT proposed a complete solution that included the provision of both IoT SIMs and mobile WiFi modem devices. With dual operator network support on a single SIM, Olympic athletes could experience seamless, uninterrupted connectivity for sharing all kinds of media, including video.
A number of mobile WiFi devices were then supplied directly to the Olympic teams with pre-installed Console Connect IoT SIMs - providing them with 4G connectivity anywhere in Tokyo, before, during and after events. The remaining SIM cards were made available for smartphone devices.
In addition, the athletes benefited from two shared and pooled data plans that both reduced the overall cost of the service for Douyin and ensured seamless, functionally unlimited connectivity.
Console Connect collaborated directly with two Tokyo-based mobile operators for the provision of 4G mobile data services before interconnecting with PCCW Global’s own high-speed international network to provide direct connectivity with TikTok’s international platform servers.
Results
The Console Connect IoT team successfully connected as many as 14 of Douyin’s chosen Olympic teams with a high-speed, robust and seamless connectivity service that enabled athletes to share video, commentary and results as well as to interact with their individual fans and supporters.
The 14 team sports that benefited from the connectivity provided by fully mobile WiFi devices and 4G connectivity were table tennis, women’s volleyball, diving, shooting and archery, swimming, badminton, weightlifting, athletics, taekwondo and karate, wrestling, boxing, trampoline, fencing and women’s football.
Outcomes
The success of the connectivity project for Douyin opens the door for similar large-scale and globally popular event collaborations for the social media giant in the future. The service provided to Douyin by Console Connect IoT can be rapidly re-activated and fully connected to just about any country worldwide - providing seamless connectivity, photos, videos and commentary for just about any important event.
Console Connect IoT is transforming how businesses like Douyin experience and manage their global IoT connectivity, giving them real-time activation and deactivation, traffic usage monitoring, and customisable rules, using a unique self-service model.
As end-to-end IoT connectivity becomes increasingly complex, Console Connect IoT simplifies the ordering, deployment and change management of IoT networks. Using Software Defined Interconnection® technology, Console Connect IoT allows businesses like Douyin to orchestrate and manage their IoT connectivity – from edge to cloud – across our own private, high-performance global network.
The platform is fully integrated with the world’s leading cloud providers, enabling businesses to manage both their global IoT connectivity and direct cloud connectivity through one easy-to-use management portal. Businesses can also explore and directly connect with a global ecosystem of IoT, carrier, SaaS and other Network-as-a-Service partners.
Emmanuel Bain
SVP, Mobility & Voice,Console Connect
IoT simplified
A better way for enterprises, carriers and clouds to connect to the Internet of Things globally.
Console connect IoT
A global connectivity solution from edge device to multi-cloud application across 180 countries.Private interconnection to public and private Clouds
Securely connect and transfer IoT data from device to designated data clouds or data centres over a private network.One easy-to-use platform
Intuitive management portal or API to integrate with your own systems. Manage multiple SIMs and monitor data usage with reporting and alarm functions.One Global SIM
One Global SIM. With Console Connect IoT, devices will work anywhere in the world without the need to swap for a local SIM
Your benefits
Simplicity
Focus on your core business while Console Connect IoT delivers secure and reliable end-to-end data communications
Security
Secure and compliant to GSMA standards, service is delivered endto-end via a private connection with no exposure to the public internet
Availability
Console Connect’s IoT service is available in over 180 countries worldwide and monitored by a 24 x 7 international NOC
Efficiency
Flexible and affordable pricing that can dramatically reduce traffic and operational costs
Flexibility
Integrate and manage critical business processes with IoT connections and devices via the self-service portal and available APIs
Control
Monitor traffic in real-time with data usage visibility and alerts