Executive Summary
When Microsoft announced the retirement of Azure Media Services (AMS), our client — a family-owned global leader in outdoor power equipment —faced a critical infrastructure threat. With thousands of product videos driving conversion on their Product Detail Pages (PDPs) and a hard deadline of six months, the clock was ticking. The complexity? Legacy QR codes printed on physical product packaging.
dampioneers was brought in to manage the end-to-end migration, ensuring that while the underlying technology changed, the customer experience and the scanning of millions of printed codes remained seamless.
The Initial Ecosystem
Before the project began, the client utilized a robust, albeit dependency-heavy, video workflow designed for high-volume e-commerce:
- Ingest: Product videos were uploaded to the central Digital Asset Management (DAM) system.
- Processing: Upon approval, assets were exported to Azure Media Services (AMS).
- Streaming: AMS generated adaptive bitrate streaming links (HLS, DASH) for optimal playback across devices.
- Delivery: These streaming links were pushed back into the DAM and subsequently published to the e-commerce Product Detail Pages
The Challenge: The Azure Sunset & The “Physical” Problem
The announcement that Microsoft was sunsetting AMS created an immediate crisis. The project required a total replacement of the video streaming engine, but two factors turned this into a “Red Alert” scenario:
The 6-Month Hard Deadline: The entire project—including stakeholder interviews, vendor selection, contracting, and technical implementation—had to be completed within half a year to avoid service blackout.
The Legacy QR Code Trap: The client had millions of products already in the supply chain or in customers’ hands. The packaging featured printed QR codes encoding the specific streaming URLs generated by the old AMS system.
The Risk: If the backend service was shut down, those QR codes would result in “404 Not Found” errors, damaging brand reputation and frustrating customers.
Our approach
Phase 1: Discovery & Requirements
We conducted intensive stakeholder interviews to map not just the technical requirements, but the business needs. We identified that the new solution needed:
- Equivalent or better adaptive bitrate streaming capabilities.
- Seamless integration with the existing DAM via flexible documented REST API
- Crucially: A mechanism to intercept and resolve legacy URL requests.
Phase 2: Vendor Selection & Architecture
We scanned the market for AMS replacements. Rather than just picking a video platform, we selected a solution capable of high-volume API handling.
The “Magic Trick” for QR Codes: We architected a Redirect / Resolution Layer. We designed a solution where calls to the old AMS patterns were intercepted and mapped to the new video service’s unique identifiers. This ensured that a customer scanning a box printed two years ago would unknowingly trigger the video from the new streaming provider.
Phase 3: Implementation & Migration
- Data Migration: We orchestrated the batch migration of the video library to the new provider.
- Integration: We rebuilt the connector between the DAM and the new video service to automate future uploads.
- Testing: Rigorous load testing was performed to ensure the new “resolution layer” could handle peak traffic without latency.
The Outcome
Despite the aggressive timeline, the project was delivered on time and within budget.
- Zero Downtime: The switch from AMS to the new provider happened seamlessly.
- 100% Link Preservation: Old QR codes continue to function perfectly, redirecting to the new source transparently.
- Enhanced Experience: The new video player offers faster load times and better analytics than the previous implementation.
Conclusion
Technology sunsets are inevitable, but business disruption is optional. By identifying the critical risk of the physical QR codes early, DAM Pioneers turned a potential disaster into a seamless infrastructure upgrade, protecting both the client’s sales figures and their brand reputation.
