At the Heart of Banijay Finland’s End-to-End Technology-as-a-Service Solution Lies Collaborative Innovation

Banijay Finland is one of the country’s largest production companies and part of the international Banijay Group. Over the years, Banijay has been responsible for many of Finland’s biggest productions, including Dancing with the Stars, Survivors, Sohvaperunat, and Big Brother. Banijay is also one of Media Tailor’s longest-standing customers. Their collaboration has resulted in numerous innovations.

Banijay was the first to embrace the service concept proposed by the then TV Tools, bringing together not only all the necessary post-production technology and services into one seamless, agile solution but also including comprehensive IT services.

Banijay’s IT services cover comprehensive IT services, such as Microsoft 365 support, security, MDM device management, and other essential support services.

“Our cooperation with Media Tailor has always been excellent. It has been a truly fruitful collaboration. The people at Media Tailor have always been proactive in understanding how we are doing and what we need,” says Erkka Varvio, Head of Post Production at Banijay Finland.

Many of our joint projects have been pioneering. Everything has largely been the result of joint development work.

Banijay’s TaaS solution includes the entire post-production environment, featuring ELEMENTS production storage, the Media Safe backup solution, and the production network.

In addition, Banijay uses the Media Safe Cloud backup solution, the Mon Tool monitoring tool, and Media Pocket for media file archiving.

From a single media server to a comprehensive service solution that saves hundreds of thousands of euros

The foundation of the partnership was laid when both companies were based in Lauttasaari. At that time, TV Tools supplied Banijay with its first media server.

“Besides that, we worked on several other projects together. It was reassuring to have people on the other end who knew exactly what they were doing. Even then, our collaboration was very interactive.”

“We knew what we needed, but they knew how to translate that into the right solutions. That’s how our collaboration began,” says Varvio.

From this collaboration, the idea of a full-service solution – where all services are bundled into a single monthly bill – was born.

It was a bit of a pioneering idea, but it immediately sounded like something that could work. It addressed so many of our needs and wishes. I think it’s been a huge success.

 

The TaaS model, which has since evolved into one of Media Tailor’s core services, allows Banijay to focus on its core business and growth without the burden of large upfront investments.

One of the biggest advantages of TaaS is that it removes the need for huge upfront investments. Instead, customers pay a monthly fee.

Having both the post-production system and IT services from a single provider removes the maze of multiple operators.

“The total billing model for TaaS is highly effective. It also makes financial sense, as we can better predict costs. We always know what we will be charged without the risk of unexpected costs. This transparency builds trust between our companies,” says Micaela Vilhunen, CFO at Banijay Finland.

Never-ending development – automation for even smoother workflows

The media industry is constantly evolving. Whether it’s technology, workflows, or new forms of media, production companies must be ready to adapt. That’s why having the right tools at their fingertips is essential.

TaaS isn’t a fixed package – it’s a partnership that involves continuous evaluation of needs and solutions.

“We are constantly challenging our workflows,” Varvio explains and adds:

Yes, our current workflows have been made possible by Media Tailor’s solutions. In fact, that’s exactly the result of our discussions. We’ve told them what we need, and they’ve responded.

 

A key strength of TaaS is its ability to adapt to changing needs. Streamlining workflows is essential. This is something Banijay has experienced firsthand.

“There are quite a lot of risks in this industry when it comes to handling material. The workflows need to be rock-solid. That’s why we strive to keep risks as low as possible. After all, our materials are our most valuable asset.”

Last year, Banijay managed over 20 high-profile productions – a number they’ll match again this year. Some productions generate over 100 terabytes of content, which is why Banijay has automated many aspects of its material workflows. Files are automatically archived, securely stored, and yet remain easily accessible.

“Things don’t necessarily have to be fully automated, but they need to follow clear processes, so we don’t have to constantly worry about them.”

Now, workflows are automated: we upload materials to the ELEMENTS media server, and they are automatically mirrored to both an on-premises backup and Media Tailor’s off-site data center. Plus, we still keep our own crash copy here. Even if we don’t manually create extra backups, the system ensures everything is stored securely. At the same time, all projects are sent to the cloud.

 

In addition, Media Tailor provides Banijay with comprehensive IT services. This aspect of TaaS proved especially valuable during a major transition when Banijay Finland, Endemol Shine Finland, and Jarowskij Finland merged into one large production company.

Both companies were already TaaS partners of Media Tailor.

The merger took effect on January 1, 2025, and Media Tailor played a key role by managing the migration of user environments and preparing new equipment to align with Banijay Group’s policies.

“IT services aren’t always complicated, but they are labor-intensive. Across our entire staff, there are both small and large IT needs that come up, sometimes in large volumes. We’ve had to develop workflows to handle this, and it’s been impressive to see how well it has worked.”

“It all starts with cooperation”

At the heart of this partnership is a shared commitment to innovation.

“I can’t emphasize enough how important it is to have a partner you can bounce ideas off of. There’s no one-size-fits-all solution. These services must be tailored to each company’s needs.,” Varvio says.

A great example of this collaborative problem-solving is TaaS with IT services itself. In addition, Banijay and Media Tailor have developed numerous interface integrations to enhance efficiency.

Currently, their most exciting joint projects involve artificial intelligence. Since AI is still an emerging technology, no one has all the answers, so the focus is on experimentation.

“We’re all exploring possibilities, seeing where AI can take us. It’s really exciting. Finland is a small country with limited resources, so working together is crucial.”

We’ve been discussing AI for a long time, and now we’ve finally started developing a concrete AI solution on our server. This kind of pioneering work benefits both parties. Time will tell what it ultimately becomes.

 

As this collaboration continues to grow, the synergy between Banijay and Media Tailor only strengthens. Their success is built on clear communication, trust, and a shared vision for the future.

“It all starts with cooperation and open communication. Our partnership has always been smooth, supportive, and truly beneficial for both sides.”

“It’s not just about listening—it’s about actively engaging with what we need and coming up with solutions. That’s what makes it awesome,” Varvio concludes.