Cisco and BT Collaborate on Content Delivery to Connected Devices

As we look at the rapid evolution of "TV Everywhere" services beyond simply authenticating cable channel lineups on PCs, the role of connected CE as premium video clients is a key trend. You can see the pieces coming together, as publishers join forces with content and ad management companies, content delivery network providers, digital rights management and adaptive streaming purveyors, and companies that specialize in consumer electronics clients.

Now, things are starting to get even more integrated, particularly as we look at the giants of network infrastructure - Cisco, Alcatel-Lucent, Motorola, Nokia Siemens, Ericsson, etc. Cisco, in particular, has been making news recently, first with the acquisition of ExtendMedia, which brings expertise of how to deliver multi-platform video over IP. Now, a collaboration with BT, in which BT has chosen Cisco's Content Delivery System as the 'backbone' for its, open online video delivery network - Content Connect - designed to improve the experience of watching and listening to digital content on the web.

The Cisco Content Delivery System (CDS) using medianet technologies enables BT Wholesale to establish broadband as a TV platform. Content Connect will deliver digital content to any computer, TV or mobile device on behalf of UK internet service providers giving broadcasters access to a large end user base – irrespective of service provider or technology.

I'd say stay tuned. I would think that we would see some additional acquisitions and announcements coming from these infrastructure leaders.

Multimedia content delivery platforms - Ericsson joins Cisco, Motorola, Nokia Siemens, and Alcatel-Lucent

If you're a video service provider, you're obviously looking at how to deliver multiple types of video formats (particularly IP) over multiple networks to numerous devices. And, if you're a video infrastructure player, you want to have a solution that can handle different formats, codecs, encoding, etc. We've known that Cisco and Motorola have been quite active in this space, with Cisco offering its Content Delivery System and Motorola pushing Medios. (By the way, ActiveVideo Networks is demonstrating its CloudTV platform in conjunction with the Cisco CDS architecture at IBC.) Nokia Siemens offers the Ubiquity Multiscreen Platform, and Alcatel-Lucent has the Velocix Digital Media Delivery Platform.

Now, Ericsson has an offering called the Media Delivery Network (MDN). MDN is a media-centric network that supports multi-channel TV, video on demand, and over-the-top video content from the same core infrastructure. It includes solutions for distribution and delivery, caching, storing, streaming, transcoding and the content management system (CMS). It also enables targeted advertising and fast channel changing across any platform to any screen.