TELUS and Cisco Videoscape: Supplying the right tools to meet technology’s progress
2 min read
It may be clichéd to say the world is changing, but at Cisco it perfectly dictates how we work, especially with regards to the evolving face of technology. When computers began to truly enter the public consciousness back in the 1960s, very few would have been able to predict the extent that technology would pervade the way we live, work and play.
One of the challenges we face at Cisco is identifying and predicting future technology trends in order to arm ourselves, service providers and our customers with the necessary tools to meet, and exceed, demand. In the last few years, two trends especially have emerged that will have a tremendous impact in the years to come for Canadian service providers and their customers.
The first is the proliferation of mobile devices. The rise of smartphones and tablets in particular has given people unheard of levels of freedom in the way they communicate and access information.
The recent Cisco Connected World Technology Report (CCWTR) revealed that 78% of students and 58% of young employees in Canada cite a mobile device as “the most important technology in their lives.” Smartphones, in particular, are poised to surpass desktops as the most prevalent tool from a global perspective. Consider that 28% of Canadian college students regard smartphones as their “most important” device used on a daily basis, compared to 11% for desktops. This is certainly an indication of the growing trend in smartphone prominence and expected rise in usage by the next generation of college graduates upon entering the workforce.
Another noteworthy technology trend is the rapid growth of video. Internet video currently makes up 40% of consumer Internet traffic, and will reach 62% by the end of 2015. In fact, it would take over five years to watch the amount of video that will cross global IP networks every second in 2015.
The two trends dovetail nicely when one considers that mobile video is also increasing by leaps and bounds. Tellingly, according to CCWTR, TV’s prominence is decreasing among college students and young employees. Only 5% of Canadian students and 9% of Canadian employees list the TV as the most important technology device in their daily lives, and as TV programming and movies become available on mobile devices, this downward trend is expected to continue.
But identifying trends is only half the battle. As demand for mobile video increases, service providers are looking for effective tools to send live and cloud-based video content to numerous devices at home, at work or on the go.
To meet this demand, we launched Videoscape in early 2011. Videoscape harnesses the potential of cloud computing by offering “video in the cloud” experiences, bringing live and on demand video across a number of network devices beyond traditional desktop PCs such as laptops, smartphones and Android devices.
And it’s here where things get truly exciting. Today, TELUS announced that its successful Optik TV services have been extended to mobile devices with the use of Cisco Videoscape. Using Videoscape technology, TELUS will offer its Optik customers in Alberta and British Columbia the ability to take their TV service with them on the go. We’re thrilled to see TELUS make this commitment to Cisco technology and provide their customers with high-quality digital content, regardless of their device or location.
Today’s announcement is a fantastic example of a service provider using Cisco technology to enhance an existing offering, meet growing demand and remain competitive and innovative. Check out this video for a deeper look into today’s announcement from TELUS Chief Marketing Officer David Fuller and Chief Technology Officer Ibrahim Gedeon, and share your comments below.
Authors
