Developing the Agile Video Services of the Future

Using cloud-based software, it’s simple to launch and refine agile video services

The world of online video is changing fast. People watch an increasing amount of content over the internet. And the success of over the top services like Netflix means that they also expect to be able to access it cheaply and conveniently, whether they’re inside or outside the home.

This is a hugely exciting development for service providers. But it’s also a big challenge. And not just because of the increasing scale and complexity of people’s demands. In addition to this, no one is sure exactly which services will be the big revenue generators in future. So businesses will need to continually innovate and iterate until they find out what works best.

These two problems together create a real headache for service providers. Their current video infrastructures, which provide content across separate broadcast, on demand, and over the top platforms, are inefficient and inflexible. They make it difficult to scale up operations and create the personalised, flexible services that customers want.

An integrated, comprehensive solution

We created the Cisco Infinite Video Platform to give service providers a solution to these problems, and make the most of the business opportunities offered by online video. The platform enables rapid service creation and deployment by simplifying and unifying the process. It gives providers the agility to launch and refine new services at the pace the market is developing.

The flexibility of the Infinite Video Platform comes from its cloud-based software as a service (SaaS) model, which takes the complexity out of creating new services. Providers can focus on designing what their customers want, and let us take care of the technical side. The flexibility of the platform means they can reduce time to market from months to minutes. Once services are launched, the platform’s comprehensive capabilities, together with its powerful analytics, enable them to make continuous improvements. And as new consumer devices emerge, we are able to keep pace with the rapid rate of change.

It’s a much more efficient way of working. In fact, we find that companies typically experience a 15% fall in the monthly video expense per subscriber after switching to the Infinite Video Platform.

Developing the services of the future

With the platform offering these advantages, it’s little wonder that telecoms companies are seizing the opportunity to move to the front of the pack.

One business we are working with is the French service provider, SFR. Last year we helped the company create a new infrastructure for the launch of its new video service, Zive. It can be viewed from a variety of devices, offers a broad category mix of thousands of high definition shows, and is one of the only services on the market to provide ultra high definition 4K content.

Max Blumberg, the chief technology officer of Altice Group, which owns SFR, said: “Our business runs lean in operation and agile in delivery. Everything’s kept secure. And it’s much easier and cost-effective to customise solutions.”

Always at the cutting edge

The Infinite Video Platform puts service providers at the cutting edge of video technology. And we want to make sure that it will always stay that way. We’re always updating the platform with new features. So when you invest in the technology, you can be confident not only that you have the latest tools at your disposal – but that you always will do.