NTCA's The New Edge » Cisco

CES: Cisco Demos Cloud Solution for Legacy STBs

Steve Fravel — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:40:24 +0000

Cisco has added to its cloud-based interactive TV software. Called Videoscape, the suite of software allows set-top-boxes to connect to the cloud to deploy user interfaces and interactive program guides along with video on demand (VOD) services. MPEG 2 set-top-boxes gain new life with the inclusion of a new generation of interactive features.

The addition of ActiveVideo Network’s CloudTV to Videoscape will afford service providers the ability to add new features to legacy set-top-boxes.

According to Jeff Miller, president and CEO of ActiveVideo, “ActiveVideo’s CloudTV solution cuts through the device chaos created by diverse set-top-box models, and helps VideoScape become widely and quickly deployed.”

ActiveVideo demonstrated the CloudTV H5 platform that supports HTML5 formatted applications at CES. Boosting the demonstration with the iPhone Siri voice recognition feature allowed Cisco the opportunity to demonstrate voice recognition and voice-activated command of the viewing experience.

Chuck Stucki, vice president and general manager of IP video systems at Cisco, said that “adding the ActiveVideo CloudTV rather than developing it at Cisco allowed Cisco to focus on delivering next-generation user experiences to new IP-based devices.”

For more, see this release.

33% Report Internet Access is a ‘Fundamental Resource’

Jesse Ward — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 19:47:20 +0000

Demonstrating the increasing role of the network in people’s lives, an international workforce study announced last week by Cisco revealed that one in three college students and young professionals (33%) believes that the Internet is a fundamental resource for the human race – as important as air, water, food and shelter. In addition, about half (49% of college students and 47% of employees) believe it is “pretty close” to that level of importance. Combined, four of every five college students and young employees believe the Internet is vitally important as part of their daily life’s sustenance.

Case in point, more than half of the respondents (55% of college students and 62% of employees) said they could not live without the Internet and cite it as an “integral part of their lives.” If forced to make a choice, the majority of college students globally – about two of three (64%) – would choose an Internet connection instead of a car.

The 2011 Cisco Connected World Technology Report, examines the relationship between human behavior, the Internet and networking’s pervasiveness. It uses this relationship to provoke thoughts around how companies will remain competitive amid the influence of technology lifestyle trends. Here are some additional key highlights from the report:

Whereas previous generations preferred socializing in person, the next generation is indicating a shift toward online interaction. More than one in four college students globally (27%) said staying updated on Facebook was more important than partying, dating, listening to music or hanging out with friends.
Two-thirds of students (66%) and more than half of employees (58%) cite a mobile device (laptop, smartphone, tablet) as “the most important technology in their lives.”
TV’s prominence is decreasing among college students and young employees in favor of mobile devices. Globally, fewer than one in 10 college students (6%) and employees (8%) said the TV is the most important technology device in their daily lives. As TV programming and movies become available on mobile devices, this downward trend is expected to continue.
Only one of 25 college students and employees (4%) surveyed globally said the newspaper is their most important tool for accessing information.
One of five students (21%) report that they have not bought a physical book (excluding textbooks required for class) in a bookstore in more than two years – or never at all.
Seven of 10 employees “friended” their managers and/or co-workers on Facebook, indicating the dissolution of boundaries separating work and private life. Culturally, the United States featured lower percentages of employees friending managers and co-workers – only about one in four (23%) – although two of five friended their co-workers (40%).

The study was commissioned by Cisco and conducted by InsightExpress, a third-party market research firm based in the United States. The global study consists of two surveys – one involving college students, the other utilizing young professionals in their 20s. Each survey includes 100 respondents from each of 14 countries, resulting in a pool of 2,800 respondents. The 14 countries include the United States, Canada, Mexico, Brazil, United Kingdom, France, Spain, Germany, Italy, Russia, India, China, Japan and Australia.

For more, see this release.

Cisco: Global Internet Traffic will Quadruple by 2015

Jesse Ward — Mon, 06 Jun 2011 16:15:24 +0000

Released June 1, Cisco’s latest Visual Networking Index offers some interesting insights into the development of Internet traffic in the coming years. Not surprisingly, the rise of Web-connected wireless devices and Internet video will drive Internet traffic.

Highlights from the report:

Annual global IP traffic has increased eightfold over the past 5 years, and will increase fourfold over the next 5 years to 80.5 exabytes per month by 2015. To put this in perspective, researchers estimate that all printed material equals about 200 petabytes, which is equivalent to approximately one-fifth of a single exabyte.
The number of devices connected to IP networks will be twice as high as the global population in 2015 – 15 billion internet-connected devices in use around the world by 2015.
By 2015, non-PCs will produce 15% of traffic, up from 3% in 2010
Mobile data traffic will exceed traffic from wired devices by 2015. Wi-Fi and mobile devices will account for 54% of traffic, up from 37% in 2010.
In 2015, the gigabyte equivalent of all movies ever made will cross global IP networks every 5 minutes.
Internet video is now 40% of consumer Internet traffic, and will reach 62% by the end of 2015 — not including the amount of video exchanged through P2P file sharing.

Also of note, in the full report Cisco states that the global average fixed broadband speed is expected to increase fourfold, from 7 Mbps in 2010, to 28 Mbps in 2015. The average broadband speed has already doubled within the past year from 3.5 Mbps to 7 Mbps.

Cisco publishes the report every year and it details a five-year forecast for global Internet traffic usage. The Cisco Visual Networking Index Forecast methodology rests on a combination of analyst projections, in-house estimates and forecasts, and direct data collection.

For more, see the report.

Cisco Purchases Inlet Technologies

Steve Fravel — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 17:45:54 +0000

Intent on adding strength to the Videoscape product, Cisco has announced plans to purchase Inlet Technologies of Raleigh, N.C., for $95 million. Inlet Technologies is a provider of adaptive-bit-rate video processing platforms.

The Inlet encoding capabilities are reported to adapt the quality of the video stream based on “real-time” network conditions relative to the receiving device in use. The Cisco Videoscape platform will deliver video content over IP-based networks to any qualified receiving device.

Cisco has indicated in promotional demonstrations and materials that Videoscape will dramatically change the television viewing experience so that conventional television content and online content can be integrated with videoconferencing and social networks and then extended to mobile devices.

The acquisition of Inlet Technologies adds strength and versatility to the Videoscape product, described as a more robust TV Everywhere experience. The deal is expected to be completed during the first half of 2011.

For more, see Cisco’s video release.

Cisco Unveils its Videoscape Solution at CES

Jesse Ward — Thu, 06 Jan 2011 18:22:44 +0000

Live from the 2011 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) today in Las Vegas, Cisco announced the release of Cisco Videoscape, a comprehensive TV platform for service providers that brings together digital TV, online content, social media and communications applications to create an all-inclusive home and mobile video entertainment experience.

Videoscape is an open platform that utilizes cloud computing, IP networking and client devices and software. In a press conference today, Cisco CEO John Chambers said 75%-80% of Videoscape is software, making it primarily an architectural play that extends from the core network all the way down to devices.

In the home, its media gateway merges voice, linear and online video, high-speed data, WiFi and network traffic routing. An IP set-top box supports all forms of video delivered to the TV including PayTV, broadcast channels, premium channels, video on demand and the Web. In addition, software clients extend the experience to a wide variety of devices such as tablets and smartphones.

In the cloud, its media suite offers full life-cycle content management so that service providers can publish content across multiple screens. Its network component, the Cisco Conductor for Videoscape, orchestrates various services and subscriber-management functions across the cloud, the network and client devices.

Cisco’s first Videoscape partner is the Australian service provider Telstra. Chambers didn’t mention any U.S. partners, nor did he offer details on Videospace pricing and availability, but he did say service providers will be crucial to the product’s success.

Videoscape differentiates service provider video offerings from the competition and extends service opportunities for revenue generation, Cisco said its release. New models could include capabilities such as application delivery, home Telepresence, in-video e-commerce and more. Cisco also maintains that Videoscape may enable service providers to monetize activities outside their own network or traditional device footprints. For example, a service provider can offer a branded and personalized experience to its customers, regardless of their location or method of accessing content.

For more, see this release.
Cisco has set up a website with full details on its Videoscape solution.

Cisco: Online Video Drives 26% of Broadband Traffic

Jesse Ward — Mon, 01 Nov 2010 15:16:44 +0000

Cisco’s Systems Visual Networking Index (VNI) Study notes that the average broadband connection now generates 14.9 GB of Internet traffic per month, up 31% from 11.4 GB last year. Cisco notes that the majority of this traffic is video driven, while traffic attributed to peer-to-peer (P2P) networks continues to decline; P2P traffic now accounts for 25% of global broadband traffic, down from 38% last year, while video accounts for 26% of all global broadband traffic. Other highlights from the study:

More than one-third of the top 50 sites by volume are video sites, and, contrary to popular belief, none of them feature explicit adult content.
Ten of the top 50 sites are associated with software updates or security related.
Voice and video communications traffic (2% of all traffic) is now six times higher than data communications traffic such as e-mail, instant messaging and instant messaging file transfer.
The top 1% of broadband connections are responsible for more than 20% of total Internet traffic, and the top 10% of connections are responsible for more than 60% of total Internet traffic.
During Internet “prime time,” listed as 9:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. around the world, peak traffic is 72% higher than Internet traffic during an average hour.
P2P accounts for 40% of overall traffic during its high point (midnight until 9:00 a.m.) and 16% at its low point. In comparison, video comprises 29% at its peak and 16% at its low point.

For more, see Cisco’s report online.

Cisco Launches ‘Umi’ Home HD Videoconferencing Solution

Jesse Ward — Tue, 12 Oct 2010 20:38:02 +0000

After much anticipation by the tradepress, last week Cisco officially launched Cisco ūmi telepresence. Pronounced you-me, Cisco has developed an HD videoconferencing system aimed at consumers. (See the video after the jump.) The ūmi comes equipped with an HD camera, a console and a remote. The camera sits on top of the user’s HDTV and the rectangular set-top connects to the TV and Internet, while also handling the processing of the video data.

Once Cisco ūmi is connected to an HD television and a wired or wireless broadband connection, a remote control provides access to an on-screen user interface, through which users can make ūmi calls, access video messages, manage contacts, and customize their profile and settings. Users can also record their own ūmi videos, which they can share on Facebook, on YouTube or via e-mail. Users can also communicate with people who don’t have ūmi by placing and receiving video calls from any computer with a webcam and Google video chat.

The hardware costs $599, while Cisco’s calling service will cost $24.99 per month – that’s $898.88 for a year of service. Umi will be available for purchase from Cisco and Best Buy in mid-November, only in the United States. Cisco is accepting pre-orders now. Verizon also plans to offer the Ūmi devices and services to its FiOS customers in early 2011 as well.

“Cisco ūmi will bring the unique telepresence experience into living rooms and change the way we are able to be together with family and friends,” said John Chambers, chairman and CEO of Cisco. “We envision a future where technologies like this will play a role in connecting consumers with businesses to enable the delivery of new services, ranging from education, to health care, to financial services — to the home.”

For more, see Cisco’s release and additional videos.
The New York Times also trialed the device.

Cisco Advances Smart Grid Strategy

Jesse Ward — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 15:58:00 +0000

Cisco is aggressively pursuing the smart grid market, announcing last week that it will acquire Arch Rock Corp., a provider of IP-based wireless technology focused on the smart meter, and releasing news of a new strategic partnership with smart meter vendor Itron.

Based in San Francisco, Arch Rock technology is designed to enable utilities to connect smart meters and other distributed intelligent devices over a scalable, wireless mesh network.

Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed. Cisco expects the acquisition to be completed by the end of calendar 2010, and Arch Rock’s team will become part of Cisco’s Smart Grid business unit.

“Arch Rock’s wireless mesh technology enhances Cisco’s IP-based, end-to-end smart-grid offerings,” said Laura Ipsen, senior vice president and general manager of Cisco’s Smart Grid business unit. ”This acquisition further positions Cisco as a strategic partner to utilities working to better manage power supply and demand, improve the security and reliability of energy delivery, and optimize operational costs.”

The acquisition complements Cisco’s recently announced strategic alliance with smart metering vendor Itron to create solutions that enhance smart-metering technology.

Itron and Cisco will jointly develop a reference design for smart grid and smart metering network communications, utilizing the latest version of the Internet Protocol (IPv6).

Itron will license and embed Cisco IP technology within its OpenWay® meters, as well as distribute Cisco networking equipment and software as part of its smart meter deployments.

For more on smart grid technology, read NTCA’s Smart Grid ePaper series and attend NTCA’s webcast September 8, at 2:00 p.m. ET.

Cisco Intent on Adding ExtendMedia

Steve Fravel — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 15:39:48 +0000

Cisco has announced the pending acquisition of ExtendMedia with an eye on enhancing content management capabilities to encompass the “everywhere” concept. Current trends indicate a growing importance of Web and mobile applications as consumers adopt and expand the ways that video is consumed.

The financial terms of the deal were not released. ExtendMedia is a privately held company based in Newton, Mass. The firm provides a software solution for Web video publishing.

Cisco has indicated that the ExtendMedia software will be integrated with existing Cisco Content Management Services (CMS). In response to the industry migration to IP video solutions, Web delivered and mobile video have become integral to the service provider video product. Cisco has indicated a plan to provide the means for a more personal experience in its next-generation IP video platform content management capabilities.

Cox Launches Whole-Home DVR

Jesse Ward — Mon, 10 May 2010 21:11:15 +0000

Cox Communications has revamped its home entertainment experience launching a new Trio program guide, tru2way-capable Cisco set-top boxes (STBs) and the first whole home DVR-system by a nationwide cable operator. The new features will be available to subscribers who pay $5 more on top of any level of Cox Advanced TV service and subscribe to the Plus Package.

The cable provider is using tru2way-based Cisco 8642 HD/DVR and 1642 HD receivers to deploy the Plus Package and these will be used in all Cox markets, including Cox’s Motorola environments. The STBs will afford users the capability to tune frequencies above 860 MHz, where additional HD programming will be stored.

The Cisco STBs also contain a 500 gig hard drive, about three times the storage that the cable provider is offering with its current boxes. This will come in handy alongside the Cox Whole Home DVR solution, which will allow subscribers to watch and control recorded shows on any TV in the home from a single DVR unit. Up to three different recordings can be viewed simultaneously on different televisions throughout the home. Multimedia over Coax Alliance (MoCa) technology will drive whole-home DVR service.

Cox developed the new, on-screen program guide in partnership with Frog Design and implemented by NDS.

Cox Trio Program Guide

The Trio guide features three panels on a single screen to make content browsing easier. It also endows customers with the ability to search and browse related content across three platforms – linear airings, On DEMAND titles and DVR recordings.