Vendor solutions

Several vendors offer solutions to the video content puzzle, and most start with an API gateway. In essence, the gateway authenticates user access to numerous streams and all user devices, and then serves up everything under one portal. This way, Apple iPhone users and Microsoft XBOX users can enjoy the same unified experience. To this writer, given the business realities, this tactic seems like the only way to bring all streams together in a simple, easy-to-consume manner. Excellent offerings are available from Cisco, GENBAND, Comverse, and CSG International, to name a few.

Video convergence is the future

The Ghostbusters said, “don’t cross the streams” and Tower of Power sang, “don’t change horses in the middle of a stream,” but video convergence will render both phrases false. The expectations of the Internet- and cloud-generations demand that all content be searchable and consumed through a single interface over any device at any time. 

The Streaming Video Alliance will eliminate many of the technical complexities surrounding video streaming standards, but this won’t ameliorate the need for business agreements in the traditional framework. MSOs will continue to make one-off deals with some OTT players, but it is unlikely that these deals will encompass the totality of the video ecosystem. Vendor solutions from companies such as Cisco, GENBAND, Comverse, and CSG International are likely the best bet for service providers who wish to integrate and monetize all video streams and deliver a truly unified video experience.