Other solutions help service providers put video content closer to subscribers, which reduces transport costs and the strain on backhaul networks, lowers latency, and improves the customer experience. Nokia Siemens Networks (NSN) rolled out its innovative Liquid Applications solution at Mobile World Congress in February, giving CSPs the ability to deliver popular content streams and apps directly from their networks’ mobile base stations. In a similar vein, the Velocix Transparent Cache application from Alcatel-Lucent optimizes mobile-video delivery for clients like Telenor by placing highly requested  content streams closer to subscribers and adapting streams based on their individual devices, locations and subscription levels.

Bringing the future of TV to life

CSPs face a difficult dilemma. They must deliver and support a personalized, seamless video experience that’s easy to use on the front end and manage a highly complex network and content-network ecosystem on the back end. Oh, and continue to meet shareholders’ expectations of profitability—that too.

While none of this is easy to contend with, many tools are available that can help, and by and large, the video industry has learned from the mistakes of others. On CSG International’s website Content Direct declares that content distributors and developers “can’t let the movie business go the way music went.” In other words, no one wants to see a video version of Spotify become the norm (except maybe Spotify). Although video is more multifaceted and musicians have several avenues of monetization they can explore beyond the broadcast of their recorded content, the analogy rings true.

The future of television is any video viewed anytime and anywhere on any device, and that’s delivered, consumed and supported in an easy, personalized manner. Television redefined includes on-demand content, web-based video, premium OTT content, and live broadcasts. To succeed in the future, service providers must move quickly to bring this vision to life before they’re outmaneuvered by web- and console-based competitors.