We are proud to share our first WP5 deliverable outlining our “Content Delivery Vision”; now available for download below (Also in our downloads section):

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Executive Summary

There is a growing demand from operators to deploy converged video delivery solutions across all their networks (fixed and mobile) and across all the screens, to save on operational and equipment costs.

Focusing on the Media & Entertainment vertical, this document reviews relevant business models and technology, and suggests approaches to deliver content in a flexible way; this flexibility being apparent in both the delivery mode (point to point and point to multipoint) and delivery type (fixed and mobile).  We refer to these approaches as the Content Distribution Framework (CDF).

Different business models are applied when it comes to monetising video delivery. They are important to keep in mind since the revenue flow can greatly impact the success of a service. In addition, we can learn from the success or failure of relevant technologies. This leads to the conclusion that the CDF should adopt the following principles:

  • It should be a generic data delivery framework, and should not rely on the business case from one vertical.
  • It should have a CDN for global coverage, with point-to-multipoint-capable networks at the edge for efficiency.
  • The CDN/network interface should be kept as simple as possible, and applications on end devices should not need modification.
  • It should treat PTM as an internal optimisation capability for network operators which does not need to be exposed as an externally consumable network service in its own right.
  • The use of a PTM capability should be dynamic, following consumption patterns and business rules.
  • The use of local, or on-device storage to allow synchronous, pre-emptive delivery of content efficiently using a PTM capability would be advantageous.
  • Application-layer intelligence is preferred over network features, particularly where the requirements on latency and packet loss are relatively relaxed, such as in typical media delivery scenarios.