Cisco Enhances its Videoscape Architecture

The enhancements were achieved by integrating the Video Delivery Platform from Apalya Technologies Private Limited, a leading managed service provider of video streaming to telecom operators, handset manufacturers and content owners.

This capability was demonstrated last week at the Cisco Video Summit in New Delhi, an annual event for the company's customers and partners in the cable and broadcast sector.

To demonstrate Cisco's commitment to delivering best-of-breed solutions to multi-system operators (MSOs) in India, who operate multiple cable or direct-broadcast satellite television systems, Cisco has also made an investment in Apalya. This investment was done along with existing investors IDGVI (IDG Ventures India), IUVP (Indo US Venture Partners) and Qualcomm.

With the uptake of 3G services in the country and the introduction of 4G services, the demand for data and video, on mobile, is growing significantly. According to the Cisco Visual Networking Index (VNI), global mobile data traffic will grow 13-fold from 2012 to 2017, reaching 11.2 exabytes per month in 2017, and mobile video will represent 66% of all mobile data traffic. In India, video is expected to be 40% of mobile data traffic by 2016, up from 15% at the end of 2011.

Apalya's Video Delivery Platform, based on the Videoscape architecture, optimizes the content to be suitable for viewing on all screens, integrating it with content from mobile operators, content owners and mobile advertisers, and creating new revenue streams across the new media value chain.

"Video is a key priority for Cisco, and we have been investing in innovative technologies to enhance the delivery of quality video content across platforms. We are excited to work together with Apalya to drive innovation in the intersection of Mobility and TV Video delivery. With capabilities across cloud, networks and clients, the integrated Cisco Videoscape and Apalya solution will enable MSOs to efficiently manage over-the-top content by taking advantage of their existing one/two way HFC infrastructure to deliver an improved video on demand services to consumers. This will help them monetize their infrastructure and generate new revenue streams in the post digitisation era" said Vish Iyer, director, SP Video Architecture, Asia Pacific, Japan and Greater China, Cisco.

Vamshi Krishna, CEO and founder, Apalya Technologies Private Limited, said: "We are delighted to work along with Cisco. Cisco's experience and leadership in the global telecom and media ecosystem will be invaluable in our quest to expand into international markets."

"As the shift towards viewing video content on mobile is gaining momentum, we need to invest in solutions that can enhance the quality of the content, without making it too expensive for consumers. Our endeavour would be to gain competitive advantage in the LTE era while continuing our focus on 2.5G / 3G users," Vamshi added.

Apalya is a pioneer and leader in mobile TV and Video streaming in India with the world's largest content bouquet of 200 plus channels. It has a customer base of more than 15 million users and serves more than 200 million minutes of video viewings across mobile and broadband infrastructure including mobile phones & tablets, mobile broadband and fixed line broadband.

Host of 3 seasons of IPL and recent T20 and ODI World Cup, Apalya has managed to touch the sporting lives of millions of mobile fans across India. Apalya currently has the distinction of powering all mobile service providers in India along with strong partnerships with OEM's.