Cisco & Roku: Innovating in OTT Together at NAB 2016!

By Adam Davies, Product Marketing Manager, Cisco Service Provider Video Software and Solutions

If I had a nickel for how many times we get asked about why we decided to divest our set-top line to Technicolor last year … well, I’d have a lot of nickels. And no answer is more refreshing (and accurate!) to impart than our ongoing work with brands like Roku to expand the services offered by broadcasters and multi-channel video providers — large and small.

Consider: Cisco, with our Infinite Video platform, has already enabled 25+ global customers to offer their branded services on Roku streaming players. Our work happens behind the scenes, so we don’t expend a lot of energy talking about it — in a way, it’s not our party, it’s theirs.

An obvious next step for us is the Tier 2/3 service provider marketplace. Smaller operators are under enormous strain (understatement of the decade) to continue to support traditional linear video services, given the galloping price increases passed on to them by content owners.

Many operators are seeking a way to provide “skinny bundles” to consumers or to distribute their own branded streaming service. Roku licenses its streaming platform to such operators as part of the Roku Powered program. Operators can leverage Roku’s streaming players and platform to deliver their services to the home. Sky is a great example of this, in UK, Germany and Italy and also Telstra launched its ‘Roku Powered’ Telstra TV Box in Australia last year.

Such developments are a big part of why we are dedicating time and energy on innovating in this area. We are now positioned to collaborate on equal footing with the over-the-top ecosystem leaders, like Roku.

We’ll be showcasing our Roku collaboration and lots more within the OTT video mantle this week. Come by and check it out at the Cisco booth in the South Hall, SU8502CM. Hope to see you!