New Voice on Demand Changes. by Rob Long and Tara Thompson
Voice on Demand (Vod) technology has come along way since 1992. Today’s consumers increasingly want on-demand services. To keep audiences from shifting to sometimes underground alternatives, broadcasters are employing numerous orchestrated technologies to deliver more “on-demand” experiences.
VoD vendors, SeaChange International (SEAC) and Concurrent Computer (CCUR), are near their 52 week lows while their main competitors have been bought in fire-sales by cable equipment manufacturers. Within the next few years most of the VoD service providers will have replaced or upgraded their VoD systems.
Three emerging technology shifts are slowly rolling out. The most important shift is the separation of hardware and software. VoD vendors are moving away from hardward and toward becoming software-only providers. Software solutions will be more important as VoD will require cheaper hardware along with Linux just to survive in the more competitive environment. Telecom’s advanced TCA hardware platform could also bring costs down.
The second major shift is the migration from proprietary bundled content management to stand alone content delivery network (CDN). CDN content management will enable more rapid content propagation to any device from any location, preferably the nearest source.
The last major shift is the increasing importance of back office support for VoD. Back office systems could very well become the most expensive part of any VoD system.
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