By Tim Hermes, BTR Founder and Publisher
Huh?
Over the last 10 years or so, the SCTE Cable-Tec EXPO has been the domain of the golf-shirt-and-khaki crowd. Fittingly (no pun intended) it worked, as the "hipness" factor of so much of the technology on display at EXPO could only be reflected by "Casual Friday" ensembles. This year? Entirely different. Suits, ties and professional dress were everywhere. What does this mean?
That the players were in town.
I saw a bigger buzz this year at the EXPO than I've seen in years. Booths were full, big news was announced, events were packed, and as usual the ARRIS party was off the hook. So many new technologies hold immediate promise for ops and there was enough on display to really impress. To me, the last show this crowded, with this much excitement, was in 1999, when the cable modem boom had just started and the excitement of data-over-cable and its speed advantages made operations execs shiver with anticipation. One example? One MSO - famous for playing deployments and purchases close to the vest - made a huge announcement on a CCAP deployment. Pace announced the acquisition of Aurora. Once the domain of the NCTA Cable Show, breaking announcements suddenly are an EXPO activity.
"Hey, it's a thing now," as my son would say.
So what did we take away?
- Technology in this space is becoming "money making" as much as "money saving." Advanced advertising hardware and software, for example. Let's watch the technology drive the top-line too, shall we?
- Cloud utilities in storage and navigation will be a dominant topic - and pervasive opportunity - in the coming year.
- Workforce management applications are hot-hot-hot.
- DOCSIS 3.1 ... of course.
- Compression - HEVC/H.265 - will also be a dominant topic in 2014.
Just a slice, of course, but I can see why it was Brooks-Brothers-Bingo this year.
Something is up.
And it looks good.
Tim Hermes is BTR's founder and publisher. Reach him at [email protected].