Next-Generation Customer Experience seems fairly self-explanatory. But the talks in this category encompass everything from enhancements in installation, operations and workforce training to redefining the connected home to utilizing apps and other new techniques to improving the customer experience.
For example, during the "Impact of the Connected Home on Upstream Capacity" (Sept. 23, 9:45-10:45 a.m.), Tom Williams of CableLabs will discuss upstream traffic and ingress testing, and John Ulm of ARRIS (NASDAQ:ARRS) will offer suggestions on bandwidth capacity planning. "WiFi in the Connected Home" (Sept. 25, 2-3 p.m.) and "WiFi: The Quest for Quality" (Sept. 25, 12:45-1:45 p.m.) will deal with using WiFi for HD video transport and even UltraHD, and how to solve customer experience problems related to WiFi.
Other Next-Gen Customer Experience highlights:
- Cool Tools for Techs (Sept. 22, 2-3 p.m.)
- Cable Has an App for That Too (Sept. 22, 3:15-4:15 p.m.)
- Cable's Internet of Everything (Sept. 23, 9:45-10:45 a.m.)
- Maximizing QoE to the Home (Sept. 24, 9:30-10:30 a.m.)
- Analyze This: Big Data for Better Operations (Sept 25, 12:45-1:45)
The lineup for the second category, Next-Generation Video, focuses on the transition to an all-IP video network, delivering UltraHD and HEVC, and monitoring next-gen user interfaces. The aptly named "Migrating to Ultra HD and HEVC" (Sept. 25, 12:45-1:45 p.m.) will offer paths to deployment for both technologies. "Encoding Encounter: Software vs. Hardware" (Sept. 24, 10:45-11:45 a.m.) will bring together representatives from Harmonic (NASDAQ:HLIT) and Elemental to examine the pros and cons of each.
Also in the Next-Gen Video group:
- Digital Rights Management Evolution (Sept. 22, 2-3 p.m.)
- Publishable Interfaces - Making Your Applications Work on Consumer-Owned Devices (Sept. 22, 3:15-4:15 p.m.)
- IP-Delivered Video: Considerations for MPEG-2 (Sept. 23, 11 a.m.-noon)
- Multicast & Unicast: The Best of Both Worlds to Enable Multiscreen Video (Sept 24, 9:30-10:30 a.m.)
The third track, Next-Generation Networks, will address access network architectures, virtualized, cloud and software-defined networks and energy/event management. "DOCSIS 3.1: Making it Real" will deliver strategic advice on migrating to 3.1 while leveraging current investment in the HFC network (Sept. 24, 10:45-11:45 a.m.), while "Peeling Back the Layers of DOCSIS 3.1" (Sept 23, 9:45-10:45 a.m.) will shed light on the PHY layer and how different architectures can affect the spectral efficiency DOCSIS 3.1 provides. Rounding out a DOCSIS trio in this category, "Expanding the DOCSIS Upstream" will address how 100 Mbps can be achieved without moving the split point.
Other Network track workshops include:
- Agility Through Virtualization (Sept. 22, 3:15-4:15 p.m.)
- Next-Generation Architecture for Business Services (Sept. 23, 11 a.m.-noon)
- Super-Charging Fiber (Sept. 23, 11 a.m.-noon)
- Going Remote: Exploring New Access Architectures (Sept. 24, 9:30-10:30 a.m.)