Online Video Leaders Form Streaming Alliance

SAN FRANCISCO: A number of content providers, network operators, content delivery networks and technology platforms have come together to create the Streaming Video Alliance, among them Fox Networks Group, Liberty Global, Yahoo! and Telecom Italia.

This Alliance aims to facilitate the creation of architecture, standards and best practices that will balance the infrastructure for online video and improve efficiency for all providers in the streaming ecosystem, while also preserving a high-quality experience for consumers. Companies that are part of the Streaming Video Alliance include Alcatel-Lucent, Charter Communications, Cisco, Comcast, EPIX, Korea Telecom, Level 3 Communications, Limelight Networks, Major League Baseball Advanced Media, Qwilt, Telstra, Ustream and Wowza Media Systems.

The Streaming Video Alliance will address key industry and online video ecosystem challenges, including three initial areas of focus: open architecture, working to define specifications for the architecture and functionality of network and cloud-based streaming; quality of experience, to create a common approach to defining, measuring, optimizing and reporting the quality of the video streaming experience; and interoperability, creating standards that help systems and organizations to work together.

"In a world where streaming video exponentially grows, the challenge to everyone in the ecosystem is profound," the Alliance wrote. "The magnitude of the online video challenge calls for a new open architecture that can address the scaling of streaming video, operational requirements of content providers, network operators and content delivery networks while preserving the quality of experience expected by consumers.

"In light of this extraordinary demand for and shift to online video consumption, many industry members have come together to begin to foster collaboration on a new open architecture and ensure online video will continue to flourish. The hope is that companies throughout the ecosystem will join this effort to develop a multifaceted solution that works for all elements of the ecosystem."