The coming IP video wars

Today's Juniper/Polycom partnership to offer combined networking/IP video solutions is more than just a reaction to Cisco. It's a recognition that bandwidth-rich IP is now deep enough into enterprise and carrier networks that true video applications will — at last — begin to become a reality.

Let's look at the business realities behind this technology agreement. The economy — not to mention terrorism concerns — continues to tamp down business travel, yet companies rely on collaboration more than ever to get business done. The Web and social media trends are pointing to more and more real-time collaboration, while consumer video sites like YouTube show the power of easy video sharing.

But putting collaboration and video together is still in its early phases. Enterprise-class videoconferencing certainly isn't anything new, but it remains a specialty app. More ad-hoc video conferencing, via things like Apple iSight or Skype or GoogleTalk set-ups — show the power of more ubiquitous IP video, but remain largely in the realm of techies and teens.

But the big push by major IP networking vendors such as Cisco and Juniper — along with telecom service providers including AT&T, Verizon and others — into true enterprise IP video capabilities holds the promise to make IP video mainstream.

Two major opportunities loom large: one, weaving IP video capabilities into today's IP PBX/IP phone corporate desktop set-ups; and two, integrating IP video into vertical industry solutions, especially in industries like health care, where interacting via video rather than just text or voice adds so much to the communications equation.

Today's Juniper/Polycom hook-up and Cisco's recent acquisition of Tandberg may most immediately effect the battle over IP video behind the corporate firewall, within the enterprise. Both pairings will also likely offer IP video-as-a-service directly, as well as ultimately with service provider customers.

Indeed, like all enterprise applications, IP video in the long run may be best delivered and most affordably consumed as a managed service delivered by service providers. That's why telecom operators should be paying close attention to the sudden, intense attention this market is receiving from heated rivals Cisco and Juniper.

The emergence of IP video will require service providers to make some partnership bets as well as begin to look more closely at embedding video capabilities in the vertical solutions they cook up. The network needs attention too, as prioritization of enterprise IP video streams and the quality of experience guarantees service providers can offer on real-time video, in particular for links between enterprises, will be a competitive must-have.

 Is your network ready for the mainstreaming of IP video?

E-mail me at richard.karpinski@penton.com.