Teralink | Surprising Predictions for the Future of Media and ...

In my previous blog entry, I talked about broadcasters and content providers discovering new telecom solutions to deliver their product to as many consumers as possible. Now, I want to tell you about another innovation taking hold in Europe and predictions for the future of the technology, media, and telecommunications industries. My colleagues at TERALINK and I uncovered all this information during a workshop we recently held for key players in TV.

I discussed previously how over-the-top (OTT) content is actually something telcos can embrace. Thierry Abraham, Chief Technology Officer for FTA Communication Technologies, said that along with Over-The-Top services, media companies will also need to shift to Hybrid Broadband TV (HbbTV). HbbTV aims to combine and synchronize broadcast TV reception with broadband internet services through Smart TVs and set-top boxes.

In the workshop presentation, Thierry said HbbTV is being deployed more and more in Europe and is also pushed by DVB standardization body. Afterwards, he said that the ultimate goal for TV broadcasters is to aggregate more content to catch more viewers attention. They will need to take advantage of HbbTV and OTT services to offer additional services in order to enrich their programs. That?s why those in media will need to embrace telecom solutions. Thierry said, ?Telcos are key players in the interactive TV value chain, they will be more and more?requested to enrich the live TV content.?

Several Deloitte Luxembourg professionals agree that the technology surrounding TV goes to reinforce and strengthen the content. Joanna Denton, Director in the Indirect Taxes Department at the professional services firm, presented its technology, media, and telecommunications predictions for 2012. In fact, the three industries used to each get their own predictions report, but over the last two years, they have become so intertwined that Deloitte now publishes them all in one report.

The results of the predictions estimate that this year, 95% of TV programming will be viewed live or within one day. That?s because TV is still very much a part of the national conversation, and no one wants to be late to the party. What does this mean for broadcasters? They can capitalize on counter-programming and demonstrate the benefits of a set schedule to advertisers.

Another prediction: an increased demand for consumer technology this year, despite economic difficulties. Consumers may be willing to sacrifice vacations to buy a new TV or tablet. That?s because they?re trying to get the most out of their money. They see consumer electronics as great value for the money.

The key theme we learned at the workshop is that all the key players, whether they?re broadcasters, content producers, device manufacturers, or telcos, will need to cooperate and trust one another to further their goals. Rather than competing against each other, we can all work together for the latest solutions.

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