Cisco Shows New Approach to Streaming Video

Called VideoStream, the technology that Cisco is deploying allows network managers to not only prioritize streaming video traffic in general, but also opt to give specific streams of video preferential treatment over other streams. According to Chris Kozup, Cisco senior manager of Mobility Solutions marketing, this means that network managers can, for example, make sure the CEO’s stream video messaging receives preference on the network over videos from a consumer Web site.

Kozup says that average employee in the enterprise is now looking at about 4.6 hours of video content a month; a figure that he says Cisco expects to double over the next two years. That level of video being viewed by hundreds or thousands of employees could bring a network to its knees.

The question facing IT organizations is whether to upgrade their network infrastructure, opt to deploy application acceleration appliances, or slipstream in new services such as VideoStream to support streaming video.

Kozup added that as more consumer devices become WiFi and 4G network enabled, there will be over 1.1 billion devices by 2011 in the hands of consumers that can consume streaming video.

The first deployment of the Cisco VideoStream technology is taking place at the Rochester Institute of Technology.