Thanks J., interesting article. I think if you look at the deepest trend here, it is follows:
SAN Data Centers connected to giant DWDM Pipes, for a Data Centric Internet/World. I can picture, a future where all content is derived off of the internet. Cable & Phone Companies merely supplying the Pipes and the Data Centers. ASPs would sit on top of that. Movies would all come off of Data Centers. If Viacom stores its movies at Global Crossing or Exodus Data Centers, that is where it would stream from to your TV/Set Top/Computer. Universal would have to keep its data/content/movies at a Data Center as well. The biggest most efficient Data Centers or SAN distribution networks would offer the lowest pricing and start getting all of the business. How the viewer accesses the movies or data would be through portals, that just have links to the Viacom Data or Universal Data, etc... It would just become data, to be streamed over the internet and through the cables and phone lines, as a data stream. Just like you are accessing the internet. This model would probably make companies like WAVX successful.
Movie data and current event data could be stored at your own storage sight at a Data Center as pricing drops, and could be organized and customized how you like it, or for redistribution to friends from your website, or for play back on your wireless phone computer, that has a little accessory 6" or 12" LCD screen you could plug it into in the car or at the park etc....
The trend is towards Cost Efficient Internet Data Centers connected to Big Cost Effective Optical Pipes, for low cost delivery and storage of data, anywhere, anytime. I think the cable companies better start getting into the Data Center Business to store all of their customer's data that they deliver to them or they could be by passed by the internet. Maybe even figure out ways to help their customers use the data to make life easier, ordering Pizzas, putting portal links together and marketing menu pages with portal links, and getting commissions from portals, etc....Since Cable Companies are so one dimensional and boring, I think this work will most likely be done by Internet Software Companies, the cable companies will mainly derive money from owning the pipes.
Joe |
