MWC 2022 Takeaways and On-site Executive Interview: Creating a Competitive Edge for Next-Gen Streaming Media – Cisco Blogs

As one of the first live, global events in the high-tech industry in almost three years, Mobile World Congress Barcelona 2022 drew over 61,000 attendees. Today, a common statement we hear from participants is that it turned out to be a spectacular event. I’d like to take the opportunity to share some key takeaways from Cisco’s Edge Cloud for Content Delivery solution demonstrations at the show, created in collaboration with our partners Qwilt and Unity.

Outstanding results and customer reactions

As outlined in detail in my earlier blog, the first demonstration was focused on a transformative approach to content delivery designed to elevate business outcomes for Communication Service Providers (CSPs). It uses a distributed architecture that combines Qwilt’s open caching software and cloud services edge nodes and Cisco’s edge compute infrastructure. With this architecture, CSPs become active participants in the delivery value chain, enabling high-quality streaming media to users no matter their location.

The second demonstration was focused on Unity Metacast, a market-leading platform that uses volumetric technology to streamline the process of capturing, producing, viewing, and interacting with 3D content such as live sporting events. Looking to the future, Cisco, Qwilt, and Unity can enable a world of high-quality interactive and immersive user experiences at global scale.

The demonstrations proved to be impactful. The number of participants and resulting meetings well exceeded our expectations and the positive response we received from the attendees was overwhelming.

Customers who saw the content delivery solution for the first time were excited to learn about our unique approach. Lisa Aussieker, Qwilt’s Senior Vice President of Marketing, noted that customers were particularly drawn to the revenue-generating business model the solution provides, along with the degree of visibility, observability, and control over the traffic that enables unprecedented levels of streaming quality. Those already familiar with the solution were impressed with the worldwide momentum and traction amongst CSPs thus far, along with the growing promise of a truly global content delivery network.

Unity’s demonstration of its technology for creating interactive volumetric streaming experiences was exceptional and a key attraction point. Tian Pei, Unity’s Head of Business Operations and Partnerships for Sports, noted that the in-person experience of interactive volumetric content created some “wow” moments for many attendees who had only read or heard about it. This feedback made it clear that this solution has the potential to change the way we watch sports forever. One person even commented that referees will finally have the technology to get the call right every time through instant replay! We’re excited that Cisco, Qwilt, and Unity will help to make this a reality in the foreseeable future.

On-site executive interview on the solution’s unique approach and benefits

We were fortunate enough to sit down with Aussieker and Pei for an interview hosted by Theodore Tzevelekis, Vice President and Head of Business Development at Cisco’s Mass-Scale Infrastructure Group. They explained the collaboration among the three companies, the unique value proposition, and how CSPs, content publishers, and the broader ecosystem can benefit from our solutions in ways never before possible. You can watch that interview here:

More information

Blogs from Qwilt and Unity released prior to the event provide additional information on the two demonstrations we just discussed.

We also encourage you to learn more about Cisco’s Edge Cloud for Content Delivery and contact us with any questions. The future of content delivery starts here with us, and we look forward to engaging with you!

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