Tablets take toll on cable operators’ multiscreen obligations

Joseph O'Halloran ©RapidTVNews | 11-05-2012



Driving a boom in online TV and video they may be, but tablets and other mobile devices are also creating huge headaches for operators, especially cable MSOs, new research from Heavy reading has revealed.

Indeed the new report from the Heavy Reading Cable Industry Insider pinpoints a lack of management software to track and coordinate delivery platforms as being a likely ‘considerable’ cause of pain as users demand to experience more content over more devices, in particular iPads and smartphones.

The analyst noted that serving multiple screens increases MSOs’ requirements to manage multiple formats, entitlements, DRMs, business polices and subscriber support. It added than in order to support more fully multi-screen content and device requirements, cable MSOs will need software solutions to manage the content and device criteria and ensure quality of experience for customers.

Even though it recognised that a number of various management solutions are available, Heavy Reading did not observe MSO adoption to be keeping pace with what it called a flood of multiscreen usage.

"As multi-screen options proliferate with more devices and content, the challenges will multiply," explained Craig Leddy, research analyst with Heavy Reading Cable Industry Insider and author of the report. "Cable increasingly will need comprehensive solutions that manage the wide variety of unique characteristics of each distribution avenue and device platform."
Leddy also argued that even though the need for more robust management platforms was becoming more evident, cable operators have to date been far from aggressive in deploying those platforms up to now. He added: "For cable operators, handling all these pieces is like putting together a gigantic jigsaw puzzle…However, MSO adoption of management solutions is lagging the pace of their multiscreen deployments."