Cisco talks up networked video

Online video is the "killer application" of network convergence, Cisco chief executive John Chambers claimed at a company event.

The networking vendor envisions a world in which users access data on any device and through any network. But video is suffering from purpose built networks that prevent the desired level of openness, charged Chambers.

Network-enabled video streams will allow home owners to monitor their security systems from their computer at work or on their mobile phone.

A security system, meanwhile, could time-stamp recordings, allowing researchers to instantly jump to the video recorded when a door was opened, for example, instead of having to look through hours of analogue recordings.

Convergence has the potential to revive technologies for which innovation has ceased or that have reached the end-of-life stage such as cable TV and video conferencing.

Convergence will also enable new applications, according to Cisco's chief development officer Charlie Giancarlo.

"We believe that new technologies such as digital signage and high definition television will make [video convergence] even more compelling," he said.

Cisco has a clear benefit from growing video traffic on internet networks, as it allows the company to sell not only the video technologies, but the infrastructure components required to pump the data around.

If successful, Chambers believes that online video will prove to be merely " baby steps in terms of loads on networks".

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