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VISAGO

Video Service Architecture based on a Generic Overlay

Coordinator: Dr Klaus Satzke, e-mail: klaus.satzke (at) alcatel-lucent.de

Involved countries: Germany, France, Greece, Portugal, Spain

 

Abstract

The VISAGO (Video Service Architecture based on a Generic Overlay) project addresses an open architecture for the provisioning of HD video services (IPTV und Video on Demand) streamed over the Internet – as a public IP infrastructure – to high end TV sets and residential gateways as well as to mobile terminals. It offers a novel technology and network platform for content providers to distribute their HD content independently from closed vertically integrated IPTV networks, but offering a comparable high end user quality experience.

End-to-end streaming with high quality is inevitably requiring the invocation of network services such as multicasting, caching, bandwidth reservation, fallback to lower bitrates by trans-coding, identity authentication, authorization and geo-location for age control and rights management. To achieve the cross-layer integration, these network services - today hidden in the walled gardens of the integrated telecom operators – will be made available by the IP Network Providers to Overlay and P2P Service developers based on a new Generic Overlay API technology. VISAGO will investigate, validate and demonstrate a novel interface between Service Providers and the IP Network Providers. VISAGO is among the first industry research projects that is specifically addressing the cooperative and open provisioning of video and content distribution services by a consortium beneficially combining the Overlay Service Providers and Content Owner interests with the needs and goals of IP Network Providers. With the regulation of the European telecom markets, we expect a clear definition of the role of a separate transport Network Provider. Even today the integrated Telecom operators are obliged to serve with their infrastructure many Service Providers in parallel in a neutral way. The VISAGO research into the Generic Overlay technology is preparing a European answer to regulation discussion on network neutrality, service transparency and clear future proof revenue chains.

The research is conducted in the face of the telecom operators’ transformation towards offering service differentiation in a media-rich and application-aware network infrastructure. Important future IP network provider business factors are seen in better partnering and collaboration with third party and overlay service providers and content and entertainment companies, in the deployment of faster and lower cost applications creation technology, compliant to the innovation pace given by the Internet world, and finally in providing the means to provide higher quality and reliability.