News Summary

• Companies introduce new model for streaming media delivery leveraging Open Caching architecture deployed at the edge of the service provider networks; it offers unprecedented levels of quality with open, global APIs endorsed by the Streaming Video Alliance
• Innovative business model enables zero-capex and limited-risk deployment, helping service providers generate new revenue as active participants of the content delivery value chain
• BT has adopted this solution to deliver high-quality streaming experiences across its network to its customers on behalf of global content providers

SAN JOSE AND REDWOOD CITY, Calif., – October 8, 2020 – Cisco, Qwilt and Digital Alpha (DA) announced today how together they are disrupting the commercial Content Delivery Network (CDN) market with a new as-a-service offering based on Open Caching, with BT as the flagship customer.

Streaming content is increasingly delivered in 4K and soon 8K, supporting augmented and virtual reality (AR/VR) applications across multiple devices, over wireline and wireless connections. This drives network capacity demands, with consumer internet video traffic expected to comprise 82% of all (consumer) internet traffic by 2022, (up from 73% in 2017.)

Resulting performance requirements are accelerating the shift away from traditional content delivery models, opening up the opportunity for service providers to use their edge assets to deploy their own distributed CDN capabilities and become more active participants in the streaming media delivery value chain. 

Open Caching, an open architecture developed and endorsed by the Streaming Video Alliance, offers a platform that federates content delivery infrastructure deployed deep inside service provider networks, into a global CDN with open APIs for content publishers. It is designed to help service providers easily deploy an edge CDN footprint, offering them more control over content flows. It also caters to the needs of global and regional content providers for more capacity, consistency in content delivery and performance assurance.

Featuring Digital Alpha as the investing partner providing a unique funding solution, this partnership combines Qwilt’s innovative content delivery platform based on Open Caching, with Cisco’s edge compute and networking infrastructure to deliver the solution as-a-service to service providers of all sizes around the world.

BT, the UK’s leading telecommunications and network provider, in partnership with Qwilt, Cisco and DA has deployed this solution to add multiple terabits per second of capacity and provide cost-effective, high-quality streaming video to meet its growing demand in 2020 and beyond. Its decision to make the transition to Open Caching is based on the following requirements: 

• Deliver the highest-quality streaming experience across its entire network
• Support an open architecture endorsed by the Streaming Video Alliance
• Drive new revenue by becoming an active part of the content delivery value chain
• Reduce content delivery costs by deploying CDN capabilities inside its network
• Eliminate deployment costs using the innovative capex-free model

Industry and streaming ecosystem support for Open Caching is growing, with over 50 global service providers, technology vendors and content publishers actively involved in moving the content delivery industry in this direction. 

“At BT we connect for good and streaming video has never been more important than in today’s challenging times,” said Neil McRae, Chief Architect, Managing Director for Architecture and Technology Strategy at BT. “Our mission at BT is to ensure our customers have the best experience every time and with record levels of streaming we needed to disrupt the status quo. Qwilt’s pioneering open caching platform together with Cisco’s cloud infrastructure gives BT the first 5G MEC capability in the UK to deliver premium quality video and on demand services.”

“Streaming video may be the killer app for the internet, but it doesn’t have to KILL the internet,” said Jonathan Davidson, Senior Vice President and General Manager, Mass Scale Infrastructure Group, Cisco. “With streaming video expected to represent north of 80% of traffic flowing through service provider networks in the coming years, content delivery is the first of potentially many services they can deploy from within to monetize their edge footprint in the 5G era. Marking this milestone together with Qwilt and Digital Alpha to enable edge cloud services for service providers, we can change the economics of the internet for the future, partnering with customers like BT to help them manage video traffic more effectively.” 

“The way we consume video has changed, and content delivery must change with it,” said Alon Maor, CEO and Co-founder of Qwilt. “Our shared vision is to help service providers enable Open Caching in their networks and leverage edge computing as a fundamental component of their architecture. Together, we are helping many customers such as BT to accelerate their digital transformation in the UK and establish a content delivery platform that will serve as a foundation for today’s applications and new experiences coming in the future.” 

“Digital Alpha is a trusted business partner, actively working with leading technology companies to support their market needs and growth opportunities with unique funding solutions,” said Rick Shroti, Co-Founder, Managing Partner, Digital Alpha. “Our domain background and expertise lets us structure this innovative outcome-based model to support global service providers deploying their own CDNs with zero capex and limited risk. Working with our partners in conjunction with the leading content providers, we are committed to scaling this platform to service providers globally in the months ahead.”

Supporting resources:

• Watch the video newsbriefing: Cisco, Qwilt, Digital Alpha and BT Define the Future of Content Delivery
• Qwilt Edge Cloud for Content Delivery
• Open Caching Architecture from the Streaming Video Alliance  
• Cisco UCS
• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches

About Cisco 

Cisco (NASDAQ: CSCO) is the worldwide leader in technology that powers the Internet. Cisco inspires new possibilities by reimagining your applications, securing your data, transforming your infrastructure, and empowering your teams for a global and inclusive future. Discover more on The Network and follow us on Twitter at @Cisco.

Cisco and the Cisco logo are trademarks or registered trademarks of Cisco and/or its affiliates in the U.S. and other countries. A listing of Cisco's trademarks can be found at www.cisco.com/go/trademarks. Third-party trademarks mentioned are the property of their respective owners. The use of the word partner does not imply a partnership relationship between Cisco and any other company.

About Qwilt

Qwilt’s unique Edge Cloud Platform and Open Caching software solutions help Internet Service Providers address the dramatic growth of streaming media on their networks and the need for a low latency, high scale infrastructure to support future applications. Qwilt’s cloud managed open platform, running on commodity compute and storage infrastructure and deployed close to consumers, creates a massively distributed Edge Cloud that supports applications such as Open Caching, 4K Live Streaming, AR, VR, Self-Driving Cars and IoT. This low latency Edge Cloud architecture enables a high-quality streaming experience for consumers on a massive scale. A growing number of the world’s leading cable, telco and mobile service providers rely on Qwilt for Edge Cloud applications.

Qwilt is a Founding Member of the Streaming Video Alliance and a leader of the Open Caching industry movement. Founded in 2010 by industry veterans from Cisco and Juniper, Qwilt is backed by Accel Partners, Bessemer Venture Partners, Cisco Ventures, Disrupt-ive, Innovation Endeavors, Marker and Redpoint Ventures. Learn more at www.qwilt.com.

About Digital Alpha

“Digital Alpha Advisors, LLC. (DA) is an investment firm focused on digital infrastructure and services required by the digital economy, with a strategic collaboration agreement with Cisco Systems, Inc. As part of this agreement, Digital Alpha has preferred access to Cisco’s pipeline of commercial opportunities requiring equity financing. Digital Alpha believes that it is the first fund focused on making private equity investments in the significant growth opportunities required to underpin the Digital Economy, including smart cities, next generation broadband networks, and enterprise data management and communication solutions.  Digital Alpha was founded by Rick Shrotri, Head of the Global Infrastructure Funds (GIF) team at Cisco, and closed its first Fund – Digital Alpha Fund, LP – in 2017.”

About BT
BT Group is the UK’s leading telecommunications and network provider and a leading provider of global communications services and solutions, serving customers in 180 countries. Its principal activities in the UK include the provision of fixed voice, mobile, broadband and TV (including Sport) and a range of products and services over converged fixed and mobile networks to consumer, business and public sector customers. For its global customers, BT provides managed services, security and network and IT infrastructure services to support their operations all over the world. BT consists of four customer-facing units: Consumer, Enterprise, Global and its wholly-owned subsidiary, Openreach, which provides access network services to over 650 communications provider customers who sell phone, broadband and Ethernet services to homes and businesses across the UK.

For the year ended 31 March 2020, BT Group’s reported revenue was £22,905m with reported profit before taxation of £2,353m.

British Telecommunications plc is a wholly-owned subsidiary of BT Group plc and encompasses virtually all businesses and assets of the BT Group.  BT Group plc is listed on the London Stock Exchange. 

For more information, visit www.bt.com/about

Open Caching Architecture from the Streaming Video Alliance  

Cisco and Qwilt’s content delivery solution is based on Open Caching specifications developed and approved by 60+ members of the Streaming Video Alliance (SVA) over the last five years. The Open Caching Working Group’s primary goal was to bring the streaming ecosystem together to create a new model for content delivery within internet service provider (ISP) networks. This industry initiative was driven by beliefs that building and operating content delivery technology closer to consumers will improve streaming quality and increase network capacity. 

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Qwilt Media Relations
media@qwilt.com

Digital Alpha Media Relations 
media@dalphafund.com 
 

BT Media Relations
Helen Line
Helen.line@bt.com