News Summary

• Telecom Argentina is the first service provider in Argentina to adopt new open caching solution to deliver high-quality streaming experiences across its network on behalf of global and regional content providers
• Solution combines Qwilt’s CDN platform based on Open Caching, with Cisco’s edge compute and networking infrastructure, and Digital Alpha providing a unique, capex-free funding model
• New CDN solution will help Telecom Argentina support increasing data volume and reduce costs

BUENOS AIRES, ARGENTINA, February 5, 2021 - Cisco, Qwilt and Digital Alpha (DA) today announced continued momentum with global service providers to deploy Open Caching , with Telecom Argentina ready to bring its new as-a-service Content Delivery Network (CDN) solution to the Argentinian market.

Featuring Digital Alpha as the investing partner providing a unique funding solution to deploy the solution capex-free, this new model for content delivery combines Qwilt’s innovative CDN 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.

Telecom Argentina, the largest communications provider in Argentina, is the first service provider to launch this new business model and Open Caching service in the country. The new CDN will help Telecom Argentina’s network support increasing data volume and improve the streaming experience across its entire network. Open Caching will also help to drive new services revenue, enabling Telecom Argentina to become an active part of the content delivery value chain.

“Today’s announcement is the outcome of a deep collaboration among the partners,” said   Roberto Daniel Nobile, CEO, Telecom Argentina. “Our unified leadership and focus helped us reach an agreement and plan for deployment in record time with introductions, presentations, evaluations, technical deep dives and commercial negotiations handled via Webex due to pandemic travel restrictions. We embrace this new model giving us the opportunity to work directly with the world’s major content providers to reduce operational costs, improve network capacity and elevate the streaming video quality for our customers to the level they expect.”

Supporting resources:

• Qwilt Edge Cloud for Content Delivery
• Open Caching Architecture from the Streaming Video Alliance  
• Cisco UCS
• Cisco Nexus 9000 Series Switches

About Telecom Argentina

We are Telecom Argentina (NYSE: TEO), a connectivity and entertainment solutions company with more than 23,000 employees throughout the country. We transform the digital experience of our more than 28 million customers by offering them a secure, flexible, and dynamic service, on all their devices, with high-speed fixed and mobile connections, and a live and on-demand content platform that integrates series, movies, gaming, music, and TV shows. Through our trademarks Personal, Fibertel, Flow and Telecom | Fibercorp, we provide fixed and mobile telephony, data transmission, pay television and Internet services for individuals, companies, and institutions throughout the country. In addition, we are present in Paraguay with mobile service and in Uruguay, with pay television.

We lead an industry that constitutes one of the pillars for the social and economic development of the country, and we actively participate in the community with sustainable practices and initiatives that add value to the use of technology as a tool for training and social inclusion.

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 and cloud solutions help Internet Service Providers address the dramatic growth of streaming media on their networks and the need for 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 Qwilt. Follow us on Twitter @Qwilt.

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.

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 the Streaming Video Alliance (Alliance), an industry forum with over 80 members, during the last five years. The Alliance's Open Caching Working Group, Co-Chaired by Qwilt, brings the streaming ecosystem together to create a new model for content delivery within internet service provider (ISP) networks. This Open Caching industry initiative is driven by beliefs that building and operating content delivery technology closer to consumers will improve streaming quality and increase network capacity.