When asked how distribution companies should differentiate their products, Ahmed replied with “software”: “Since the hardware is standard stuff and based on IP-based protocols, developers have flexibility in the way they manage and manipulate each signal type over the network, allowing different configurations optimised for certain applications. Moreover, differentiating features, which previously required development of expensive custom hardware can now easily be achieved with software controlled packet routing. e.g. independent routing schemes for audio, video, and control”.
10Gbps hardware, which BlueRiver uses, is perhaps 10 times the cost of 1GB hardware. However, Insight writes, it is still ‘a lot’ cheaper than proprietary AV solutions. Costs will also fall more quickly in the IT world than they would in AV. Ahmed said that he expects 10Gbps switches to cost about 40% less next year, and drop to the same price as today’s 1Gbps devices by 2017.
Proprietary platforms have ‘stifled’ competition in many ways, said Ahmed. Few companies have the resources and means to develop a competing platform, which can cost tens of millions of dollars to develop – particularly the AV switch. By enabling companies to use off-the-shelf components, the barrier has been eliminated. Small companies can now deliver high-performance solutions, without huge capital investments. These companies will be able to innovate at the solution and software levels – on an open platform – rather than spend money developing their own hardware.
‘Ahmed makes a very good point’, writes Insight Media, ‘and as a result, it now seems likely that standard IP switching technology powered by the AptoVision chipsets will make strong headway in the market. Any solution that uses off-the-shelf IT gear seems like a hard thing to bet against’.
