Several recent analyses and product announcements at the Barcelona mobile trade show underscore Cisco’s great expectations. For example, Parks Associates, a Texas market research firm, singles out the rapid increase of video viewing on tablets and smartphones, and Ericsson was among the technology suppliers to launch new multiplatform capabilities during the Mobile World Congress.

That prospect bubbles up in Parks Associates report on “Mobile Video: The Next Pay Tv Battlefront.” The study looks at the growing competition from over-the-top video services as well as shifting viewing preferences as consumers can watch video on multiple screen options.

“Smartphones and tablets will be key battlegrounds in the fight between traditional pay TV providers and over-the-top providers,” says John Barrett, director of consumer analytics at Parks. The study confirms Cisco’s tally about the increasing video consumption on tablets, smartphones and computers (desktop and especially laptops) during the past two years. Significantly, the analysis shows that in houses equipped with broadband, “occasional viewers” (people who tune in fewer than 15 times per month), are watching less on conventional TV sets but spending significantly more viewing time on tablets, handsets and computers. The Parks study also reflects data from Nielsen and others, that TV set viewing is climbing slightly, but not at the velocity of alternatives.

“Netflix currently dominates three of the four screens consumers use to watch movies and TV programs,” adds Barrett. “It is crucial for pay TV providers to establish a strong mobile video presence as part of their overall strategy to counter OTT.”

From the article, "Cisco Survey Touts Mobile Video Boom" by Gary Arlen.

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