Networks Europe Sept-Oct 2016 | Page 32

32 XXX XXX OPINION Monitoring data traffic By Chris Griffiths, Director of New Product and Business Development, Nominet www.nominet.uk Discover how the DNS can help you reduce costs and deliver content more efficiently If you’ve been watching hit HBO show Silicon Valley, you’ll have seen the tech start up the series follows demonstrate compression technology being used to dramatically reduce costs, and significantly increase the quality of streaming video. Even within the constraints of a TV show, the writers manage to convey the applications and cost savings potential for this type of technology in network transit; whether that’s reducing the cost of storing and streaming high definition video, or increasing the fidelity of a webcam livestream. And this is all done with great humour and style. It’s both very entertaining television and some remarkably accurate technical copywriting. The emphasis on overall data size is a crucial one; more intelligent algorithms are vital in improving compression and reducing file size, and the cost of streaming in a world where many new devices are shipping with 4K displays, from phones through to PCs and home cinema systems. After all, streaming a single 4K film will see up to 40GB transmitted which, in some countries, is more than the monthly broadband download limits service providers impose. www.networkseuropemagazine.com