Category: Trade Shows

Reflections from IBC Part 1: Reasons for Optimism

Posted on by John Clifton

A Look at Market Sentiment and Future Trends

The general sentiment at this year’s IBC was markedly different from 2023—what a difference a year makes!

I think we can all agree that last year’s edition was probably one to forget. The buy side wasn’t buying, the sell side wasn’t selling, and everyone seemed to be on the hunt for a new job! Fast forward to this year, and the mood was noticeably more positive.

While it’s hard to say whether people have simply adjusted to a new normal where the industry isn’t quite as buoyant, or whether we’ve hit the bottom and are slowly beginning to climb back up, there was a noticeable sense of optimism across most areas of the market.

In conversations with those on the Operator and Platform owner side, it’s clear that while new projects and initiatives are in the works, there isn’t a distinct direction of travel just yet. Efficiency drives remain front and centre for many, and it feels like that chapter isn’t quite closed. This will inevitably impact their external investment in products, platforms, and services for the foreseeable future.

Broadly speaking, there’s also a feeling that there’s simply too much choice in the market, and many expect to see further vendor consolidation over the coming years.

For the vendors, the last 12 to 18 months have been challenging, but once again, optimism seemed to be the order of the day. Many are hard at work exploring new business cases, identifying new markets, and figuring out when they can truly say they have a bulletproof AI solution!

Speaking of AI, it wasn’t the hot topic some might have expected. In a market where cloud has been the buzzword for years but the majority still maintain on-prem solutions, I can’t help but wonder if the mass adoption of AI might be further off than many anticipate. But honestly, I don’t think anyone really knows for sure, which is both exciting and a little unnerving! For someone who’s been in this space for years, it feels like we’re all bracing for something big, but what exactly? Time will tell.

On the talent front, there’s some good news. Hiring is back on the agenda for more companies compared to 12 months ago. It’s been an incredibly tough period for a lot of people seeking new roles, and I genuinely hope the tide is beginning to turn.

All in all, IBC was a great show, and as always, it was fantastic to catch up with so many familiar faces. This industry really does have a love affair with IBC, even the cynics come around once they’re there!

Here’s to brighter times ahead—let’s keep the momentum going.

FYUZ 2023 Summary Blog

Posted on by Alistair Wilson

This year, Fyuz returned to Madrid for three days of talks and networking, with a focus on Open RAN technology. Here are the key takeaways, straight from the neuco team: 

Day 1:

FYUZ ‘23 kicked off with a bang when Ericsson’s EVP and Head of Networks, Fredrik Jejdling, entered the stage for the first big announcement. He announced that Ericsson has 1 million radios ready for deployment in Open RAN. While Fredrik was hesitant to commit to a timeline, it seems that late 2024 is the earliest we will see the upgrades deployed on the market. 

The next significant announcement came from Vodafone’s Andrea Dona. Andrea revealed that Vodafone currently has 16 live sites in the Southwest of the UK, providing connectivity through Open RAN. This is a truly cross-vendor platform that reaches over 100,000 people. They not only expect to increase the number of sites to 24 by the end of October, but also anticipate that these systems will outperform their legacy equipment in all key performance indicators (KPIs).

The big takeaway from Day 1 is that although progress in Open RAN has been slow, it’s no longer just a concept; it’s here. Although there is still a long way to go before Open RAN technology becomes the norm, it’s exciting to see it come to fruition.

Day 2:

The second day of the conference focused on the challenges of Open RAN and multi-vendor engagement. There was a significant discussion about how operators will need to oversee relationships with multiple vendors, and a big question mark hung over the accountability of the vendors in such a scenario.

AI was another central topic. Open RAN and automation are interconnected, but there isn’t a comprehensive understanding across the industry when it comes to automation. Therefore, a substantial effort is needed to attract talent from other areas to meet growing demands from the connectivity industry.

Day 3:

Day three placed a significant focus on the use cases of Open RAN and how it can help expand into other areas of connectivity, such as private wireless and indoor connectivity. The panel rightly pointed out that 80% of device usage occurs indoors or in a vehicle. This means that a substantial portion of the mobile connectivity market isn’t being reached.

While Wi-Fi effectively provides connectivity in these hard-to-reach places, and will therefore remain the dominant connectivity method, questions arose about Open RAN’s place in the connectivity ecosystem. The multi-vendor nature of Open RAN allows operators and vendors to take their equipment indoors. Coupled with the fact that neutral hosting is inherent in Open RAN, this could make the transition between indoor and outdoor connectivity seamless.

Summary:

Overall, this year was a bit slower than anticipated. Vendors are slowly getting on board with the process, and operators are even slower to invest. However, through industry bodies such as the Telecom Infra Project, the wheels are slowly but surely turning. We’ve seen a lot of positivity about the future of the industry, and we all hope it will start to pick up pace in the coming years.

WSBW Summary Blog

Posted on by Andrew Ball

So, another fantastic WSBW Summit has been and gone and the neuco Executive Search team have finally been able to find the time to debrief on what was an incredible show. It was another sold-out event and there was a palpable buzz around the Westin with a huge number of topics taking centre stage at the summit, both on the panels and in the hallways and meeting rooms dotted around the venue.

We’ve summarised a few of the key talking points from the event below.

Direct to Device:

Unsurprisingly, direct to device solutions were the hot topic of discussion throughout the show. While it seems universally agreed by most in the industry that there certainly is a market, there seems to be little consensus on just how big that market will be and just how long it will take to realise the potential of these services.

Where’s the money?:

You will, I’m sure, have seen several announcements for funding rounds during the summit. However, something we heard from a few different people was that there seems to be a dwindling appetite for larger funding rounds that some of the more established start-ups need right now. As the NewSpace market begins to mature, and with substantial prior investments still awaiting a return on investment, investors are understandably becoming more cautious.

Starlink:

LEO connectivity has been a hot topic for a few years now but there was one provider that was spoken about more than any other and there didn’t seem to be many panels that didn’t touch on at least a brief discussion of Starlink. What is obvious is that the theme of the discussion has certainly shifted, there are no longer questions around the viability of such solutions and now much more of a focus on how other providers will differentiate their offering from Starlink in order to mop up the obvious demand.

GEO Still Has a Part to Play, Especially for Regional Operators:

While LEO certainly dominated discussions, it’s obvious that GEO is not dead yet. There were a number of regional operators all shunning LEO platforms in favour of GEO as the need for a lot of capacity in a small footprint means that it is still the platform of choice for them. A further show of support for the GEO market came with the announcement of an additional $28m in funding for Swissto12 to keep up with the demand for their HummingSat platform.

We’re already counting down the days until next year’s event, can’t wait to see you all there!

IBC 2023!

Posted on by Sara El Mahjouby

IBC 2023 and its over 43,000 attendants were able to enjoy the ever-evolving landscape of the broadcast and media industry, with an increase of 16% when compared to last year. The neuco team itself has been growing, and our own Tegan Valeny participated in the DPP panel, discussing the impact of peak remote working.

Being my first ever trade show, I thoroughly enjoyed being able to see all the tech in person and getting to know industry experts, demonstrating the importance of building long-lasting relationships throughout the industry.

The most prominent conversations included talks of monetisation, sustainability, and, of course – AI! Throughout the industry, media organisations are not only honing in how to drive profitability but also how AI can be used to affect monetisation, through personalised advertising and user targeting.

As well as this, sustainability seemed to be a bigger topic than in previous years, with various companies engaging with this by making their video streaming platforms climate-conscious.

Not only was this my first time ever attending a trade show, but also Amsterdam – this was truly a trip of new beginnings! The architecture, canal and general atmosphere of Amsterdam was fantastic, as was the food and the laughs we shared throughout the neuco team.

As a whole, IBC 2023 was fantastic. Being a history fanatic, I am keen to see how IBC 2024 will be different, what topics will become more relevant, and to see how the industry will expand!