Submitted by Kelsey Kusterer Ziser, the Editor of Upskill U at Light Reading.

As more OTT players emerge and consumers demand for mobile video increases, service providers are tasked with rethinking their content delivery infrastructure strategies to ensure quality of experience, performance and reduce latency. The emergence of 5G promises to increase network capacity to better cope with rising video demand, but deployment of 5G is still several years out. In order to meet current bandwidth demands, operators are working more closely with content providers, developing video delivery strategies with virtualization and next-gen technologies in mind, and are seeking out solutions that balance the business case with the bottom line.

In order to take a closer look at the future of video delivery, Light Reading and Cisco are launching a series on Video on June 29 at Upskill U, a free online university providing must-have education on themes relating to the overall business transformation taking place in the communications industry. The Video module will cover how next-gen wireless technologies, 5G, virtualization, OpenStack, and new content delivery practices will shape the future of video delivery.

Tune in to Upskill U for this exciting Video series:

• Video: The Next Generation (Wednesday, June 29, 1:00 p.m. ET): Asfaw Negeri, Senior Manager, Solutions Engineering, Tata Communications Transformation Services (TCTS) North America, will explain how the next generation of wireless networks, including 5G, has the potential to broaden broadband data networking and boost demand for mobile video exponentially. This course will give an overview of those next-generation wireless networking technologies, the impact on customers and what they mean for service providers as they look to rule the airwaves.
• Video: The OpenStack Approach (Friday, July 1, 1:00 p.m. ET): Matt Caulfield, Principal Engineer, OpenStack, Cisco, will explore the OpenStack approach to transforming the development, integration and implementation of video networking infrastructure for powering some of the most innovative services in the pay-TV market.
• Video: Boosting Customer Experience (Wednesday, July 13, 1:00 p.m. ET): Alan Breznick, Cable/Video Practice Leader, Light Reading, will examine how service providers are addressing critical performance enhancements, the impact of video demand on the network and what those enhancements might mean for customers.
• Video: The Case for Virtualization (Friday, July 15, 1:00 p.m. ET): In this lecture, Rajeev Raman, Senior Director for Infinite Video, Cisco explains how the key to transforming video delivery is the virtualization and orchestration of video processing and secure delivery of content. This course will highlight the benefits and approach to implementing virtualization and orchestration by focusing on a recent customer case study.

Service providers need flexible, forward-thinking strategies to keep pace with the rapid changes afoot in video demand and delivery. Upskill U is here to provide insight from industry experts on the technology and market drivers shaping the future of video. Join us as we explore the challenges and solutions to better video delivery, and secure your seat for the rest of the exciting courses in Upskill U's curriculum. I'll see you on the chat boards: www.lightreading.com/upskillu.