Cisco (CSCO) Eyes Huge Opportunity In Personal Cloud

This seems like yet another way of AT&T eating away at the market share of others. Casually offering ‘Screen Pack’, a modest collection of newer titles, but nowhere near Netflix (NASDAQ:NFLX)’s , it doesn’t attempt to overpower its competition. According to the Associated Press, “Netflix offers more than 60,000 titles that can be viewed on Internet-connected devices, while its DVD-by-mail service has more than twice that — some 140,000″. AT&T seems content just to offer something else – in every category. Home security, movies, and – oh yes – phone service. No bold moves or earth-shattering rollouts – just a very subtle ‘Sun Tzu-esque’  way of chipping away at the enemy’s stronghold.

This new move with Cisco is yet another example, if for no other reason but because cloud DVR’s make sense.

Not only does it allow for more flexibility in terms of viewing and recording programs, but it could offer consumers much greater storage. It also increases the number of programs that can be recorded at once, and is also more efficient and cost effective for cable operators. The problem however comes to the companies offering physical recordings – DVD’s, blu-rays, and the like.

More controversy came back in 2007 when the TV and movie industry sued cable operator Cablevision for implementing what it called a “networked DVR.” Cablevision won the suit the following year in the U.S. Court of Appeals, and continues offering customers the option to record and store content in the “cloud” instead of on individual boxes in the home.

While the Cisco Videoscape Unity platform is designed to allow more access to more devices from anywhere, it’s up to the cable companies and other TV service providers to determine how they will implement the services.

Conclusion

Investors can and should ride the cloud wave. The future of cloud computing is extremely bullish. These three models are easy wins for the investor. A company that focuses on making the cloud more consumer-friendly and providing cost-effective space rather than bulky and pricey machinery could be set for explosive growth in the next few years.

The article Cisco Eyes Huge Opportunity In Personal Cloud originally appeared on Fool.com.

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