CDN Meets Virtual Reality Head-On

Did We Get It All Wrong

Billions have been invested in cloud infrastructure research, as everyone tries to figure what the future of tech holds. Is it possible that Amazon, Google, Microsoft, and everyone else got it wrong, because of the lack of imagination? Cloud is one piece of the puzzle, as is CDN, demographics, and so on. Now let’s put some of the dots together and make an educated guess. Ponder on the following tidbits for a minute:

• CEO Tim Cook thought that Google Glasses “would flop”
• Cisco estimates that video traffic will comprise of 80% of all global Internet traffic by 2019
• The whole world believes that cloud compute and cloud storage will dominate the tech industry for the next decade, becoming a $100B market, $200B, or whatever

The first thought that comes to mind – don’t believe everything you read in the press, without hearing an opposing view. Well, here is the opposing view, and it might or might now alter the way we think about CDN, cloud, last-mile infrastructure, wireless, etc. Also, it might give Google and Facebook an idea that may change mankind, and help them become as large as Apple, if they figure it out. The scary part is the technology is already here today. All it needs is a few more upgrades. Here is scenario, and its best told as a story.

Streaming Will Overcome Cloud Compute and Storage

In 5 years, L.A. based Joe Blow wakes up Saturday morning, freshens up, sits on the couch, and puts on his Facebook Oculus 3D Glasses. He has five hours to visit 5 countries. He pay’s Facebook $5/hour/country to visit those countries. Joe’s first stop is a specific spot in Africa, where war is being fought. A young man in the war by name of Sam puts on Facebook’s 3D glasses, and Joe is transported to war in the blink of an eye, and he sees everything Sam sees. Facebook pays Sam its cut for the transport. After seeing enough, Joe does the same thing with another person in Rio to see the Carnival, another person in Russia to see The Kremlin, another in China to see the Great Wall, and so on. After 5 hours, Joe calls it a day. He is excited, because he got to visit 5 countries in 5 hours for $35. 

Thereafter, Joe puts on a helmet, and walks out to his Google driverless car to get some grub. While walking to his car, a drone part falls on his head, but his head is protected, while millions of drones fly in the sky, courtesy of GoPro drones, where there is an occasional collision here and there. On the next day Sam wakes up, and follows the same routine, but this time he flicks the switch on the 3D Glasses to virtual reality mode, and starts gaming in outer space. The experience is so real, it’s like he’s there. To top it off, the 3D Glasses have wires with sticky sensors at the end that attach to the temple. These sensors give the person the extra juice needed to make it more real, that’s in the form of electrical signals which help one sense pain, pleasure, excitement, etc. This is reality in a few years.

Key Takeaways from the Story

• This is happening and its kind of scary
• Video streaming will overcome the cloud market
• The travel industry will change, as more people travel via their glasses, as opposed to taking expensive trips
• Google and Facebook will dominate the industry, and top Apple in Market Cap
• Wars will be fought via 3D glasses and robots
• Total internet traffic will be more like 98%, not 80%
• CDN industry will explode, and become a $100B industry