May 22, 2006
[ return to the news list ]
CNet (04/19/06) Reardon, Marguerite
Cisco Systems has partnered with MTVu, MTV's college network, to develop the Digital Incubator program, an annual contest that will award 10 student teams with $25,000 each to fund projects that will enhance content for broadband users. "My biggest regret is that I haven't found the next Google of online content," said Cisco's Dan Scheinman. "The media business is in a disruptive era and consumers are being empowered to create and share their own content." The winning entries this year incorporated elements of gaming, social networking, instant messaging, podcasting, short-form programming, and mobile phone interactivity. Cisco, which earlier this year acquired Scientific-Atlanta to serve as a platform for the delivery of digital content from the Internet to the television, is banking on the disruptive potential of Internet Protocol technology as content owners such as Disney/ABC, CBS, and NBS increasingly are making their programming available on the Internet. Added to the trend are the race among the phone companies to build new networks and the increasing adoption of advanced new mobile gadgets that enable consumers to share more personal content on the Internet. While the proliferation of content clearly heralds a shift in the direction of the Internet, it is too early to determine which services will have staying power. Flickr and Myspace.com have become tremendously popular, but Scheinman is betting that the next killer application will come from university students. Scheinman views Cisco's program as an inexpensive and often better alternative to funding entrepreneurial startups. Though none of the winning entries has a business model yet, Scheinman sees commercial potential in several of the projects down the road.
For the complete article, see http://news.com.com/Cisco+looks+to+university+students+for+ideas/2100-1025_3-6062941.html
Posted by rab5 at 04:10 PM
[ return to the news list ]
