iWorld
OTT video services dominate US network traffic
MUMBAI: The latest internet traffic trend report from Sandvine has reported that the network traffic in the US is dominated by over the top (OTT) video services.
Tracking of the fixed and mobile networks across the globe shows that peer-to-peer file sharing has fallen below 10 per cent of the total traffic in North America. This is starkly different from the 60 per cent share it consumed 11 years ago in the heyday of Napster and other P2P services. Even five years ago, it accounted for over 31 per cent. The figure was reported in the six-monthly survey conducted by the broadband network solutions provider, Global Internet Phenomena Report 2H2013.
The report has also found that the OTT leader Netflix (31.6 per cent) held its ground as the leading downstream application in North America, and together with YouTube (18.6 per cent) accounts for over 50 per cent of downstream traffic on fixed networks.
Average monthly mobile usage in Asia-Pacific now exceeds 1GB, driven by video, which accounts for 50 per cent of peak downstream traffic, more than double the 443MB monthly average in North America.
iWorld
Snapchat parent Snap cuts 16 per cent of workforce in AI-driven restructuring
The Snapchat parent is axing around 1,000 jobs and closing 300 open roles to save $500m, as artificial intelligence makes smaller teams the new normal
CALIFORNIA: Snap is snapping. The Snapchat parent has confirmed plans to cut around 1,000 employees, roughly 16 per cent of its full-time workforce, as it bets that artificial intelligence can do what headcount once required. Shares jumped more than 10 per cent in premarket trading on the news, a brisk vote of confidence from a market that has watched the stock shed about 31 per cent this year.
The restructuring, which also closes more than 300 open roles, follows pressure from activist investor Irenic Capital Management, which holds an economic interest of about 2.5 per cent in the company and has been loudly pushing Snap to tighten its portfolio and lift performance. The firm got what it asked for, and then some.
Chief executive Evan Spiegel told employees the cuts would reduce annualised expenses by more than $500m by the second half of the year. The company expects to incur charges of between $95m and $130m related to the layoffs, mostly severance, with the bulk landing in the second quarter. Staff in Snap’s North America team were asked to work from home on the day of the announcement.
The financial backdrop is not without bright spots. Snap expects first-quarter revenue to rise around 12 per cent to approximately $1.53 billion, broadly in line with analyst estimates. Adjusted core profit for the January to March quarter is forecast at about $233m, comfortably ahead of Wall Street’s expectation of $186.8m.
The harder question surrounds Specs, Snap’s augmented reality smart glasses subsidiary, which Irenic has urged the company to spin off or shut down entirely. The unit has absorbed more than $3.5 billion in investment and burns through approximately $500m in cash annually. Snap is pressing ahead regardless, with a consumer product expected later this year, even as Meta leads the market in the segment.
Spiegel is betting that leaner teams, smarter machines and a consumer AR play can restore Snap’s credibility with investors who have run out of patience. The redundancy notices have gone out. The harder restructuring, the one that requires a hit product rather than a headcount reduction, is still very much pending.
