iWorld
Tata & China Telecom ink video network deal to tap $2.6 bn market
NEW DELHI: Catering to a market opportunity of $2.57 billion, Tata Communications and China Telecom Global have teamed up to launch a new video network partnership to enable and manage media content for customers in China and globally.
This partnership leverages China Telecom Global’s regional expertise and leadership and Tata Communications’ Global Video Network to ensure a compelling service offering to their customers.
The partnership, which began with the successful delivery of the 2015 World Figure Skating Championship from Shanghai to Japan, enables China Telecom Global to leverage the global reach, quality and reliability of Tata Communications’ Global Video Network to offer unparalleled reach for all their live sporting events in China.
China Telecom Global vice president, product development Pengcheng Fan said, “Mobile video consumption is growing at an exponential rate with a robust growth trajectory expected in the next five years. Through our new video network partnership, China Telecom Global can provide seamless connectivity for our media and entertainment customers across China. The partnership is defined by connectivity to key global destinations, premium quality and industry leading SLAs. We are excited about this partnership as it helps to further differentiate our service offerings in the market.”
Reports state that mobile video will generate more than 69 per cent of mobile data traffic by 2019. To ensure that its customers have leading edge technology, Tata Communications recently launched the new Media Ecosystem, which combines traditional video contribution services with IP-based connectivity. The ecosystem enables seamless management of content as a cloud-based managed service and supports global media distribution requirements, OTT and mobility applications. This platform provides customers with flexibility and intelligence, allowing customers to experiment with new formats and to launch new services and channels at the touch of a button.
Tata Communications vice president and general manager, global media &entertainment servicesBrian Morris added, “Tata Communications is dedicated to offering its media customers access to key media hotspots for the distribution of premium broadcast quality content across the globe. This partnership with China Telecom Global is a natural step in that direction and marks the expansion of Tata Communications’ Global Video Network reach into China. We are excited to leverage China Telecom Global’s video network in China and to offer our customers access to this key region, connecting broadcasters, media and entertainment providers, news bureaus and service providers across the globe.”
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.
