COLLABORATION NATION – HIGH POTENTIAL PROJECTS

“Collaboration Nation” was the conference organised by the Technology Strategy Board to showcase the 84 projects chosen in the Digital Britain innovation competition, worth in total £2m. I’ll write a few separate posts about different aspects of it – this first one covers the first session where four “high follow-on potential” projects were presented.

First up was GNODAL. They are developing a new generation of 10/40 Gbit Ethernet switches for use in NGA networks. Their switches virtually eliminate congestion, are scalable and have low power consumption, hence lower costs and carbon emissions. They are now looking to develop a 2Tbit testbed capable of delivering 100Mb/s per user to 20,000 homes. All very clever no doubt, but only exciting to techies.

RENAISSANCE SOUTHEND described how they were helping to regenerate Southend – famed for its creative industries, apparently - by building a wireless mesh network off the back of the council/school Gbit backbone network. More work is needed on the cost plan and business model evaluation, as well as an e-commerce element to the website front-end. A bit vague on what innovations are coming, and not that original otherwise.

PROVISION described their Stadia Casting project which provides wireless video and information feeds direct to smartphones for crowds at big events, like pop festivals or major sporting events. The idea is to provide people actually at the event with the same or better services as those watching on TV at home. Certainly needs doing, though smartphone screen may be a bit small – iPad perhaps.

ILLUMINA DIGITAL closed the session. They are working to improve the workflows of the UK TV content distribution platform. Currently this is a mish-mash of manual and digital processes – ultimately it will be an integrated digital system including features such as DRM. Good luck guys – it sounds like herding cats.

For more on these and other projects go to http://digitalbritain.innovateuk.org/
I’ll be posting more comments over the next couple of days.