We speak to Charles Yip, Vice President - International Corporate Business Management at Kong Kong's Hutchison Telecommunications, about the changing Asian Content Delivery Network (CDN) industry, the impact of online video on CDN business models, and the nascent potential for mobile CDN services.

What developments have you witnessed in the Asian CDN industry in the past 12 months?

More US and Europe-based CDN providers have developed their footprint in the Asia Pacific region by expanding their points of presence and seeking partners for local delivery.

CDNs are becoming a hot topic as video delivery becomes the trend of communications. The popularity of IM service providers like Facebook, Tencent QQ and YouYube is also helping to generate more demand for IP video.
 
What new business models are emerging for CDN operators as they gain a pivotal role in the delivery of OTT video?

CDN providers will have more motivation to partner with telecoms carriers in order to gain the benefit of global connectivity, facilitate their CDN points of presence expansion, and also gain local access to to end-customers.

Instead of building their own networks, more telecoms carriers will cooperate with CDN providers via wholesale or resale models in order to launch CDN services that meet the increasing demand for IP video from their end-customers   
 
What potential do you see for mobile CDN services?

We believe that IP video will be delivered to end-users mostly via mobile access, due to technology advances and rapid developments in mobile data, in terms of DNA (D for device, ie. handsets; N for network ie. LTE, and A for applications), that drive more utilisation.