I'm currently at IBC in Amsterdam, having spent last week at Broadband World Forum in Paris.  Needless to say, I've got a bad case of trade show legs.  

Unlike BBWF, where I barely had a chance to look at the exhibit hall, I have had some opportunity to roam the halls at IBC to see what the hype is.  The key theme from IBC is, without question, 3D. 

As is so often the case, the issue is not one of technology (the vendors have proven that they can make it work).  Rather, the primary challenge to 3D is the availability of content.  As my boss, David Mercer, recently pointed out, consumers won't be willing to make a substantial technology upgrade investment until the content is there to support it. It's simply not worth several thousands of dollars to watch the same Disney 3D movie over and over.

Another perennially hot topic is IPTV’s future.  My talks with representatives at both Alcatel Lucent and Cisco confirm that both vendors view IPTV as a  mature technology.  I would suggest that, while it may be a mature technology, it is very much a nascent market.   IPTV is mature in the sense that most operators now have some sort of offering—what they don’t have is large subscriber numbers. 

It has been my feeling that Telcos have, by and large,  done a sub-par job of articulating the merits of IPTV, and customers are loathe to switch providers for what they might presume is only "more of the same.''  Our research suggests that pay tv subscribers are willing to make the jump given the right price—IPTV providers need to focus on getting the right message out.