Why We're Teaming Up With SCTE

In case you missed the formal announcement last month, Light Reading and SCTE are joining forces to create and distribute multimedia cable content across the land.

Under this agreement, Light Reading and the Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE) will team up to produce a wide range of multimedia content, including research reports, industry surveys, webinars, white papers, infographics and video series. Light Reading will assume the primary role in producing all these media materials, backed by content, branding, promotional, speaker and other support from SCTE.

The agreement also calls for the two organizations to work together in producing and marketing Light Reading's annual series of cable and video conferences and breakfast workshops, with SCTE providing content, speakers and other help for the events. Plus, SCTE executives will contribute regular blogs to the Light Reading news site. (See Light Reading & SCTE Join Forces to Create Multimedia Cable Content.)

In the very first joint project, known as the DOCSIS 3.1 Industry Initiative, the two organizations plan to collaborate with a leading MSO on a white paper and webinar about the next-gen DOCSIS spec this summer. Jeff Finkelstein, executive director of strategic architecture for Cox Communications Inc. and a regular Light reading columnist, will play a pivotal role in this initiative. Vendors can participate in this project by sponsoring the paper, webinar and the DOCSIS subcategory on the Light Reading site in a special package deal.

So why are we doing this unprecedented partnership with SCTE? Glad you asked. For several reasons, actually.

For one thing, SCTE offers vast expertise on a wide range of technical subjects, including such timely ones as DOCSIS 3.1, IP video, WiFi, Converged Cable Access Platform (CCAP), Distributed Access Architectures and SDN/NFV. With its numerous chapters across North America and throughout the world, the engineering group is by far the leading cable information, standards, certification and professional development group on the planet. We plan to draw heavily on that expertise in developing fresh, insightful content, other materials and events for our readers and viewers.

For another, SCTE will give us access to an even wider range of cable and related professionals than we reach today. With its tens of thousands of members spread around the world, the organization will help us bring our news stories, research reports, webinars, surveys, white papers, videos and events to the widest possible cable audience.

Finally, we're partnering with SCTE because the two organizations have some similar missions -- educating and informing the communications industry and the rest of humanity about technology news, trends and developments. Both organizations are also committed to shaping the debate over where the communications industry is heading and how it should proceed.

Besides, we just like each other. So we thought it would be a good time to work closer together.

The first products of our new partnership with SCTE should be coming out by the fall. Keep an eye on this space for updates on those projects.

— Alan Breznick, Cable/Video Practice Leader, Light Reading