What is the Metaverse?
The concept of the metaverse, which unites the virtual and physical worlds and builds a novel link between them, is fresh and intriguing. While it presently enjoys the greatest popularity in the gaming sector, experts anticipate that it will eventually be a common tool in a variety of industries, including business, art, education, and healthcare. Imagine attending a virtual art exhibition or receiving medical treatment in a digital world – the possibilities are endless!
The Importance of CDN for Metaverse Growth
As the metaverse expands, the demand for Content Delivery Networks (CDNs) is expected to soar. This is because the metaverse requires an immense amount of digital content, including intricate 3D models, textures, animations, and live events. These files are often massive and require high-speed delivery to provide users with a smooth and engaging experience. In other words, without CDN, the metaverse’s growth and potential could be severely hindered.
In addition to content delivery and caching, ABI Research expects CDN to be increasingly used for services like security for networks, content and enterprise data, as well as hosting edge compute applications.
CDNs can help to address these challenges by distributing the digital content across a network of servers located in different geographic regions. This allows the content to be delivered more efficiently to users, reducing latency and improving the overall user experience.
According to Michael Inouye, principal analyst, metaverse markets and technologies, at ABI Research “One critical milestone in the build-up to the metaverse will be the arrival of consumer-friendly smart glasses, which will push more user applications and content closer to the edge, fuelling growth opportunities for CDN providers.”
In fact, one approach to lower the cost of smart glasses—and VR headsets, for that matter—is to move the majority of the processing and storage capacity off the device and onto the cloud. Moreover, untethered devices would have longer battery lives, and generally speaking, one would anticipate that they would look better and be more comfortable to wear. The trade off is that it places a greater burden on connectivity, which needs to be fast and responsive enough to deliver a decent experience. The ability of CDN providers to serve services and applications from more remote locations can be crucial in this situation.
Opportunities for the CDN Market
Consequently, as the metaverse expands and attracts more users, it will be critical for CDN providers to scale up their infrastructure and invest in new technologies to meet the growing demands of the metaverse. New opportunities will arise as a result of these new surroundings for CDN players who are ready to strike a balance between financial stability provided by legacy markets and innovation.
