About half of pay TV operators are deploying multiscreen TV software releases at a speedier rate in 2015 versus 2014, a new survey of nearly 30 operators in the U.S. and Europe from S3 Group revealed.

Of those that are deploying software released more frequently, 46% boosted the number of software releases by more than 20% in 2015, while 39% saw output increases of between 11% and 20%.

Also, 78% of that group cited automated testing (see chart) as the top initiative that contributor to these faster software development timelines, said S3 Group, which also happens to specialize in automated test tools for pay TV providers.  

While pay TV providers have historically been saddled with cycles that allow for one to four releases a year, 26% issued more than one release per month on average in 2014 (ranging from 13 to more than 50 releases annually), and an additional 30% of operators 30% of operators made between five to 12 releases annually.

S3 Group, whose survey covered pay TV operators spanning 77 million subs, said the results amplify the fact that the group is embracing their roles as software companies more rapidly adopt Agile, DevOps and “continuous deployment” models that largely emerged out of the software world. For more on this trend, see this Multichannel Newscover story (subscription required).

Among other survey findings, 41% ranked service availability as their top priority, followed by speed (32%) and efficiency (27%).

“Unlike yesteryear, pay TV providers’ reliability and innovation is no longer driven by the physical plant, but rather by software code,” said John Maguire, chief strategy officer, TV technology at Group, in a statement. “Video service providers are striving to shorten innovation cycles, test and launch services faster, and make updates more frequently.  As our survey shows, this trend is pushing operators to realign their software lifecycle tools and organizational structure to balance the need for speed and stability.”   

S3 Group said 12 pay TV operators are testing StormTest Warning Center, a platform that enables them to monitor and test new apps and services after they go live.

On the advice of operators, S3 developed this new DevOps capability to help “bridge the gap” between the end of initial testing and development in the lab to the actual launch of a new offering, John Maguire, S3’s chief strategy officer, said.

S3 Group announced its Warning Center trial update Thursday in tandem with the company’s second annual StormTest North American User Group in Philadelphia.

The need for a live-network testing system has come about as operators become more software-focused and shift from a test-and-launch to a launch-and-test mentality, while also moving away from monolithic systems and services to a model that supports the introduction of more granular “micro-services” that enhance the overall system. The trick is supporting and testing those without impacting all of the other pieces of the platform.

“They [pay TV operators] needed to continue to roll that testing into the live network,” while backing it with a cloud-based system that can run the analytics, he said. “This is a 24/7 activity…We’ve got a product platform that is particularly suited for this transition to continuous delivery.”

Warning Center and its cloud-based approach, S3 said, can be used to provide automated service validation, and perform remote troubleshooting and testing of elements such as audio or video quality, EPG rendering, channel change times, and VOD access times.

S3 Group isn’t identifying the dozen operators that are testing Warning Center, which was introduced at the IBC show last fall, but it’s a group that represents a range of distribution types, including IPTV, cable and terrestrial.  However, Time Warner Cable, Comcast, Mediacom Communications and Canada’s Videotron are among the North American MSOs that are using S3’s StormTest products. Of that group, TWC is using StormTest tools for its TWC TV app.

S3 Group recently set up a new office in Philadelphia to support new and existing business in the region, and to accommodate cable sector growth. S3 is also managing the code base for the Reference Design Kit, the preintegrated software stack for hybrid QAM/IP and IP-only set-tops and video devices being managed by Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Liberty Global. 

Cisco Systems confirmed Wednesday that it has begun a reorganization that stems from the company’s announcement in mid-August that it would cut 6,000 more jobs, or about 8% of its global workforce.

Cisco labeled it as a “limited restructuring across several segments of our business,” but Business Insider reported that it’s large scale, affecting up to 25,000 employees, and enabling as shift from relatively small teams focused on specific products to two big teams – one focused on software, and the other on hardware. Top managers with the “general manager” title will go away, though execs under them, including those with vice president and senior vice president, “are not being particularly targeted,” BI added.

Cisco has yet to announce anything so specific.

“Technology disruption has never moved more quickly, requiring all companies to adapt and accelerate through change,” a Cisco spokesman said in a statement. “We are taking action now to build for the future of cloud, security, virtualization, analytics, data center, IoE [Internet of Everything] and collaboration. We will continue to invest in growth, innovation, and talent, while managing costs and improving efficiencies across our business. We are continuing to hire, especially in the areas that help our customers solve their biggest business problems.”

As for Cisco’s base of about 25,000 employees in its development organization, “many – but not all-- have new reporting lines as part of our overall effort to align our business to priority areas,” the official added.

Cisco also told BI that the company is also bringing sales and engineering teams closer together by implementing a DevOps and an Agile development model, which aims to speed product development and is also becoming a big focus for the cable industry.

It was not immediately clear how the reorg will affect Cisco’s service provider division. Earlier this year, former Cablevision Systems and SeaChange International exec Yvette Kanouff joined Cisco to head up its Service Provider Video Software and Solutions (SPVSS) organization.

According to his current bio, Joe Cozzolino now serves as senior vice president, general manager of Cisco’s Service Provider Video Infrastructure Group, tasked with heading up the strategy and development of Cisco’s video hardware portfolio, including cable modems, video gateways, set-tops and video infrastructure hardware such as encoders/decoders.

Update: Cisco provided more details on engineering leadership changes that were announced internally in May:

-Kelly Ahuja is senior VP and GM of Cisco's Service Provider segment;

-Yvette Kanouff heads up service provider software and services;

-Joe Cozzolino heads up service provider infrastructure and service provider mobility; and

-Venod Peris leads Cisco's routing and optical software group.