This year has been truly unpredictable in the midst of the global pandemic we have faced ourselves in, there has been highs and lows for us all.

For RDK, despite the volatile year exciting innovations surrounding the Euro 2020 Summit and unveiling of revolutionary platform RDK-4 with its Lightning, Thunder and Fire Bolt components has set up this transformative community to an energising start to the new year.

So, what can we expect from the RDK community as we enter 2021?

RDK-C Deployment

Lots of talk circling the RDK-C platform was spoken of this year. It is expected that entering Q1 2021 we will see wider deployment of RDK-C and the unique user-experience in action later in the year.

The prospects of RDK-C are similar to its counterparts RDK-V and RDK-B, facilitating standardised software modules to build IP-based video cameras.

Next generation Functions like live streaming and continuous 24/7 recording will enable a user rich experience.

As advanced products enter the market, next year we will experience the role RDK has in accelerating the development and innovation of future generation camera operated devices.

The already established RDK-C stack will likely develop deeper features.

Rise in demand

The demand for RDK-based products for TV operators across the globe surged his year.  RDK has deployed on more than 60 million devices worldwide, a 20% increase from last year.

The full unveil of RDK-4 has triggered exciting prospects in the development and demand for the optimised RDK stack.

As new players enter the community utilising the RDK stack in the deployment of their set-top box devices, we can anticipate increased demand for RDK evolution, next-gen products and partners.

Platform competition

As with any successful platform, competition will always be in the distance.

For RDK, competitors will remain prominent, from the likes of Android, Amazon and Google Video platforms.

It will be interesting to see how RDK’s market dominance will play out considering the refresh of the kit toward RDK-4 deployment.

Earlier this year, reports of the set-top box market split between Android TV and RDK were debated.  RDK has become increasingly more focused toward operator control and management across the roadmap, introducing Application-friendly interfaces in its new stack.  For operators, this app framework could push them towards RDK as a first-choice platform.

Expansion in the community

The RDK open-source community has seen significant growth. Due to the pandemic pushing businesses toward the home space, the online community has boomed in contributions to learn, discuss and develop RDK.

It is projected next year we will see increased contributions and updates in this revolutionary open-source platform.

To learn more about RDK, or discuss the 2020 RDK Summit blog series further please contact me at jamie.walker@paratuspeople.com