5 trends that define the future of applications

Through the report Phenomena, the web traffic and applications expert Sandvine has identified the 5 trends that will mark the evolution and operation of applications at all levels.

According to Sandvine, currently, the application complexity It is the “biggest challenge” when it comes to offering high-quality experiences. Concepts such as application quality of service and network quality of service are intertwined, forcing providers and developers to improve and optimize network operations and security processes, while protecting privacy. These keys condition the five main trends that define the future of these applications.

1. A video tsunami

Video on demand, live streaming, content sharing, video conferencing, applications with video support and applications with integrated video (for example, augmented reality/virtual reality and facial recognition) will shape the future of applications. A few years ago, mobile applications were mainly limited to YouTube, but now we are witnessing a coexistence of YouTube, Netflix, Disney, Amazon Prime and TV channel apps. There is also more upstream video traffic due to video conferencing, social sharing and security surveillance.

Currently, the 53.72% of internet traffic is accumulated by video applications, followed by social (12.69%), websites (9.86%), Gaming (5.67%) and messaging (5.35%).

2. Larger and more complex applications

The applications are much more numerous, are crowded and are “more polymorphic, multiplexed, obfuscated and encrypted than ever” by including a myriad of functions such as embedded video, paid chats. Multiplexing within individual streams (for example, having video, chat, and voice in a single stream) is increasingly used for latency and to improve performance. This has caused an “avalanche” of “unknown” traffic on some networks that have traditionally relied on more basic techniques to identify application traffic.

3. More efficient traffic protocols

More and more people are opting for WHO rather Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) or HTTP/2 by Google, Facebook and Apple to create better experiences for customers. These protocols are causing a “traffic storm” that is clouding efforts to classify applications in use. At the same time, older protocols such as HTTP Live Streaming (HLS) They maximize video quality, but create latency issues when used for live streaming.

4. The new era of encryption

The new data protection service of Apple iCloud Private Relay, encrypts http traffic. This can cause network incompatibility issues and make it difficult to analyze and manage the network. Application QoE.

5. The fine line between leisure and work

Increasingly popular applications such as Microsoft Teams y Zoom They are used for working, teaching and social events from home. These applications have increased the volume of upstream traffic. Hybrid work presents unique security issues that must be addressed with more consistent cybersecurity measures to protect devices and networks.

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