Disney Joins Hands with Cisco: In Effort to Bridge Hollywood and Silicon Valley

Disney, the American mass media company, announces to partner Cisco Systems, Inc. to build StudioLAB – an initiative aimed at developing next-generation media and entertainment. The partnership announcement was made at XR on the Bay, an event on Cisco’s campus, earlier this week.

 “We are aligning with best-of-breed technology companies to support our vision for StudioLAB. Our goal is to jointly innovate and apply emerging technologies to support our production capabilities and help build new entertainment experiences,” said Benjamin Havey, VP of the Technology Innovation Group at Walt Disney Studios.

StudioLAB is likely to be built on the historic Disney studio lot in Burbank, California. The 3,500 square foot facility will be using cutting-edge technologies to reimagine, design, and prototype the entertainment and production capabilities of the future.

“This partnership is a game changer for the media industry, and we are excited for the opportunity to work closely with The Walt Disney Studios team to prototype, develop and showcase new technology at StudioLAB. This will be the place where true innovation comes alive in media entertainment,” said David Ward, senior VP, CTO and chief architect, Cisco.

“We wanted to work with a partner in Hollywood on the lot. We wanted to get more into the production side and in particular on immersive experiences,” Ward added.