Last update: 2011/08/21

Riding the media bits

 

 

Getting things done my way

 

One day Leonardo decided that he should start using standard technologies for business, not just develop them.

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Six months after leaving my employer of 32 years I became CEO of CEDEO, an Italian company he had already a participation in, and made it the vehicle of his forays into the business of technology use. Today the mission of CEDEO is

To conceive, design, implement, deploy and operate advanced digital media solutions based on smart combinations of new technologies and standards for the next phase of pervasive media-enabled communication

These are nice words, but there is also substance. CEDEO started from the consideration that many video platforms exists today on the Web, but none offers users of the platform – i.e. any player in the video content life cycle: content creators, providers, distributors etc. - the means to do business with other platform users.

This is exactly what WimTV does. With reference to Fig. 1

 Fig. 1 – The WimTV platform

a user can

1. Import his content to a private digital locker (MyMedia)
2. Post his content to MyShop for other users to acquire rights to it
3. Create a “request for content” satisfying specific requirements ("MyCalls") to get more content
4. Acquire rights to content from another user's MyShop
5. Post content of his own or acquired to his WebTV for other people to watch
6. Export content of which he has rights from the platform

A user can populate his content portfolio (MyMedia) in 3 different ways:

1. By importing content of which he has rights to MyMedia
2. By acquiring rights to other users’ content from another user's MyShop
3. By creating and posting a request for content (MyCalls) satisfying specific requirementswdsourcing.

A user can monetise his assets in MyMedia in 3 different ways:

1. By making public and private (i.e. restricted) offers in MyShop
2. By exporting content of which he has rights for a variety of delivery channels: Web, IPTV, 3G, broadcast
3. By posting in MyStreams and streaming content of which he has rights to end users.

It should be no surprise that, say, YouTube and WimTV are worlds away as it is clear from a comparison of small portions of the Terms of Service of YouTube and WimTV

YouTube

WimTV

...These Terms of Service apply to all users of the Service, including users who are also contributors of Content on the Service. YouTube hereby grants you permission to access and use the Service as set forth in these Terms of Service, provided that You agree not to distribute in any medium any part of the Service or the Content without YouTube's prior written authorization…

...When you Import and Post Content to the Platform, you remain the sole owner of the rights to that Content and Company does not claim ownership of the materials. It is your responsibility to find one or more than one User that can help you distribute that content for eventual consumption by granting them appropriate Licences or to assume yourself the Role(s) that enable you to achieve that goal...

This is well expressed by Fig. 3

Fig. 2 – Relationships between WimTV users

The WimTV platform is based on a low layer of very robust Open Source Software (OSS) packages and a middleware that makes reference to MXM.

 Fig. 3 – The WimTV architecture

The platform exposes a standard HTTP interface for browser-based access and a Representational State Transfer (REST) API that applications on a variety of devices can access.

These are some API

• Governed import & export of video
• CRUD metadata
• CRUD licences with associated revenue models
• CRUD live events
• Search for users
• Search/add/remove videos in/to/from areas (private, market, streaming etc.)
• Get embedded player
• Payment
• Statistics
• Inter-user messaging

The platform offers a number of native services

• WimHost: user stores videos on WimTV
• WimLive: user streams live events
• WimTrade: user buys/sells content
• WimVod: User streams video on demand

The WimLive service deserves some words. With reference to Fig. 4

assume tha an Event Organiser (EO), who is organising a live event, makes a revenue sharing agreement with an Event Reseller (ER) and communicate their agreement to WimTV. ER shoots the event and sends the AV stream to WimTV. Whenever an end user pays WimTV and enjoys the streaming, WimTV immediately splits payments according to the communicated revenue sharing agreement.

WimLive offers a number of features that are not found on similar systems

1. Event Organiser and Event Reselles may coincide
2. An arbitrary number of parties may claim rights to event
3. Revenues are accredited as soon as a payment is effected
4. WimTV actgs as a trusted third party
5. The service offers low administrative costs.

The platform offers a number of native applications

• WimTVPro: a WordPress and Drupal plugin that replicates the WimTV architecture on a Content Management System (CMS) to turn a website into an full-fledged video content management, distribution and commerce. Specifically
  • To manage and publish videos on web pages or streaming dedicated widgets
  • To publish on demand videos and video playlists, and stream live events with a single plugin
  • To monetise videos published with professional pay-per-view licenses
• WimView: a Smart TV/Android app to browse through WebTVs, videos and live events on WimTV
  • Videos can be fFree, pay per view and with pre-approved payments
  • App checks Twitter and shows WebTV/video related messages
• WimLance: an app for an operator to request and a free lance video reporter to propose videos on a certain subject to be acquired with a certain licence
• WimCast: an app for a casting agency to offer a candidate the possibility to view his video. If the candidate agrees to pay the agency posts the video on their website and the candidate can download his video.

WimTV is based on a simple but effective business model:

1. Freely use of WimTV services, apps, API to develop new services and apps
2. Monthly subscription for the use of WimTV storage and streaming resources required by WimTV services/apps (both existing and customer-developed)
3. Revenue sharing with WimTV when services/apps generate revenues to user
4. Platform licensing to users who intend to develop apps and offer services with licensee’s brand.

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