While the broadcast operators, being satellite platform or cable networks, are preparing for the battle with online over-the top streaming services, they face an important dilemma: how to improve their service and add new OTT features to address the needs of their customers potentially considering to churn, without making the platform too complicated for more traditional viewers and risk losing them instead.
Consumers, which were already exposed to online video services, are used to the personalized offer, binge-watching and a rich user interface, which presents the pre-selected content offer via catalogues and recommendations.
On the other hand, the more traditional “couch potato”, which is a good customer, who subscribes to a number of premium packages and pays regularly, prefers channel zapping and browsing the EPG for the events, which are available on familiar channels.
The difficulty is how to address both, so that they feel that the operator cares about their needs and is able to adapt to their changing habits.
Alternative Services
The important ability of ADB’s graphyne2 Hybrid pay TV solution, appreciated by the operators, is to run parallel services from the same platform. This means that the operator can run e.g. a cable service including some over-the top VOD for its traditional market, while providing a pure OTT service with a “young” brand and a different business model from the same graphyne2 service delivery platform.
This ability gives the pay TV operators a freedom to experiment while limiting the risk of jeopardizing the main business. A capability, which otherwise would require a high investment in a parallel platform – in both equipment and personnel.
Additionally, the operator may trial with A/B testing groups and decide which features to retain in the main operation and what to drop due lack of interest or inadequate business justification. Analytic tools track the behaviour of users indicating which functionality is used and appreciated.
Customizable User Experience
With graphyne2, ADB gives the operator tools to configure the service for each individual or for a demographical group. There are several functionalities, which may be desired by one customer profile, while deemed unattractive or even confusing for another.
graphyne2 dashboard allows the operator’s team to create a specific configuration, including selection of features, arrangement of home screen, richness of the user interface and then target it for a specific demography. A/B test groups and analytic tools measure the response and usage patterns of the users.
For example, for more traditional users, home screen sections like “Now On TV”, “This Evening” and “Tomorrow” are clear and provide enough interaction. While for a sophisticated user, the operator may enable automatic recommendation sections like “Because You Like XYZ” or “What You Missed” plus personalized search.
Customization functionality is not only available in graphyne2 Multiscreen and its Android TV version, that are dedicated for two-way operations, but also in graphyne2 Hybrid, which supports one-way and hybrid environments.
The effort ADB puts in the development of graphyne2 products, is aimed at helping the operator address the demand of current and future customers to easily shift between the broadband and broadcast worlds, while addressing a fast changing business and technical environment.
graphyne2 and other solutions for pay TV operators will be presented at IBC 2017 (Hall5-b60) http://www.adbglobal.com/graphyne2.
About ADB
ADB provides advanced innovative solutions for personal TV, business TV, broadband and for Internet of Things (IOT). The dynamically evolving “Connected Age” is changing consumer consumption and driving demand for powerful, flexible and cost effective connectivity and services, which ADB solutions address.
The company has extensive proven expertise and 20 years of award-winning industry firsts, enabling operators to build successful businesses and deliver the connected experiences consumers demand. ADB empowers some of the world’s leading content distributors, pay TV and broadband operators including A1 Telekom Austria, Border States Electric, Canal Digital, Cox, Graybar, NC+, Swisscom, Telecom Italia, Telefonica, Telenet, Telenor, Time Warner and Vodafone.
ADB has a dedicated team of over 550 people, including a 400-strong engineering team. The company is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland and has offices throughout Europe, Asia and North America.
For more information, visit www.adbglobal.com