Background
The nature of content consumption in the STM space is rapidly evolving and the need to engage audiences has become as important as content quality. Keeping this shift in mind, the client was looking to leverage its vast repository of video content to increase audience engagement. The client wanted to build a scalable and responsive video management system, with varying subscription levels that allowed them to leverage the value of their video content.

Business Needs

• A web based service to deliver synchronised video content tousers across the globe.
• Link the platform to third party content streaming and storage applications.
• Responsive design, high availability, and scalability, as key components of the platform
• Strategic focus – a platform with e-commerce and subscription management functionalities to optimise the value of video content, and analytics capabilities to understand content performance and usage patterns.
• Multi-device access – Users should be able to access content from any kind of device
• Discoverable platform – SEO with cross browser capability.
• Integration with digital asset management for efficient archiving and asset utilisation.
• User friendly interface that suggests relevant content, allows quick searching (based on keywords, ranking, and phrase highlighting), and allows uploading multiple videos.
• Social media friendly platform with a video embedding functionality and allowing users to share videos on social sites.
• Video transcript search function that enables user to search videos using text spoken in the videos.

Our Work
As we were already working with the client on developing another content platform for them, we were aware of their technology landscape and it helped us propose the best fit solution. We were chosen for the development of the intended video management system. We began by conducting user interviews to understand the exact requirements from multiple stakeholders. Our team of solution designers and technical architects worked out the video management system solution and architecture, which was then put into development.

We carried out the development using the Agile methodology that split the product building phase into 4 week sprints of iterative design and development, where we would commit task lists for each sprint and take feedback from stakeholders before beginning the next sprint. The technical solution we put in place ensured that all of the client’s needs had been factored in.

Some of the key highlights of our solution were:

• An admin portal for the employees to manage videos and publish them on to the web portal for users to view
• An account management module on the admin portal to define account level subscriptions and manage users for corporate and institution accounts.
• Support for over 6000 published videos along with a search functionality – We collected video data in an excel format, converted it to video XML, and imported it onto a MarkLogic database. Text entered by users is searched against content and metadata supports text searches on metadata tags, enabling faster and accurate search.
• A single sign on functionality with third party site integration was built into the platform.
• An e-commerce functionality on the web portal enables users to subscribe to channels or videos based on their requirements. The admin portal allows employees to configure discounts and bundled pricing options as well.
• Analytics and reporting functionalities with various reports accessible to admin portal users. User activity is tracked in MarkLogic, which helps admin users generate access, subscription, and content performance reports. Google analytics was also configured to generate content performance and user tracking reports.
• Implemented engineering video intelligence (EVI) is a powerful, new video transcript search function, which allows users to search within the video database to find exact and relevant timestamped content at the click of a button.
• Clipping functionality can help user to select particular clip i.e. duration of the video. The application provides ability to save the clip in favorite and share the url of the clip on social media or embed on other applications.

Business Benefits

• Scalable and feature rich video management system From responsive design and immersive user experience to subscription management and e-commerce functionalities, the client got a video management system that could do it all.
• Socially and Digitally optimised platform – With social embed, SEO, and digital asset management functionalities, the platform was optimised for social and digital channels that users spend so much time on.
• Content optimisation – Subscription management functionality on the portal helped the client maximise the reach of their content as well as leverage premium content to its fullest by controlling access to it based on varying levels of subscription.
• 360° insight – From visitor traffic to activity tracking and content subscriptions to content performance insights.
• Engineering video intelligence (EVI) – Video transcript search provides powerful search feature to user to search a text within spoken words of the videos rather than limiting scope to only description and other metadata associated with the videos.

Our value offering
Throughout the course of the engagement, NEC Software Solutions (India) has played the role of a technology partner rather than a service vendor. Our service delivery has been based on the following three key pillars:

• Service Delivery – Our experience in working on large scale IT programs and our reputation as a trusted technology partner, coupled with a strong set of frameworks, methodologies, and best practices enable us to deliver beyond customer expectations.
• Domain Expertise – Our focus on the publishing domain and our understanding of the STM publishing business enables us to design solutions and work around issues like an extended part of the client’s team.
• Publishing CoE – Our dedicated Publishing CoE propagates best practices in the publishing domain and ensures that resources are abreast with the latest technology developments, enabling us to add value throughout the engagement.

Innovation & Continuous Improvement
Our focus on innovation and the continuous enhancement of existing systems enables us to work as a technology partner rather than as a service provider.