WP3: Content-Services

Work Package 3

Content, Services and Applications

The aim of this workpackage is to develop a semi-automated content/service design flow where:

Content is packaged independently from the target terminal and associated delivery network,
Network-independent service components assembles previously produced multimedia content into a coherent service and generates the associated terminal user interfaces and applications to access them,
Services are specifically adapted to the targeted delivery networks,
Applications and user interfaces to be run on target devices are semi-automatically generated in order to accelerate the application design process.

The aim of this workpackage is to develop a generic service management platform where:

Service Level Agreement (SLA) framework is established between the Service Manager, Service Creators, End-Users of terminals and Network providers.
Service Management system provides a service scheduling system that announces and activates services and sessions in a manner that is applicable to cellular, broadcast and independent centred service provider environments.
The Services Manager manages the integrated SLA framework by monitoring service level provided by the Network providers and cross checking this with end-to-end service level monitoring with the user terminal. Long term records are kept to establish service level trend of extended period of time (weeks/months/years).
Personalised service manager provides a list of services that is available to end users based on their stated user preferences and any terminal type that the end-user happens to be using.
User Manager administers the day-to-day transactions with the end user such as Contract Management, Subscription Management, Authentication/Authorisation and Billing.

This workpackage is motivated by the business need to increase content/service creation productivity while addressing the increasingly diverse means of accessing services, in terms of networks and terminals. This productivity is enhanced by making common as many steps as possible in the content/service creation and management process. Service management system architecture needs to be generic enough to be applicable to cellular centred (Orange), broadcast centred (BBC) and independent (Virgin) service provider business models. Modular network and platform level descriptions needs to be combined into a range of service agreements that can be used to draft service contracts with individual and groups of users within a billing model and subscriber management system. The following content, service, application and management activities related requirements have been identified as:

At the content creation level a set of tools is required to create media for services using agreed base formats such as: MPEG-2 and MPEG4 for audio-visual and 3D graphics, XML and XSLT for Internet content and MPEG-7 for media metadata.
At a network-independent level of service creation, a set of tools is required to describe service components such as conditional access, generic return channel requirements, account monitoring, security and privacy of content.
At the network-dependent service creation, a set of tools is required that make the final service and content adjustments, specific to the (combination of) networks that are finally used. MPEG-21 for service metadata and TVAnytime for program service metadata will be used for enable smart content manipulation at various stages of the creation process, and at the terminal side.
At the terminal-dependent service creation level, a set of tools is required to describe how, where and when to transcode base formats into formats that can be consumed by the various terminals.
At the service management level, a set of tools is required to establish and monitor service level agreements, announce and activate services, administer day-to-day transactions with end users and provide a personalised service based on preferences and type of terminal.

The workpackage 3 Content, Services and Applications sub-system architecture is shown in Figure 1 where *:1 denotes a many-to-one, 1:* denotes a one-to-many and *:* denotes many-to-many relationships.

Figure 1: Sub-System architecture

At all times consultation with the content creator teams that produce, generate and edit (metadata) of content and content will be considered. Crucial elements that have been identified are:

Central server architecture connected to a Service Creation System allowing for quick, cost efficient and automated content editing.
Both re-purposing of existing broadcasting and web content for new/additional delivery channels and content creation designed "from the scratch" for multiple playout.
New workflows must be tested and documented, and examined by a central production department for a number of different platforms to determine what would really make sense and the implications to the future structure of public broadcasting environments.

The main innovations of this workpackage will consist of:

A scalable service creation system that builds and uses scaled service descriptions to process and to conditionally deliver scaled user interfaces, scaled applications and transcoded media based on service agreement, subscriber and billing management system. It shall rely on Scaled service description tools and media transcoding tools.
Digital rights management tools to potentially enforce conditional service access.
Service agreements, subscriber management and billing management description tools.
Automated user interface and application generation tools.



	Work Package 3 Content, Services and Applications The aim of this workpackage is to develop a semi-automated content/service design flow where: Content is packaged independently from the target terminal and associated delivery network, Network-independent service components assembles previously produced multimedia content into a coherent service and generates the associated terminal user interfaces and applications to access them, Services are specifically adapted to the targeted delivery networks, Applications and user interfaces to be run on target devices are semi-automatically generated in order to accelerate the application design process. The aim of this workpackage is to develop a generic service management platform where: Service Level Agreement (SLA) framework is established between the Service Manager, Service Creators, End-Users of terminals and Network providers. Service Management system provides a service scheduling system that announces and activates services and sessions in a manner that is applicable to cellular, broadcast and independent centred service provider environments. The Services Manager manages the integrated SLA framework by monitoring service level provided by the Network providers and cross checking this with end-to-end service level monitoring with the user terminal. Long term records are kept to establish service level trend of extended period of time (weeks/months/years). Personalised service manager provides a list of services that is available to end users based on their stated user preferences and any terminal type that the end-user happens to be using. User Manager administers the day-to-day transactions with the end user such as Contract Management, Subscription Management, Authentication/Authorisation and Billing. This workpackage is motivated by the business need to increase content/service creation productivity while addressing the increasingly diverse means of accessing services, in terms of networks and terminals. This productivity is enhanced by making common as many steps as possible in the content/service creation and management process. Service management system architecture needs to be generic enough to be applicable to cellular centred (Orange), broadcast centred (BBC) and independent (Virgin) service provider business models. Modular network and platform level descriptions needs to be combined into a range of service agreements that can be used to draft service contracts with individual and groups of users within a billing model and subscriber management system. The following content, service, application and management activities related requirements have been identified as: At the content creation level a set of tools is required to create media for services using agreed base formats such as: MPEG-2 and MPEG4 for audio-visual and 3D graphics, XML and XSLT for Internet content and MPEG-7 for media metadata. At a network-independent level of service creation, a set of tools is required to describe service components such as conditional access, generic return channel requirements, account monitoring, security and privacy of content. At the network-dependent service creation, a set of tools is required that make the final service and content adjustments, specific to the (combination of) networks that are finally used. MPEG-21 for service metadata and TVAnytime for program service metadata will be used for enable smart content manipulation at various stages of the creation process, and at the terminal side. At the terminal-dependent service creation level, a set of tools is required to describe how, where and when to transcode base formats into formats that can be consumed by the various terminals. At the service management level, a set of tools is required to establish and monitor service level agreements, announce and activate services, administer day-to-day transactions with end users and provide a personalised service based on preferences and type of terminal. The workpackage 3 Content, Services and Applications sub-system architecture is shown in Figure 1 where :1 denotes a many-to-one, 1: denotes a one-to-many and : denotes many-to-many relationships. Figure 1: Sub-System architecture At all times consultation with the content creator teams that produce, generate and edit (metadata) of content and content will be considered. Crucial elements that have been identified are: Central server architecture connected to a Service Creation System allowing for quick, cost efficient and automated content editing. Both re-purposing of existing broadcasting and web content for new/additional delivery channels and content creation designed "from the scratch" for multiple playout. New workflows must be tested and documented, and examined by a central production department for a number of different platforms to determine what would really make sense and the implications to the future structure of public broadcasting environments. The main innovations of this workpackage will consist of: A scalable service creation system that builds and uses scaled service descriptions to process and to conditionally deliver scaled user interfaces, scaled applications and transcoded media based on service agreement, subscriber and billing management system. It shall rely on Scaled service description tools and media transcoding tools. Digital rights management tools to potentially enforce conditional service access. Service agreements, subscriber management and billing management description tools. Automated user interface and application generation tools.