There are a lot of applications of data analytics in the modern workplace. There are a lot of benefits, particularly when it comes to CMS technology.
Having good IPTV middleware (CMS) is crucial for anyone offering an IPTV or OTT platform, service, or any other kind of business or system that streams content.
Your IPTV middleware is the go-between for the operator’s service or software provider and the client. It allows for the storage of user data and statistics, the collection of said statistics, usage analytics and reports, an integrated billing system, live rewind, catchup, EPG integration, DRM, lets you view and analyse information related to VOD, live rewind, catchup, timeshift, and more.
It is impossible to build an IPTV/OTT platform without IPTV middleware software, given that the IPTV middleware CMS determines the transmission logic, DRM quality, and control, usage analytics and reports, user data and statistics collection, dashboard, intuitive administrations interface, control algorithm, and more of your platform.
There are different types of IPTV middleware CMS providers; therefore, each software service comes with unique content to that business. There could be differences in CMS, interface, timeshift, dashboard, VOD, and more between IPTV middleware. You need to make sure that you’re getting the right dashboard for the operators on your content service business.
IPTV Middleware CMS Billing System Management
One of the more critical aspects of your content service is ensuring you have a smart billing system. It’s your billing system that allows your IPTV/OTT platform to turn a profit, and it’s the source of invaluable user data and statistics. This data includes usage analytics & reports that you can view and analyse in order to optimize your service.
You want your billing system to be easy for your users to access, as well as to include an intuitive administration interface so that you can view and analyse your income statistics easily.
EPG
The EPG, or electronic program guide, is another factor that is controlled by IPTV middleware CMS software and is the reason why usage analytics and reports are so important.
Your EPG consists of the menus that your clients have access to, all of which must be covered by DRM. This is how they navigate the content offered by your IPTV/OTT platform or service. Your EPG is arguably the part of your system most influenced by user data.
Your EPG is not static. It is constantly updated with new content based on what is being shown at any given time. Therefore, your IPTV middleware CMS software must be capable of EPG management as well as allowing you to view EPG usage analytics and reports.
Without quality EPG on your service, your customers are going to be discontent with your IPTV/OTT platform, resulting in more calls to your operators regarding complaints about the dashboard and interface not showing the correct programming.
Client Reporting
Every IPTV/OTT platform relies on user data and statistics to optimize its content. Your service grows when your operators carefully view and analyse this user data and statistics on your intuitive administration interface because of the information that you can uncover from usage analytics and reports.
You need to know what your customers are watching on your service, what content they like, what they don’t, and more. All of these statistics and usage analytics and reports allow you to view and analyze, as well as optimize the IPTV/OTT platform that you’re providing, meaning your billing system sees more consistent income.
API
The API, or the application programming interface, of your IPTV/OTT platform, is the intuitive administration interface that defines how all of the software and hardware in your system communicates.
The API defines the requests that can be made, how they are made, and what data conventions your system uses when communicating user data with VOD, live rewind, catchup, or timeshift content.
The better your API, the less congestion you’re going to view and analyse in your business, meaning that the business is going to perform better, keeping phone operators down to a minimum and making management operators happy.
DRM
DRM, or digital rights management, is the technological protection measures in place for anything that gets streamed through your business, whether that’s VOD, live rewind, catchup, or something in between. Everything that gets streamed must have DRM.
Good quality DRM is a legal requirement of any content-based business, so making sure your software is built for it is crucial to view and analyse your business management operation.
Without DRM, the copyright of timeshift, live rewind, VOD, or catchup content is not protected, meaning it can be illegally distributed thanks to flaws in your software.
Your middleware CMS software should be able to manage your DRM efficiently; otherwise, you’re going to need to find alternative software.
UI Design and Management
The UI design of your IPTV/OTT platform is important for both your clients and management operators. There is a lot of technological behind-the-scenes data, including DRM, that needs to be monitored on an IPTV/OTT platform, so having an intuitive administration interface is going to make the life of business management much easier.
The success of your business system is directly tied to how your management operators act behind the scenes, meaning the dashboard and intuitive administrations interface need to be well built in order for you to succeed.
If the usage analytics and reports that your management operators receive are impossible to decipher, you can expect your billing system to dry up in no time.
An intuitive administrations interface isn’t just about management though, it’s also where you view and analyse user data and statistics, so make sure your middleware CMS has a good dashboard and an intuitive administrations interface.
Dashboard and Analytics
Speaking of being able to view and analyse your dashboard and usage analytics & reports, having a wide array of user data and statistics is going to be critical to optimizing your billing system.
You need to know what your users are watching on VOD, live rewind, catchup, timeshift channels, and more. This allows you to optimize your EPG, therefore having more people installed into your billing system.
A quality dashboard along with your intuitive administration interface is important for this. Your dashboard is going to display the user data, statistics, usage analytics & reports for you to view and analyse, while your intuitive administration interface allows for your management operators to control your system behind the scenes.
Timeshift, VOD, Live Rewind, Catchup
Offering timeshift, VOD, live rewind, and catchup is critical to the success of your business. Without the inclusion of comprehensive VOD, live rewind, catchup, and timeshift services, you’re going to lose users to your competitors.
VOD allows your users to instantly access the video they want to watch, live rewind allows your users to rewind live broadcasts, catchup allows your users to watch shows they have missed, and timeshift reruns programs that have already broadcasted.
Having all of this is mandatory to have a competitive IPTV/OTT platform.