Interactive TV development and innovation
Introduction
This article details the continuity from operational delivery to aspiration of the broadcaster’s iTV department aligning itself with various ‘levels’ of innovation.
The the broadcaster’s iTV Department leads through:
* Technical know how
* Design expertise
* Focused industry awareness
Using their experience in real world deployment they support and enable the editorial vision of the broadcaster.
But firstly a little innovation:
What is interactive innovation?
Invention or Innovation
Ed Roberts of MIT – “invention + exploitation = innovation”
* Invention, converting an idea into a new process or product.
* Innovation, extending the utilization of a product or process.
Bruce D. Merrifield US Assistant Sec of Commerce – “The three stages in the process of innovation: invention, translation and commercialization.”
TV networks Interactive – four levels of innovation
Note: the broadcaster is constantly being innovative by creating solutions and delivering ‘never before seen’ services to mass audiences – the worlds largest Interactive TV audience viewing on a range of vastly different platforms.
1 Maturity – Doing something we know about more often
If it works, if consumers use it and like it, do more of it. If appropriate do more on different subject matter or alternative genre.
The broadcaster’s iTV department is committed to volume production. Creating rich, usable interactive TV templates for deployment of a wide range of services across all genre.
To get to this point the department is innovating in ways to develop and deploy tools to allow production to deliver their editorial vision.
It is also collaborating with external providers to push towards ubiquitous of interactivity on all TV platforms.
2 Growing up – doing something we know about better
Incremental, ‘baby’ steps forward with existing service types, a gradual increase in the range of features adding editorial depth and increased user functionality.
The broadcaster’s iTV department provides enablers for editorial innovation – such as bespoke production tools, new service templates, innovative backend systems which in most cases have to be invented then exploited (=innovation)
“I liken the discussion to “normal science” versus “paradigm shift”. You don’t have to change the world to make an impact. Incremental innovations add value. Especially if they are continuous.
The Ability to Deliver New Value to a Customer. After all, it is not innovation until the customer says it is. While most of us have traditionally associated innovation with technology advance, in a free market innovation can be as simple as a new way of doing things or a new way to create customer satisfaction.”
3 Nurturing & playing with the new born – Doing something somewhat different
Experimenting, trialing and learning on newly emerged, Interactive platforms.
Identifying and creating solutions for immature but very promising new TV viewer platforms or technologies.
Enabling and building with production innovative, platform optimised services
The broadcaster’s iTV department deploys trial services on significant emerging TV platforms to real audiences, and with a phased approach, achieves a deeper understanding of the value of those services.
We are also challenged to help steer and collaborate with other departments ‘doing something somewhat different’ – there needs to be a focus in this, guidance, and a real learning outcome.
4 Giving birth – Doing something altogether different
“one definition of innovation, means doing things differently, exploring new territory, taking risks. There has to be a reason for rocking the boat, and that’s the vision of what could be…the challenge. The bigger the challenge and the commitment to it, the more energy the innovation efforts will have.”
The broadcaster’s iTV department is also challenged to be aware of departments ‘doing something altogether different’ and learn from their successes and failures.
Abridged © Gary Hayes 2004