Mobile operators are looking high and low for new sources of revenues and new software that enables geo-tagging, life caching, third-party software apps, and multimedia editor software from NewBay could be the answer when it debuts in March.
Dublin-headquartered NewBay said that version 4 of its LifeCache PVA measurably boosts operator ARPU (average revenue per user) through increasing message and data traffic, and by driving SMS and email alerts on album activity.
Operators also benefit from becoming a safe haven for precious photos and videos, which in turn reduces churn and furthers brand engagement.
The new software now includes advanced video editing geo-tagging and third-party developer features.
The software is a white-label multimedia album solution for operators that allows subscribers to easily create and maintain personal online albums for photos and videos, direct from their handset or web browser.
The popularity of video is increasing rapidly, as people record more video content on handsets, digital cameras or camcorders and want to share it with friends and family through albums and social networks.
Given this growing trend, PVA version 4 video editing now enables subscribers to mix up their own video content with trimming, splicing and transition features. The video is stored by the operator, and viewed and shared via mobile handsets, web and TV. Other new features include music overlays, special effects and photo movies, which all use an easy ‘drag-and-drop’ interface.
Version 4 geo-tagging features enable users to organise, manage and search their photos and videos based on location. This feature set allows users to browse shared photos using map interfaces or view their own travels using a ‘media trail’ map view.
Geotags can be automatically added to photos and videos taken with GPS camera phones or added manually in the album by PVA users. NewBay’s LifeCache handset client software can also embed geotags into media prior to uploading.
“Users digital content requirements are becoming increasingly sophisticated, and there is an emerging need to not only manage and share content, but also to access it across multiple screens,” said Harry Wang, director of Mobile Product Research at Dallas-based Parks Associates.
“This presents operators with the opportunity to develop new revenue sources to supplement traditional voice revenues. NewBay’s LifeCache PVA provides operators with the tools to monetise converged user-content management services.”
To meet the increasing demand for converged user content services, PVA version 4 includes a full third-party developer platform. This platform allows operators to pull user content into other services and develop mash-ups, and enables developers to build fully customised user interfaces using almost any technology on any platform.
This approach not only enables operators to derive revenue from other sources, but also drives convergence by allowing content to be shared, viewed and managed across multiple devices (ie handsets, web, TV, set-top boxes, games consoles, media servers and home networks).
“NewBay is without doubt the world’s most successful provider of photo and video album solutions to operators, working with leading operators such as T-Mobile, US Cellular and Telefonica/O2,” said Dr Nagappan Arunachalam, chief marketing officer, NewBay Software.
“When it comes to technological advancement and driving consumer usage trends, NewBay is leading the way. This is clearly demonstrated in the latest version of PVA, which delivers an awesome user experience.
“Unlike direct-to-consumer offerings such as Flickr and Picasa, LifeCache PVA offers telco-grade scalability and allows operators to realise returns from the user content within their networks,” Arunachalam said.
By John Kennedy
