Media & Cable

Microsoft's Reference Architecture for Media & Cable

Improve Sales Capabilities|Enhance Efficiency & Business Insight

Effective media business management focuses on activities which support, inform or optimize the strategies of a media business driving profitability, maintaining market leadership and providing the insights and tools to allow a media business to innovate and remain competitive. It is the business and creative process which underpins a media business with the ultimate goal being to improve the sales capabilities of each content asset.

When determining how to optimize revenue in the content business – the process begins as early as the creative concept stage and progresses through to rights attainment, production, launch, subsequent release windows and syndication.

Concept Development & Resource Management

Concept Development & Resource Management

Gathering the right information to establish a business case to support the creation of a content asset (e.g. movie, TV series, etc). This includes financial analysis, resource allocation and budgeting, logistics, talent requirements, production requirements and revenue potential across all the viewing windows. The result being an informed go/no-go decision by Media executives.

Rights & License Management

Any media business that creates or transacts content in a B2B scenario needs to track asset licenses to manage liabilities including royalties and talent rights. These systems ensure that contractual commitments related to geography, transmission type, device, channel etc. are adhered to. The ultimate goal being to optimize revenue and protect IP.

Advertising Sales & Scheduling

This area of Media Business Management is directly concerned with scheduling strategy and actions to optimize revenue from advertising; audience analysis; insertion of advertising, promotions, public service announcements and news updates; censorship compliance; adherence to government regulations; and audience ratings.

Content Planning & Scheduling

The effective manner in which content is plotted across a season; a week; a day; a timeslot – influences the success of a content. Traditionally scheduling was restricted to one medium, today a content asset is assigned across release windows over various delivery platforms (e.g. TV; online; VOD; DVD, etc.).

E-Commerce & Billing

With the proliferation of devices and ubiquitous connectivity – many media companies are entering into B2C relationships with consumers. These opportunities require media companies to establish a robust ecommerce facility. Beyond purely transactional reasons and compliance – an exceptional ecommerce facility can provide flexibility driving offers, promotions, and bundling enabling stronger monetization of content.