New iTV tool helps agency creatives deliver Rachel Bernstone
ONE of the first delivery systems for interactive media content specially designed for advertising agencies, InOrbit, is claiming to reduce the application costs for interactive television (iTV) by 25%.
ITV World product development director Sven Wolf said the InOrbit service management system grew from a recognition of the key role of advertising agencies and producers in the delivery of interactive content.
“We wanted InOrbit to appeal to broadcasters, who would most likely pay for the service, as well as advertising agencies and other content developers that would use it to deliver interactive applications and updates,” he said.
Wolf pointed out that InOrbit does not develop interactive media applications: instead it aims to simplify the process of updating and maintaining interactive applications.
He said these ongoing updating costs were often neglected in initial budgets, leading to blow-outs that could eventually double the original cost estimate.
“Refreshing content regularly allows developers and broadcasters to recoup their initial application development costs over a longer timeframe, by encouraging visitors to return to view new, fresh content,” Wolf said.
The system is capable of sharing content across multiple platforms, such as TV, computer, mobile and personal digital assistants, and supports multiple iTV operating systems including OpenTV and MHP.
“InOrbit is unique because it was designed to appeal to ad agencies,” Wolf said.
In December, Wolf and ITV World’s iTV director Patrik Molander conducted a three-part workshop for the creative department at Leo Burnett Sydney, a process that Lea Jeffrey, the agency’s new iTV business development manager, said was extremely beneficial.
“We are not pushing iTV to clients at the moment, because there’s not a mass audience to justify it, but we are looking at opportunities to trial iTV where appropriate, such as with Fat Cow Motel on Austar later this year.”
ITV World received a $1.35m development grant from AusIndustry last year to develop the system, and hopes it will be acquired by local and international broadcasters. It will be trialed by a commercial television network and several content providers in Australia from April, prior to a full commercial launch later this year.
ITV World also provides original interactive content to Telstra’s broadband entertainment channel and offers an iTV consultancy service.
