Broadband content co-marketing platform launches
The online payment service provider PaymentOne has launched a new broadband internet content publishing network alongside a co-marketing and co-billing service platform for its content partners.
Together, the new Broadband Content Network (BCN) and Co-Marketing Platform (CMP) will enable digital merchants and broadband operators to market, bundle, distribute and bill content and premium services through the broadband operator's channel.
With the market (currently of more than 30 million broadband consumers) being projected to double by 2008, and the aggregate market for digital content and services being predicted at some US$15 billion by that time, the company reports that broadband users are twice as likely as dial-up internet users to purchase online content in multiple categories such as digital music, audio, video, photos, electronic information, education and games. It makes sense - who can really do all that with a slow modem-based connection?
Being different enough But, according to Yankee Group, in order to differentiate, broadband internet operators will need to market content, applications and other digital media that enables them to sell incremental new services through existing data pipes. As a "one-to-many" co-billing and co-marketing platform, PaymentOne's expanded services aim to reduce the infrastructure investment and time-to-market for both operators and content providers. The services also remove a major consumer purchase hurdle by not requiring consumers to re-register and re-disclose their financial details for each purchase from content partners within the network.
Network content BCN's capabilities include:
- Single access point to multiple broadband operators: The network manages business relationships, marketing terms and co-billing agreements across 1,000 network operators that reach 150 million consumers (92% of US households).
- Preferred marketing distribution: A range of placement and operator-led marketing programmes include newsletters, web sites, retail kiosks, bill inserts, major media advertising and call centres.
- Performance tracking: The system provides detailed reporting of promotions, marketing offers, user behaviour, click-throughs, paid conversions, and all related royalty and revenue shares.
- Integrated co-billing: The consumer can add subscription charges and download charges to their operator bills, rather than paying online at the time of usage. The system also provides outsourced management for all related fraud, validation, authentication, payment processing, financial settlement and reporting.
Co-marketing facilities For network operators, the CMP provides a turnkey content co-marketing facility, to promote and bill for content and premium services. The platform includes:
- Network of digital providers: It's a single point of access to multiple digital providers that have an affinity with broadband and/or mobile services.
- Recruiting and contracting with multiple merchants, including setup configuration, technical support, billing inquiry, and compliance monitoring.
- Hosted co-marketing infrastructure and storefront: The platform provides partner co-marketing, offer management, user registration, validation, discounts, micro payments and billing across multiple partners.
- Performance tracking and settlement - for promotions, bundles, and paid conversions, as well as disbursement and settlement of related bounty/revenue shares that are due to network members.
- Partner co-billing: The system manages, routes and presents third party partner charges on operator bills, and includes the necessary validation, authentication, processing, settlement, consumer enquiry handling and reporting.
"As network operators transform themselves into providers of value-added and content services, consumers are demanding more choice and convenience," commented Joe Lynam, president and CEO for PaymentOne Corporation.
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