Azure-based Backend System for Personalized TV Advertising, and a Second Screen App

Project
Developing a cloud-based backend system for personalized TV advertising with an advert server, a profiling server, and ad editing software on a set-top box, connected to a TV set via an HDMI stick. In addition, a tablet app was designed to offer second screen experience.

Customer
ocleen.tv, a Karlsruhe-based startup, needed IT competence and a development team to become a leading provider of personalized advertising and ads-sponsored TV services.

Challenge
The project timeline consisted of several phases. First, the project team set up the system architecture and decided on relevant technologies. Within 10 days, they crafted an overall solution concept that was to meet the following customer’s requirements.

The solution should be scalable: in three years the user base was expected to increase up to 10 million users. It was also supposed to allow evaluating the consumer behavior, analyzing and distributing individualized advertising content among the users.

The customer required facilities to replace general advertising videos with personalized ones directly on a consumer’s set-top box and agreements with broadcasters regarding the technical feasibility thereof.

The project needed a dedicated team capable of meeting strict deadlines. The customer had worked with a number of service suppliers before but was dissatisfied with the result. Therefore, within a month it was necessary to establish a team that could implement the required solution in 6-8 months.

Solution
Twenty-four experienced developers made up a team to participate in a SCRUM-based development project. To deliver a high-quality solution in the shortest possible time, the project team was divided into subteams, each responsible for its specific area: cloud development, set-top box, Android development, integration and testing. A customer representative controlled the development process and could timely communicate the changing project requirements.

The project aimed to create a fully functional system from scratch without reference to any previously built prototypes. Despite the strict deadlines, the whole solution was delivered in the planned timeframe. It’s also worth mentioning that the project owes part of its success to the high quality and availability of the Microsoft Azure infrastructure.

Results
In seven months, the solution was implemented according to the customer’s requirements.

The project team has created a backend platform for user management, content distribution, user profile management, ads and target audience management. The platform provides an electronic program guide (EPG) along with a search portal for cars, a 3d store, and ocleen’s app store.

The operating system is portable for Linux- and Android-based set-top boxes with remote control, user behavior analysis, possibility to overlay advertising, split the screen and replace advertising videos.

A fully functional tablet app provides TV programs, user behavior analysis, an electronic program guide, custom TV channels, recording function, a media library, video on demand, and a 3d store.

A standard TV set turns into Smart TV when connected using an HDMI stick.