Tuesday, 18 November 2008

CoreMedia, Ufinity, SPH and www.razor.tv – running against a fixed deadline

 2008 

 

28 Oct 2008 by Martin Pakendorf  

From Martin's Blog  

CoreMedia, Ufinity, SPH and www.razor.tv – running against a fixed deadline

On a recent trip to Singapore I had the opportunity to look behind the scenes of www.razor.tv and meet some of the people responsible for Singapore Press Holdings’ latest online service.  

RazorTV is a brash and engaging video and live TV service for the web, enriched by latest social media features for audience interaction. It was developed in a very short timeframe on top of the CoreMedia CMS by Ufinity, one of our partners in Singapore. The project not only had the unique challenge of combining the latest in CMS technology with live video production, but also an extremely fixed deadline: just in time for Singapore's National Day Parade 2008. 

Whilst it is easy to get excited about project management theories, it remains hard to deliver software solutions in practice, especially under these constraints.

Therefore I was curious about the "story behind the story", in this case: how did Ufinity deliver this solution? During lunch with some of the team members I asked Felix Soh of RazorTV and Sau Loon Tong of Ufinity how they had managed the project. I was hoping for insights of the "secret sauce" kind. Here is what I learnt: 

The SPH team and Ufinity had adopted an agile approach, something I am somewhat wary of, as it is much-hyped and easily misunderstood as "more hacking -less thinking and planning". However Ufinity had taken good measures to counterbalance this: 

  • On site engagement: A large part of the team worked on site at SPH, thus allowing for rapid turnaround of ideas and decisions. The SPH team was also extremely engaged, thus actively shaping the project regularly. In fact, I could literally sense their level of joint ownership when I visited the studio. Everybody exhibited a "can-do attitude", a key factor which I would attribute to the team leadership onf both sides.  

 

  • I had the impression that Sau Loon had always kept an overview of the overall target and the level of progress. Moreover he had managed to convey the level of progress regularly to everybody involved, thus effectively mitigating the risks inherent in agile processes. The method he used for this is deceptively simple: Ufinity had structured the project into 2 week sprints and … installed a rigid inspection of the deliverable after every sprint. This is how everybody on the project practically felt the progress (or lack thereof) and adjusted pace, priorities and focus.  

Sounds simple. 

So why are there are many "iterative and agile" projects with progress tracking based purely on reporting by issue tracker and routinely missing the mark? Because software engineers are quickly drawn into the hype and the voodoo talk of "newer, faster, agile" project methodologies and lose focus of the things that matter. Everybody does the right thing and still nobody "gets it" when it come to the fundamental question of a software project: are we on track or not? 

This is what the Ufinity and SPH team did not lose sight of. Progress reporting is a poor substitute for truly measuring progress in a solution as it grows from increment to increment. Inspecting the deliverable regularly is so fundamental it transcends all project methodologies. And it decidedly helped the RazorTV launch for National Day 2008. 
Tuesday, 18 November 2008

Singapore’s First WebTV Portal with CoreMedia

 2008

28 Oct 2008

Singapore’s First WebTV Portal with CoreMedia

Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) launched Singapore’s first Web TV Portal "The Straits Times Razor TV” (www.razor.tv) at the beginning of August with CoreMedia’s future-driven Content Management technology. Supporting implementation partner is Ufinity.

The innovative Razor TV presents interactive video-news, live chats and lifestyle features in its WebTV programming. The free service targets digital active users and will - for the first time in the Singapore digital world - allow user contribution to the program via online commenting and questioning in real-time. Furthermore, users are encouraged to broadcast themselves live with their personal videos. The videos will be highly localized and broadcast from a living-room styled studio, in SPH’s Multimedia Centre in Toa Payoh North.

"With user contribution to our programs, we truly create user-centric content and engage the audience", says Felix Soh, Digital Media Editor at SPH’s English and Malay Newspapers Division. "With the support of CoreMedia, we inspire our users by providing forward-thinking technology - creating the future with our audience.”

"We are proud to support Singapore Press Holdings to launch the first Web TV format", says Willms Buhse of CoreMedia. "Our innovative technology, in combination with SPH’s strong vision of a digital future, will break new ground for publishing houses and media in Asia.”

"Realizing this project in joint force with SPH is an important footstep for CoreMedia’s expansion on the Asian market”, adds Burghardt Groeber, Singapore-based CoreMedia representative.
About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

Main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is the leading media company in Singapore, delivering news and information through print, Internet and broadcasting platforms. In Singapore, it publishes 14 newspapers in four languages. Every day, 2.9 million individuals or 81 percent of people above 15 years old, read one of SPH's news publications. SPH also publishes and produces more than 100 magazine titles in Singapore and the region, covering a broad range of interests from lifestyle to information technology.

28.10.2008, CoreMedia

More information on CoreMedia
Tuesday, 18 November 2008

RazorTV makes sharp online debut

  2008 

09 Aug 2008 

The Straits Times / The Business Times News On SPH

RazorTV makes sharp online debut

Available in English for a start, it'll offer Malay, Mandarin programme later.

By Lee U-Wen
Aug 09, 2008
The Business Times

SINGAPORE'S first interactive online TV service went live for the first time yesterday morning, promising news that is 'raw, edgy and sharp' and will engage the viewer at the same time.

The Straits Times RazorTV, which made its debut at 11.30 am sharp, was launched by Singapore Press Holdings chairman Tony Tan at the new SPH Multimedia Centre in Toa Payoh North.

A team of 30 - 17 of them broadcast journalists - will put together eight hours of news and lifestyle offerings five days a week, from Monday to Friday.

What's unique about the free service, located at www.razor.tv, is that viewers can access on-demand news videos and choose what and when to watch.

Apart from largely uncut interviews, there will also be real-time interactivity that gives viewers the chance to chat with presenters, interviewees and even other netizens.

They can also contribute their own video clips of newsy events, much like how YouTube works.

Speaking to reporters after spending an hour touring the RazorTV office and studio, Dr Tan said that the service was a 'very important and exciting' one for SPH to have in this digital age.

'It's a first for SPH and Singapore, and I expect it to go down very well. With this venture into the digital space, I expect SPH's future to be even brighter, as it will give everyone - presenters, reporters, technicians, and so on - the chance to go into new areas and develop new skills,' he said.

RazorTV is currently available only in English, but plans are in the pipeline to offer programmes in Malay and Mandarin in the future, said Dr Tan, after the initial kinks are ironed out.

Digital Media editor Felix Soh, who is spearheading RazorTV, said: 'With the emphasis on creating this new user-centric paradigm, there can be no better way to leverage on real-time social interactivity to capture new eyeballs and better engage the audience.'

RazorTV is expected to draw several million page views in its first year and earn revenue by selling advertisement space.

Source: http://ir.asiaone.com/sph/membercoStory.html?storyId=22417c326e9ab110VgnVCM100000430a0a0aRCRD
Tuesday, 18 November 2008

RazorTV hit parade

2008

13 Aug 2008

RazorTV hit parade

IT'S HARDLY a week old, but Straits Times (ST) RazorTV is already making waves online.

The latest offering from media giant Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), ST RazorTV, which was launched last Friday, has already generated "hundreds of thousands of hits", according to ST RazorTV editor Eugene Leow. ST

RazorTV is a web TV service broadcasting on Mondays to Fridays, offering eight hours of lifestyle and news programmes. Its selling point is its interactivity - viewer sliew commented on ST RazorTV's website that it is "great to have interactive news where we can watch and share our views at the same time".

Viewer sketchie, who also commented on the same page, thought the feature "clever". Indeed, viewers can post comments on the ST RazorTV website, where programmes are broadcast in real time.

Presenters "interact" with viewers by incorporating their comments in the broadcast. Student Daphne Lim, 20, told my paper that the interactivity of the site is "an innovative concept that has piqued my interest". ST RazorTV's fresh content is what sets it apart.

Viewer xueyu'ng describes the shows as "fun and interesting", while viewer samkhk is not only "impressed", but is also "hooked on RazorTV!". Especially well-received were the videos which focus on hyper-local content.

One video - No. 1 under the "Most Popular" tab which received 204,711 hits - focused on the topic "What makes Singaporeans Singaporean?"

In this National Day special which was aired on Saturday, presenter Sara-Ann took to the streets to gather opinions from locals.

Approaching passers-by, she queried them on the factors that distinguish Singaporeans from others. The answers she received included "being able to speak Singlish" and "kiasu". Viewers razorsharp and jl27 especially enjoyed these "candid street interviews".

Original and a tad irreverent, RazorTV even goes undercover in an MRT train to uncover Singaporeans' most common complaints regarding other commuters - behaviours. On the web TV station's originality, Mr Leow stressed: "We look for things that are unique to present."

Student Ken Cheng, 21, agreed, saying that the content is "exciting, new and appeals to younger audiences". Some viewers, however, encountered technical problems with the site. Difficulty with buffering was a common complaint. Multimedia correspondent Helmi Yusof, 33, replied that ST RazorTV is "still in the process of tweaking these technical problems".

bdjuhar@sph.com.sg

Source: http://www.asiaone.com/News/AsiaOne%2BNews/Singapore/Story/A1Story20080813-82107.html

 

 
Tuesday, 18 November 2008

The Straits Times RazorTV goes “Live”!

2008

8 August 2008 

The Straits Times RazorTV goes “Live”!
A world’s first in online television services with real-time interactivity between the web studio and amongst audience

Singapore, 8 August 2008 – The Straits Times RazorTV, a novel interactive Web TV service of the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), has commenced its first programming. Dr Tony Tan, Chairman of the Singapore Press Holdings (SPH), launched the online television service’s first programming today.

RazorTV is a free access, interactive webcast service that offers “live” streaming of studio content and on-demand videos over a real time interactive platform. Coupled with real-time interactivity between the web studio and the audience, and among members of the audience, this service is a unique convergence of web TV and social networking that aims to fully exploit Web 2.0 technologies.

Felix Soh, Digital Media Editor at SPH’s English and Malay Newspaper Division said, “The RazorTV team has been eagerly awaiting the launch of our first programming since the opening of our Multimedia Centre in February 2008. Our programmes are created in a talkshow-like format and are backed by interactive technologies that will allow users to engage and interact with the programme hosts, studio guests and other user audiences. With the emphasis on creating this new user-centric paradigm, there can be no better way to leverage on real time social interactivity to capture new eyeballs and better engage the audience.”

Objectives of RazorTV

Targeting those between 18 and 40 years old, the web news and current affairs channel will be young, hip and informal.

Positioned as a hyper-local station with the vision to engage all Singaporeans, it will bring raw, edgy and sharp news and lifestyle features to the netizen's plate.

It will also feature largely uncut interviews to bring out the full flavour of events. With real-time interactivity, cyber citizens can casually chat with presenters, interviewees and other netizens.

Technology employed for RazorTV

Adopting the Web 2.0 paradigm of Architecture Of Participation, viewers become co-hosts of shows as they rate, comment and vote in polls all in real time as the LIVE show is webcast.

Rich interactivity is achieved through generous use of Web 2.0 technologies like AJAX and Flash.

An advanced Web Content Management system is used to catalog all shows and provide them as VODs so that viewers can enjoy the shows later.

Combining advanced bandwidth detection at the client end with state of the art intelligent Internet routing, viewers can expect quality videos on their computers.
At a later stage, viewers can also generate clips, personalise and share them with their friends - a unique convergence of web TV and social networking.

Next generation Web 2.0 technologies with high-level user tools such as Rich Internet Applications techniques will be developed for greater interactivity and connectivity with other platforms. This is to allow netizens to create content, create, share and personalise content with the RazorTV community.

As a suite of Application Programming Interfaces (API) will be developed, third-party developers can also create innovative applications to enhance the channel's Web 2.0 experience.

Issued by Singapore Press Holdings Ltd
Co. Regn. No. 198402868E

For more information, please contact the following:

Eugene Leow
Editor
The Straits Times RazorTV
Tel: 6319 5072
H/P: 9877 9801
Email: elow@sph.com.sg

Yeo Siew Chi
Assistant Manager
Corporate Communications Division
Tel: 6319 1586
H/P: 9749 5105
Email: yeosc@sph.com.sg

About Singapore Press Holdings Ltd

Newspapers and Magazines
Main board-listed Singapore Press Holdings Ltd (SPH) is the leading media company in Singapore, delivering news and information through print, Internet and broadcasting platforms. In Singapore, it publishes 14 newspapers in four languages. Every day, 2.9 million individuals or 81 percent of people above 15 years old, read one of SPH's news publications. SPH also publishes and produces more than 100 magazine titles in Singapore and the region, covering a broad range of interests from lifestyle to information technology.

Internet and Mobile
SPH's presence on the Internet includes the online editions of its key newspapers, which together enjoy over 150 million pageviews with 9 million unique visitors every month, and are used by major brands to reach out to a predominantly professional, manager, executive and businessman (PMEB) audience. In addition, SPH's expansion of its online and new media initiatives include a revolutionary mobile advertising and information service, ZapCode; recruitment and job search service, ST701; local search and directory engine rednano.sg; and STOMP (Straits Times Online Mobile Print), a portal that connects, engages and interacts with readers on the Web and via mobile phone messaging.

Broadcasting
SPH has a 20 percent stake in MediaCorp TV Holdings Pte Ltd, which operates free-to-air channels 5, 8, U and TV Mobile, and a 40 percent stake in MediaCorp Press Pte Ltd, which publishes the free newspaper, Today. In the radio business, SPH has a 80 percent stake in SPH UnionWorks Pte Ltd, which operates entertainment stations Radio 100.3 FM in Mandarin and Radio 91.3 FM in English.

Outdoor Advertising
In addition, SPH has ventured into outdoor advertising through its wholly-owned subsidiary, SPH MediaBoxOffice Pte Ltd, Singapore’s largest outdoor motion display advertising network media company, and a 35 percent stake in TOM Outdoor Media Group, a leading outdoor advertising company in China.

Properties
SPH owns and manages Paragon, the prime retail and office complex in the heart of Orchard Road, Singapore's main shopping belt. SPH's wholly-owned subsidiary, Times Development Pte Ltd, is also developing a 43-storey upmarket residential condominium, Sky@eleven, at Thomson Road.

Visit www.sph.com.sg for more information.

About The Straits Times RazorTV

Launched on 8 August 2008, The Straits Times RazorTV, Singapore Press Holdings’ (SPH) interactive and free Webcast service, offers news, sports, entertainment and lifestyle features on both live chat shows and video on demand clips for netizens who want to control what they want to watch and when.

High on local content and interactivity, the cyber channel will be young, hip and will use a more informal style that is in tune with the internet. Targeting those aged 18 to 40, users can contribute content and interact with hosts and presenters in real-time.

Programmes are webcast from a studio in SPH's Multimedia Centre. The Straits Times RazorTV underscores SPH's commitment to be a major industry player to offer new media services to both consumers and advertisers.

Visit www.razor.tv for more information.

Source: http://www.sph.com.sg/news/latest/press_080808_001.html