DigiNews – An European project about digital newspaper

1
DigiNews An European projectabout digital
newspaper

• Prepared by
• Alain Bouffioux
• Philips Digital Systems Laboratories - Leuven

2
Progresses in e-paper technology was
the motivating factor to initiate the
DigiNews project
Progresses in e-paper technology was
the motivating factor to initiate the
DigiNews project
3
The vision !
A lot of work has still to be completed in order
to enable this vision (Caution No unrealistic
expectation !)
Focus of Diginews Analyse, architect and
demonstrate a solution (IT infrastructure)
enabling the deployment of the digital newspaper
From e-ink Website
4
Agenda

• What is DigiNews
• Electronic newspapers What? Why?
• Project focus - Objectives
• Project approach
• Consortium overview
• Flemish contribution
• Conclusions

5
Agenda

• What is DigiNews
• Electronic newspapers What? Why?
• Project focus - Objectives
• Project approach
• Consortium overview
• Flemish contribution
• Conclusions

6
DigiNews in short

• Project definition initiated by Philips Leuven on
  20th Jan 2003
• European ITEA (Eureka) project labelled in Nov.
  2004 (ITEA projects IT related Eureka projects)
• Project led by Philips Leuven
• Focus Electronic Newspaper (from edition to
  consumption)
• 20 european partners
• Manpower about 140 Man-year
• Duration about 2,5 years (begin-2004 to
  mid-2006)
• Kick-Off In Leuven on 10th 11th Feb.2004

7
Agenda

• What is DigiNews
• Electronic newspapers What? Why?
• Project focus - Objectives
• Project approach
• Consortium overview
• Flemish contribution
• Conclusions

8
The Digital Newspaper System
9
What is an Electronic Newspaper ? (2)

• Published
• Complex publishing tools
• Time-critical environment
• Distributed
• Broadcast (e.g.DAB,DVB-T) / Unicast
• With / Without return channel
• Stored locally consumed
• Lightweight, always-on, low-power, dedicated
  terminals
• Accessible to everybody

The system view The consumer view The investor
view The progressive view The business view The
social view The ecological view
10
What is an Electronic Newspaper ? (3)

• Terminal
• Accessible to everybody(as paper
  version)Plug-and-play, No configuration,Flexible
  terminal,Not an additional PDA
• Usage as similar as possible to the one of
  classic newspaper
• Extended user experience (e.g. interactivity)
  new services

The system view The consumer view The investor
view The progressive view The business view The
social view The ecological view
11
What is an Electronic Newspaper ? (4)
The system view The consumer view The investor
view The progressive view The business view The
social view The ecological view

• Limit the risc and the initial investment
• Format open based on open standards(XML,
  MPEG-7, NewsML)
• Based on current infrastructure(fast deployment,
  reduced initial investment) (e.g. DAB, DVB-T,
  WiFi Hotspots)
• Access and copy-controlled (DRM)(Asset
  protection, security of revenue stream)

12
What is an Electronic Newspaper ? (5)
The system view The consumer view The investor
view The progressive view The business view The
social view The ecological view

• Also additional services (digital age)
• Multiple update and fresh information(stock
  market, weather, traffic...)
• User profiling (filtering or navigation)
• Location-based services
• Return channel database access
• Easy worldwide distribution via point-to-point
  (as for internet radios)
• Combined with TTS (Text-To-Speech) for car usage
• Touch voice activation usage in the car (No
  display needed)Complementarity with legacy radio
  (passive vs interactive)

13
What is an Electronic Newspaper ? (6)
The system view The consumer view The investor
view The progressive view The business view The
social view The ecological view

• Legacy newspaper rigidity
• Electronic Newspaper flexibility
• No link between advertisment articles(Assemblin
  g in real-time at reading according to user
  profile).
• Subscription rate as a function of advertisement
  tolerancy
• Billing scheme (per issue, subscription...)
• Revenue/cost distribution between actors
  (publishers, advertisers, broadcasters, product
  manufacturers...) via micro-payment

14
What is an Electronic Newspaper ? (7)
The system view The consumer view The investor
view The progressive view The business view The
social view The ecological view

• For visually impaired people
• Larger font size
• With Text-To-Speech synthesizer

15
What is an Electronic Newspaper ? (8)
The system view The consumer view The investor
view The progressive view The business view The
social view The ecological view

• Low transport cost (existing infrastructure
  during low-activity period)
• Environmental friendly (no-ink, no paper, no
  physical transport)

16
Why an Electronic Newspaper ? (1/2)

• Digital revolution everything becomes digital
  Audio, Video, Photography...
• Next step Newspaper ?
• Excellent candidate based on current
  infrastructure, current technologies ?
  INCREMENTAL (if replacement only)
• Current usage pattern compatible with legacy
  newspaper (? e-book gift, long-lasting value)
• E-paper (flexible display), last (until now
  missing) enabling technology, is nearly ready to
  enter the market.

17
Why an Electronic Newspaper ? (2/2)

• Other advantages
• Faster distribution (deadline of publishers
  moved)
• Just-in-time delivery (Reliability)
• Cheaper for the consumer ?
• Additional services for the consumer
• Social role
• Environmental friendly
• Digital Newspaper vs Digital camera
• No big change (same usage mode for legacy and new
  device)
• More functionalities justify the larger initial
  investment
• Cheaper at long term or for intensive use ?
• Success digital camera ? Success digital
  newspaper ???

18
Agenda

• What is DigiNews
• Electronic newspapers What? Why?
• Project focus - Objectives
• Project approach
• Consortium overview
• Flemish contribution
• Conclusions

19
Project focus - objectives

• Investigation of the various business models
  proposal for successful introduction
• Definition for a basic electronic
  newspaperreplacement of current newspaper (keep
  it simple)
• Specify demonstrate a complete end-to-end
  solution (using DAB/DVB-T/hotspot infrastructure)
• Exploration of possible augmented uses
  validation/demonstration of some of them

20
Agenda

• What is DigiNews
• Electronic newspapers What? Why?
• Project focus - Objectives
• Project approach
• Consortium overview
• Flemish contribution
• Conclusions

21
Work Breakdown Structure
22
Global planning
23
WPs in short (1)

• WP2 - System analysisSystem requirements defined
  from the three point-of-views
• User usage scenarios for user publisher
• Business Business models (consumption
  remuneration models)
• Technology State-of-the-art current
  distribution infrastructure, current technologies
• Requirements about
• Delivery process actor interface
• Content representation
• Security issues, billing payment
• User interface, Interactivity, Personalization,
  Location awareness

24
WPs in short (2)

• WP3 Architecture for basic services(i.e.
  provided on a broadcasting channel, simply
  replacing the classical newspaper) e.g. DAB or
  DVB-T based end-to-end architecture
• WP4 Architecture for extended services(i.e.
  Additional services made possible by the digital
  character of the information TTS for visually
  for visually-impared car usage, user- and geo-
  based services...)
• WP5 Demonstratorse.g. Broadcast-based
  end-to-end demonstrator validation of some
  selected extended services

25
Agenda

• What is DigiNews
• Electronic newspapers What? Why?
• Project focus - Objectives
• Project approach
• Consortium overview
• Flemish contribution
• Conclusions

26
Consortium overview

• CountriesAustria, Belgium, France, Germany,
  Greece, Israel, Sweden, Spain, UK
• SME, Industries, Research labs, Universities
• Publishers, infrastructure providers, consumer
  appliances...
• 3 end-to-end demos Sweden, Belgium, Spain

27
Agenda

• What is DigiNews
• Electronic newspapers What? Why?
• Project focus - Objectives
• Project approach
• Consortium overview
• Flemish contribution
• Conclusions

28
The Flemish sub-consortium

• Concentra media Publisher side expertise in
  user advertiser needs
• Philips Leuven Terminal experience in
  consumer electronics
• dZine Terminal, distribution experience in
  professional news application
• KULeuven Theoretical support, middleware,
• Distribution channel Solution currently
  investigated

29
Flemish demonstrator in the European context (1)
30
Flemish demonstrator in the European context (2)
Case distribution via IP
31
Agenda

• What is DigiNews
• Electronic newspapers What? Why?
• Project focus - Objectives
• Project approach
• Consortium overview
• Flemish contribution
• Conclusions

32
Some conclusions !

• Due to its usage model the e-newspaper seems an
  excellent candidate for next step of the digital
  revolution
• A multi-national approach is ideal to get a wide
  product acceptance
• Flanders contribute significantly to this project
  by the realisation of a full end-to-end
  demonstration.
• Beyond promising business opportunities, DigiNews
  may also have a social role (visually-impaired,
  economy of natural resources (paper, energy...)...

33
Questions ?

• ?

34
Thank you for your attention !