MOBILE PUBLISHING - TECHNOLOGY OPTIONS AND PRICING Presented by: Rajesh Padinjaremadam Publishing Business Conference March 21st, 2012
Contents Technology Options for Implementing a Mobile Publishing Solution 01 Best Practices for Deployment of a Publishing System Experience from a real-life case study Pricing and In-App Purchase A. Magazine Apps Pricing An Overview B. Purchase modes for Magazine Apps C. Accessing content through App-Store Key Considerations and Challenges D. Setting up an In-App Purchase E. Accessing content with existing Online Subscription 06 12 12 12 13 13 18 02
Section - 1: Technology Options for Implementing a Mobile Publishing Solution Typical Publishing Solution Architecture Content Management System Mobile Client Applications CREATE/MANAGE CONTENT PUBLISH MAGAZINES WITH ISSUES DOWNLOAD/VIEW REPORTS MANAGE USERS & SUBSCRIBERS XML Web services PUSH CONTENT SYNC BETWEEN CMS & APPS Main Features LIBRARY APPLICATION OFFLINE ACCESS SINGLE COPY / SUBSCRIPTION TWITTER/FACEBOOK INTEGRATION DISPLAY TEXT, VIDEOS, IMAGE SLIDESHOWS, WEBSITES USING WEB VIEW WITHIN THE APP WITHOUT HEXITING Membership System MANAGE MEMBERS INTEGRATE EXISTING MEMBERS WITH CMS FOR ACCESSING SUBSCRIPTION 01
Solution There are two approaches that can be considered when developing applications for multiple mobile platforms. Which approach to choose depends on factors like cost, application functionality and customer base.the next section provides more details on the two approaches. 1 2 Native Develop mobile application using the native SDK of the platform Cross-Mobile Platform Develop application using a cross-mobile platform like Rhomobile or PhoneGap once for all the platforms Native vs. Cross-Platform - Technologies Objective C Mostly based on traditional web development languages like Javascript, HTML, CSS Easier to handle with internal resources.net, C# Android SDK Java based BlackBerry SDK Java based 02
Native vs. Cross-Platform - Differences This section compares the two approaches. Native Cross-Mobile Platform Better performance Slightly lower performance Higher usability Lower usability More features with phone capabilities (Offline, GPS etc.) supported Lesser features with phone capabilities. May require add-ons developed Harder to develop Need to duplicate effort Approval times delay final release Easier to develop with easier access to technology Build once, deploy on all platforms (requires testing and tweaking for each platform) Technology Options Comparison Native Application vs. Cross-Platform We have considered native application development as Option 1 and Cross-platform development tools like PhoneGap and RhoMobile (these platforms support the maximum number of platforms) as Option 2. 03
Summary & Recommendation If the requirement is to build predominantly for iphone and Android, there may not be cost benefit using a cross-mobile platform. If the requirement is to build for all platforms including BlackBerry and Windows Mobile, Crossplatform development can provide cost benefits, albeit at the expense of usability. If the requirement is to build iphone and Android apps providing best user experience, we recommend going the native apps route. Sample Case Study Cross-mobile HTML5 application for a leading Oil & Gas Company Client Situation Our Role Client is a leading provider of specialized data/information products and services to targeted audiences worldwide and ranks among the leading providers of news, data and analysis for the global energy industry Client wants a directory of listing services on multiple platforms using HTML5 technology End to end Program management of the entire program Complete design of the HTML5 and IOS applications Design User flows and Graphics Develop HTML5 based mobile web app and IOS applications Unit & System testing; UAT support Scope Build a mobile web application that will work on multiple smart phones including iphone, Android, WebOS, Windows Mobile and Blackberry using HTML5 Build iphone / ipad Universal native application for IOS platform 04
Sample Case Study News / Local information ap - plication on iphone, Android, Blackberry platforms Client Situation Client is a provider of marketing services to the US armed forces Client has embarked on a very large program to implement a central news and local information site for the entire US armed forces spread across the globe Client wanted to build a cross platform app in order to reduce the cost of development and ensure ease of maintenance Scope Suggest a cross platform approach to customer Develop a cross platform mobile application that works on iphone, Android, Blackberry and Windows mobile platforms Our Role End to end Program management of the entire program Ensure scalable and configurable design to accommodate future functionality change Developed cross platform application using jquery mobile with custom native wrapper on each platform Integrate with native features of the application Value Delivered Build and manage a custom ad platform Ensured all the native functionality is met by adopting a hybrid approach of building a cross platform jquery mobile application and wrapping it with a native wrapper for each platform 05
Develop Internally vs. Outsource Some of the challenges in developing internally Native app development requires specialized knowledge in multiple platforms. Exploring new ways to attract and engage readers Large number of devices to test the app on Where skill-sets match, use development skills (e.g Java developer handling Android development) With outsourced development, ensure there is complete knowledge within the core team Section - 2: Best Practices for Deployment of a Publishing System - A Real-Life Case Study Client Situation The Need A leading publisher of healthcare magazines Exploring new ways to attract and engage readers Need to interact and respond to readers feedback Solution Two options Newsstand model on revenue share model or build a custom branded app Decided to go single app model, to enhance visibility RapidValue implemented the App using 'Digital Media Platform' 06
Overall Project Roadmap The app was implemented in three months. During this period three titles were set live on ipad. Real life implementation case study Best Practices Ensure that requirements are discussed and reviewed between all key stake-holders. Proper documentation of requirements up-front will ensure a smooth project completion. For this project, requirements were discussed and documented in two weeks period. 07
Sample Real life implementation case study Best Practices Experience Engineering is the new paradigm in the mobile world Right UI design and technical design are critical Building stickiness and wow factor is very important Ensure that you use a UX team with design skills on mobile platforms 08
Sample Mock-up for ipad app Mock-up for CMS Real life implementation case study For this project, the first version without CMS was released in 6 weeks. An integrated version with CMS was later released in additional 6 weeks. 09
Real life implementation case study Real life implementation case study 10
Deployed to Real life implementation case study Benefits Expanded Reach 12,000 downloads with a potential to reach 30,000 readers Enhanced Reader Experience Fully integrated, interactive, personal and social experiences Built-in Revenue Generation Features Increased revenue stream through advertisements Speed to Market Extremely fast time-to-market leveraging a rapid build methodology using industry-specific components Cost Effective Revenue sharing and no recurring license fees 11
Section - 3: Pricing Apps for Success How to Navigate the In-App Purchase System Magazine Apps Pricing An Overview Understanding the in-app purchase and subscription setup is key to setting up the right pricing model for your magazine.. Purchase modes for Magazine Apps 12
Accessing content through App-Store Key Considerations and Challenges App Store rules regarding in-app purchases and subscriptions of magazines are complex. You need to ensure that you understand the approval rules well, to avoid app rejections. Some of the associated rules are External mechanisms for pricing (like a website link to Buy ) should not give a lower price than the in-app purchase. In other words, user should have the option to buy the content using in-app purchase with a same or lower price. Apps can read or play approved content (specifically magazines, newspapers, books, audio, music, and video) that is subscribed to or purchased outside of the app, as long as there is no button or external link in the app to purchase the approved content. Setting up an in-app purchase Setting up in-app purchase is a three step process Notes: In-App purchases may take up to a week. Therefore plan ahead to align with the magazine release. You can get subscriber information by having users logging in. However, App Store rules mandate that users can access content without logging in as well. 13
Setting up an in-app purchase Go to the CMS and select the magazine issue you want to publish and configure for in-app purchase. Then click on the edit button corresponding to that magazine issue. Setting up an in-app purchase The edit Magazine issue page will come up and this screen will have Publish and Test Publish buttons on the top. You can click anyone as per the requirement.(test for adhoc and Publish for app-store versions). 14
Setting up an in-app purchase Once the magazine is published the user will be intimated with the success message along with a product key as shown below. Setting up an in-app purchase Then login to your itunes account using the credentials. Click on the Manage Your Applications link. 15
Setting up an in-app purchase Then create a new in-app purchase by clicking on the Create New button on the top. Setting up an in-app purchase Then create a new in-app purchase by clicking on the Create New button on the top. 16
Setting up an in-app purchase Then select app where you want to configure in-app purchase. Setting up an in-app purchase Then select app where you want to configure in-app purchase. 17
Setting up an in-app purchase You can view the status of all the in-app purchase you configured in the following screen. Accessing content with existing online subscription In both the modes, care should be taken to ensure that the login or key entry is placed in such a way that does not prevent the user from looking around the general features of the app. 18
Accessing content with existing online subscription To provide free download for the print version customers, their details need to be added to the CMS. We can add each user separately or upload the list of users in an excel file. You can view this screen by clicking on the subscribers menu on the CMS. Accessing content with existing online subscription Bulk upload of customers in possible by uploading the list of customers in a predefined excel format. The format sample is displayed in the upload page itself. 19
Accessing content with existing online subscription Bulk upload of customers in possible by uploading the list of customers in a predefined excel format. The format sample is displayed in the upload page itself. Accessing content with existing online subscription The user needs to enter the name and the purchase key (the one which is given in the CMS) in the ipad to enable free download of magazine issues. 20
About RapidValue RapidValue is a leading provider of mobility solutions to enterprises worldwide. Armed with a large team of experts in mobility consulting and application development, along with experience delivering global mobility projects, we offer a range of mobility services across industry verticals. RapidValue delivers its services to the world s top brands and Fortune 1000 companies, and has offices in the United States and India. www.rapidvaluesolutions.com www.rapidvaluesolutions.com/blog +1-877-643-1850 contactus@rapidvaluesolutions.com Mobility A RapidValue Information Solutions Series Whitepaper Jan 2013 RapidValue Enabling Mobility