Navigating a Seamless OTT Platform Switch: Lessons from a Recent Success
At Magine Pro, we understand that transitioning to a new OTT platform can be daunting, even though it’s pivotal for business growth. Recently, we had the privilege of assisting a valued client through this process in record time. From the start of the project to having the existing customer base live and using their new apps took less than four weeks! So how did we achieve this rapid migration and what did we learn along the way? In this blog, our Customer Success Manager, Esther Pino, shares the strategies and approaches that ensured a smooth transition without disruptions to their service.
Understanding the Migration Landscape
For any OTT service provider, the need to migrate often arises because their existing platform can’t meet their growth requirements. There can be many sticking points that finally trigger the search for a new provider – from scalability and monetisation flexibility to the quality of the user experience. In the current climate, however, the main driver is definitely the desire to reach Smart TVs.
Big screen was certainly the priority for our most recent new customer, an OTT service based in Latin America. They made the switch to Magine Pro’s OTT platform because they wanted to capture a share of the booming market for streaming content on Connected TVs. Their first goal was to have apps on the market-leading devices – Samsung and LG – but also to have the scope to reach other brands of TV in the near future.
The biggest challenge in this project was the timescales. For their own business reasons, the customer wanted to go live with their new apps on the Magine Pro platform in under four weeks. Anyone who’s launched or migrated an OTT platform will know that’s a tall order, but it’s totally achievable with the Magine Pro platform, as we demonstrated by going live in 3.5 weeks! Here’s how we did it:
Start Strong: The Step-by-Step Approach to OTT Upgrades
My colleague Marcus Lindén has already blogged about some of the top technical considerations for any OTT service looking to switch platforms and offered his low-stress guide to getting it done. For me, the key to success in any customer engagement is great communication. This starts with our onboarding process where we outline:
- All the tasks involved
- Roles and responsibilities for both Magine Pro and the customer
- Where the customer can find how-to documentation
We’ve spent a lot of time optimising our customer-facing documentation so that everyone is clear on their roles and responsibilities within the project. The onboarding process also includes a full demonstration of the Magine Pro Console – our online tool that is used by our customers to manage the configuration of their apps and curate their content. Thankfully, the Console is super-easy to use, but it also includes in-app FAQs and help sections so our customers can get self-service support.
The Step-by-Step approach to a successful OTT Upgrade
In any migration process, there are some tasks that take longer than others. These typically include ingestion of content and getting app store approval from the Smart TV manufacturers. So, we always highlight the importance of starting on these tasks as soon as possible.
In the case of our recent client, they had a huge library of movies to upload, so I advised them on prioritising their “must-have” content for launch. By working on that first, they were ready to make the switch as soon as possible, leaving the longer-tail movies to be ingested after launch if necessary.
Regular Engagement: A Recipe for Success
It is possible to successfully move an OTT service to the Magine Pro platform with just the onboarding meeting and the provision of our documentation. However, with such a tight timeline, we agreed on a schedule of very regular internal and customer meetings to check in and ensure everyone was continuously aligned on the project. These sessions served as crucial touchpoints where progress was reviewed, challenges addressed in real-time, and next steps defined collaboratively.
You might be thinking that the customer needs to have a big technical team in place to manage their side of the process, but that couldn’t be further from the truth. In fact, our recent customer has just three full-time staff: two working on content and one on marketing. They were very responsive and engaged with the project and between them were able to hit all the deadlines required to make the timeline a reality.
Managing The App Store Approvals Process
With the various app stores, it’s the customer who owns the relationship with the likes of Apple, Google etc. so we can help, but we can’t do the whole process for them. For the recent customer, this was the first time they’d worked with LG and Samsung, so it was important to get their accounts created early in the process. While we create and test the apps, it’s the customer who has to submit them and all supporting promotional materials.
For the Smart TV companies, there’s the additional burden of creating a PowerPoint presentation that outlines how the app functions to support them in their approvals testing. We’ve done this many times before, so in our very first meeting to onboard the customer, I’ll outline the whole process with them and walk them through the different images, text, and documentation that will need to be uploaded through each app store.
One aspect of launching on Smart TVs that is familiar to us, but came as a surprise to our latest customer as it has many other OTT services, is the issue of backwards compatibility on older screens. Although our apps work well on older models of Connected TV, the manufacturers typically require a separate contract before they’ll release an app to devices launched in 2019 or earlier. This is, like the app store submission process itself, something we can advise on, but a process the customer must manage themselves. It’s another thing they need to work on as soon as possible to avoid any delays.
Getting Subscribers on Board: Reducing Friction To Mitigate Churn
The final step before the customer goes live on the Magine OTT platform is to migrate their user data across from their old platform. We’ve optimised our migration scripts for speed and efficiency. In our most recent project, we were able to transfer all the user data (with the exception of passwords) in around two hours which minimised the downtime for subscribers before we could get them going on the new apps.
The timing of this process is essential, but so is the way it’s communicated. Any kind of confusion or unexpected friction runs the risk of causing subscribers to churn. With our recent project, the customer took our advice to be very proactive in communicating with their subscribers about the upcoming change.
In addition to emails advising users of what was to come, they displayed banners in the existing apps that linked to a landing page which described what the migration process would look like. This was key in getting consumers ready to create their new passwords and explore the new, upgraded user experience. We also provided SEO optimization links that were added to their existing web pages. These ensure users are redirected to the new apps when Googling specific content.
Post-Migration Support and Optimisation
Of course, the initial transition is not the end of the story. Now that this customer is live on the Magine Pro OTT platform, there is still much work to be done. There are more Smart TV apps to be added in the future and further content to be uploaded.
Our Customer Success team continues to support them in the post-migration phase, assisting them with verifying configurations, optimising platform settings, and addressing any post-launch adjustments. This holistic approach ensures that our clients not only go live on time but also thrive in their new digital environment.
Looking Ahead: Lessons Learned and Future Readiness
Reflecting on this specific project, it’s clear that effective communication, meticulous planning, and agile execution are paramount when you’re looking to achieve both speed and quality. While each migration presents unique challenges, we are committed to delivering a seamless transition. If you’re contemplating a migration or seeking to optimise your current OTT setup, contact our experts to talk about your needs.
Don’t Panic! A stress-free guide to upgrading your OTT service
No video service makes the decision to switch OTT platform lightly, but moving to get Smart TV apps, better UX and better monetisation options doesn’t have to be a nightmare. In recent blog posts, we’ve looked at the streaming trends that are driving OTT services to consider moving technology platforms, as well as some of the key challenges they face when making a switch. In this post, our Head of Engineering and Operations, Marcus Linden, provides an insight into what a migration process looks like, and what the video service can do to make it go as smoothly and quickly as possible.
“We’re going to need a bigger boat!” When you’ve outgrown your OTT platform
You probably chose your current all-in-one platform so you could concentrate on content and outsource the many complexities of going OTT to a team of experts. Smart move! You didn’t need to hire your own specialists in UX design, app development, billing, integrations, transcoding etc. But a few years in, you’re starting to feel like you’ve outgrown your existing provider. You want Big Screen apps, flexible monetisation options and a higher-quality UX, but for that – to quote the movie Jaws – “going to need a bigger boat”!
We’ve helped a number of OTT services make the switch to the Magine Pro platform to get all these benefits, and we know that it can be a daunting decision. You’re not just swapping out a single app, billing solution or transcoding tool – you’re switching pretty much everything all at once. And you’re probably in a hurry to make it happen as soon as possible. The good news is that, unlike hunting for Jaws, migrating OTT platforms doesn’t have to be terrifying!
Here’s what we’ve learned from guiding other services through the switch, helping them to move over as quickly as possible, with minimal disruption to both end users and their internal operations.
Ready, Set, Go! What you need in place to make switching fast and fuss free
The work to get a customer switched over to the Magine Pro platform can take as little as two weeks, with daily check-ins between a representative of the customer’s organisation and our customer success team. But to achieve such an expedited timeline, the customer needs to be fully prepared to supply all the necessary information and ensure they have team members who are accountable for key areas of the migration.
How to get your content into your new OTT platform
In our experience, the task that takes up the most time when moving platforms is moving the content itself, including video, metadata and images. So, you’ll want to get started on this process as soon as possible.
When it comes to video, as I described in my previous blog post, you can either ingest the source files for all your existing content, or you can move over the existing DRM-encrypted files. Our advice is to go back to the high-quality source files. It may seem counterintuitive if you’ve already transcoded the content, but every platform has its preferred formats and this is a great opportunity to normalise all your content which may have been uploaded at different times and rendered into different bit-rates. While uploading source files to cloud storage does take time, it’s typically no more time-intensive than uploading all the different renditions of the same file. We advise our customers to use automation to smooth the batch-upload process, rather than requiring someone to supervise manual uploads. Having some scripting skills on hand to support this, even just for a few weeks, will likely increase the velocity of your move to your new platform.
Metadata is the new oil: Maximising discoverability in your new OTT platform
It is crucial that any video service takes the time to get the metadata transfer right when switching to a new OTT platform. In many cases, the existing system is the “source of truth” for all your content metadata, but it’s not always – perhaps you’ve got a separate rights management system that you’ll be exporting from. But wherever you hold your metadata, you’re going to need to ensure it maps accurately to the fields in your new platform. Again, you’ll want to automate this process and we’re often called upon to help our customers with the technicalities of this data transformation.
Trading Up Your OTT User Experience: Big Screen and Small Screen Apps
Although an end-to-end OTT platform relieves you of the responsibility for designing your own apps, there is still a need for some design input from the video service provider. Logos and other image assets need to be provided, including images for the App splash screens. In return, you’ll also need to upload images of the refreshed Apps to the various app stores to promote your service. So while you probably won’t need a designer on your staff to smooth the project along, we do recommend you have someone on the project team who is responsible for sourcing and signing-off the necessary designs and imagery.
Once the apps are ready, we’ll typically push them into the customer’s app store accounts (you’ll need to supply the credentials) but it’s up to the customer to do final testing and actually submit the apps for review and publication.
When it comes to TV apps for the likes of LG or Samsung, you probably already know that the review process is typically much more lengthy than with Google or Apple. If you’re switching platforms to get access to big screen apps for the first time, you can afford to make the jump for all your other apps and wait for the Smart TV app approvals to come through at a later date. If you have existing apps, the approvals process is something you’ll need to take into account when planning your switch-over date. But if you’re working with a partner like Magine Pro who has already published many apps for companies like LG and Samsung, it can be helpful to highlight to them that the apps you’re submitting for review are using exactly the same code-base as other apps they’ve already approved.
Getting to know you: Switching your customers to the new platform
While the high-volume migration of content is happening in the background, and your apps are being approved, another topic to focus on is customer data. The first step is to provide examples of the user details held in your current platform to the new service provider so they can start to match fields and identify any issues.
If, as outlined in my previous blog, you’re bringing over customer accounts but not passwords, a key step is to craft in advance the template emails that will go out to existing users to inform them that they need to create a new password when they log in for the first time after the switch-over. Getting these communications right is key to limiting user friction and the potential for churn during the migration process. At the same time, you’ll also need to configure template emails for all those business-as-usual customer flows such as reset password, payment processed, payment card expired, etc.
Automating the migration of customer data and user accounts between OTT platforms
When you’re ready to switch the users over, automation is once again going to be your friend. Ideally, you’ll have someone on your team with scripting skills and a working knowledge of your existing CRM/billing system. They’ll need to obtain the necessary customer data from your current platform so it can be safely added to your new platform via our migration team to:
- Create a user in the new platform with all relevant information – first name, last name, email address, birth date, location etc. The list will differ per platform.
- Create relevant entitlements for that user that map to their existing entitlements
- Add details of when their next billing cycle is required
On the day nerves: How to handle the actual switchover?
We typically recommend that customers time their switch-over to coincide with the regularly scheduled maintenance window of our cloud provider to ensure all back-ups are clean and in sync. We’ve already touched on the need to migrate the user accounts, but how do you stop any customer purchases or registrations falling through the net while that is going on? Our advice is to pause new sign-ups and purchases just before you take your image of the user database to avoid this problem.
Using automation will minimise the length of time when you’re unable to support customer interactions in this way, in our benchmarking tests, we expect it to take around two hours to migrate 10,000 user accounts, so it should be possible to do this process at a time of day when your service sees the least user traffic.
But in some cases, the existing OTT platform may not be able to disable sign-ups or purchases, so we’ll need to do a careful reconciliation of the delta between exported data and final data in the decommissioned system to avoid customer complaints.
Want to know more? Talk to our experts
As you can see, there’s a lot more to switching OTT platforms than meets the eye, but if you’ve got the right support and a team that’s done it many times before, you’re in safe hands. If you’d like to talk to the Magine Pro team about any of the topics raised in this blog, why not book a meeting.