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Ebook: High Performance Multimedia
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The focus of High Performance Multimedia is on the ever expanding European e-content industry. Production, aggregation and distribution of that content are the starting points to any future development towards a flourishing industry sector of the third millennium. Nevertheless, in addition to the diffusion of knowledge throughout the industry, digitalisation has completely changed the structure of the content business through the dissociation of content and media channel. This movement creates problems in the process of the business. Highest technological demands in time and money are limiting the size of e-content enterprises today. In contrast, its distribution is still being dominated by broadcasters and telecom providers that skim the biggest part of the profits. However, possibilities do arise when analyzing the industry of e-content. The European e-content market will be able to play a major role in the future by including all relevant players and their abilities. The challenge during the next years will be to stop the concentration on high-end technology and to create new adequate e-content services providing added value to everyone in Europe.
Content is king – often quoted and even more often neglected this slogan of the information age is impending over the European e-Content industry. The promising new markets of Information Society may legitimate such a statement, but how to serve this king? Economical circumstances and technological potentials determine the production, aggregation and distribution of e-Content. They are the starting points to any future development towards a flourishing industry sector of the third millennium.
To analyse the chances and challenges appearing at the horizon, the European Union set up a priority on “Information Society Technologies” within its 6th RTD Framework Programme. Following this focus eleven research institutions, think tanks and centres of excellence relating to IT and new media from all over Europe set up a project with the goal of Anticipating Content Technology Needs (ACTeN). They aimed at providing a fair view of the European e-Content industry documenting its actual state and future possibilities with respect to practical as well as scientific needs. All key stakeholders of the branch where included into this process, fostering an exchange of knowledge in Europe. Therefore five of the eleven partners were based in central and Eastern European countries to boost the emergence of an all European e-Content network. A continuous market watch showing principles and developments served as the basis for numerous discussions between professionals representing every step of the e-Content value chain. Thus, in addition to the diffusion of knowledge throughout the industry, problems and potential in the process of the business could be analysed. Extending the perspective to the future, leading scientists contributed their latest findings. Furthermore, the presentation of best practice application fostered the spread of excellence.
Technology's mastery is still in advance, whereas the implementation of new content services is lagging behind. Digitalisation has completely changed the structure of the content business through the dissociation of content and media channel. Highest technological demands in time and money are limiting the size of e-Content enterprises today – nevertheless cooperations to realise synergies in this areas are not in sight. This bears a chance for small companies as well as for the traditional media business like newspapers and film studios in aspects of content production. In contrast its distribution is still being dominated by broadcasters and telecom providers that skim the biggest part of the profits. But this situation will not necessarily persist due to changing consuming habits. Anyhow a fair solution has to be found especially in regards to digital rights management, respecting the needs of all parties involved.
The European e-Content market will be able to play a major role in the future by including all relevant players and their abilities. There are many fast evolving areas (mobile content, paid content, interactive digital TV) holding big potential in respect to technological development and economical profits. It is up to the EU to prepare a copious foundation to its exploitation by improving standardisation, knowledge transfer and networking. Thereby, a success depends on the coping with the imminent digital divide that impends to damage the basis of a prosperous future of the European e-Content industry. The challenge during the next years will be to stop the concentration on high-end technology and to create new adequate e-Content services providing added value to everyone in Europe.
