SoftQuest Media Gateway

The SoftQuest Media Gateway provides a media-on-demand service - allowing customers to select and view audio/visual services and entertainment over the internet. This includes: Video Streaming, Live Video Broadcasts, Audio Streaming, Internet Radio, Pod-Casting and Enriched Video Conferencing.

The bandwidth of the customer's device is controlled by the RADIUS server and ensures that the customer's bandwidth is properly managed. The Media Gateway has control over media delivery at all times.

Web Broadcasting using the Media Gateway

Music, Videos and other data can be streamed either real-time or off-line from the media gateway to the customer's device. This device can be a Web based Videophone or any other A/V device including a mobile phone. Content is delivered through the client's web browser using Flash Media Player 9 or later. Flash Media Player can be installed on a wide variety of browsers and operating systems ensuring maximum accessibility for users.

Web Broadcasting Features

• Content delivery through web browser
• Advanced billing capabilities
• Download limiting tied to billing setup
• Online portal for customer purchase of media items
• SOAP API Interface
• Customisable media item templates
• Content ratings for different country/state jurisdictions
• Support for external metering services
• Media usage records
• Support for multiple stream types
• In house and 3rd party media sources
• Supports multiple providers
• Media content resellers
• Digital Rights Management (DRM)

Advanced Billing

Billing functionality for SoftQuest Media Gateway is provided though SoftQuest BillQuest application. BillQuest is a web based application that integrates seamlessly with Media Gateway. This provides the Media Gateway with a modular billing setup incorporating:

• Subscription
• Pay per viewing
• Pay by duration of viewing
• Pay by download limit
• By content type (eg: Video, Radio, Live Broadcast etc)
• By user class (eg: Standard, Premium, Business etc)
• By item attribute (eg for movies: Children's Shows, New Releases, Adult Content)
• Prepaid/postpaid options

These billing models may also be combined to create new billing structures. For example a subscription based model may be combined with User Classes so that Premium subscribers have access to faster download servers and New Release content before the Standard subscribers. Standard subscribers may also have a download limiting applied where as the Premium users do not. We believe that the Media Gateway provides a system flexible enough to suit the most demanding billing requirements. Any restrictions imposed by the billing models are physically implemented by use of download limiting described next.

Download Limiting

Media content delivery can be configured so that it can only be viewed a certain number of times, or be restricted by streaming time or download size.

User download constraints are defined by the billing Structure. For example a user that subscribes to a monthly subscription will automatically be billed at the end of each month and their access denied if there is a payment failure. Premium content users may have access to faster download servers than Standard Users.

Download speeds, total download and user access is controlled using RADIUS servers. This allows users access rights to be updated and controlled in real time.

Customer Portal for Media Purchase

The Media Gateway has a Customer Portal to allow users to sign up and access media content/services. This customer portal can easily be modified to suit the look and feel of the provider's web site as well as access to other information.

Customer Signup
The Media Gateway Signup form can be configured to dynamically reflect the content being provided and the billing structures that are available. The process is completely automated. Once the customer has signed up and made any necessary payment they will have access to their allowed content.

Content Download
The Media Gateway provides a simple yet flexible customer interface for the accessing of content.

SOAP API Interface

The Media Gateway provides a SOAP API interface to allow external applications to interface with the system. The API covers most areas of Media Gateway operation including:

• Signup processes
• Updating/viewing of content details
• Updating/viewing user information
• Maintenance of billing structures
• Setup of download limiting rules
• Maintenance of actual content files
• Maintenance of 3 rd party content provider and metering services
• Updating/viewing of reseller information
• Updating of video conferencing configurations

Customisable Media Item Templates

Templates for different media items can be defined that reflect the attributes of the media item. For example a movie might have attributes such as: Title, Director, Lead actors, Rating and Duration. Where as a radio station would have attributes such as: Name and Style of music. These templates can then be used when details for a media item is entered into the system. Attributes can used in search criteria by the user when searching downloadable content.

Multiple Jurisdiction Support for Content Ratings

Content ratings can be defined for a media item for different country/state jurisdictions. This allows different ratings to be displayed to customers in different jurisdictions, and particular media items made unavailable in countries where they are banned or considered undesirable.

Content rating can also be linked to the billing system. For example the system can be set up so that subscribers to Children's Programs only have access content that is rated G and PG in their jurisdiction.

External Metering Service Support

External metering services can be used to record media usage. Different metering services can be used for different media items.

The Media Gateway can be configured to send content usage information via HTTP/HTTPS. This can be in real-time or as a batch process. Media usage information can also be access via the SOAP API so that simple batch programs can be created to interrogated and send the required information to the metering service. Software hooks are also provided in the Media Gateway so that usage information can be intercepted and sent in real time to metering services.

Record of Media Usage

Media usage is recorded on in house servers. This can measure the number of downloads, megabytes downloaded and duration of downloads. Not only is this information used for limiting customer media usage as per their billing setup, but can also be used in paying royalties to content providers/copyright owners.

The Media usage records can also be interrogated to provide comprehensive reporting on content usage, popular items, and bandwidth requirements for different times of the day or week. This can all be used in making decisions regarding content, billing and network configuration.

Support for Multiple Stream Types for In-House or 3rd Party Sources

The Media Gateway supports different media types including downloaded, streamed from file, live broadcast streaming and peer-to-peer. Media can be sourced from in-house servers, from 3rd party content providers. Media items can have more than one 3rd party content provider defined. This means that media can be streamed from different providers based on cost, bandwidth bottlenecks from the provider or based on other criteria.

Support for Media Content Resellers

Media content resellers can be setup and allowed to on-sell the media in different jurisdictions. For example a media content reseller might be a motel chain that then on-sells the media to their customers. The system can be configured to allow the resellers access to data on their customers, sales and media usage.

The Billing model used by the resellers to bill their customers can be different from the billing models used by the Media Service Provider. Using the motel chain as an example. they may have a yearly subscription with the Media Service Provider, and then on sell that content at an hourly rate to their own customers.

Digital Rights Management (DRM)

The Media Gateway supports 2 types of DRM.

Content Integrity
Which ensures that the downloaded media isn't tampered with, and

Identity Based Licensing
Ensures that the content can only be played back by an authorised user.

The Media is encrypted and associated with a policy that describes the rights parameters. This policy describes the start and end dates of the content, maximum client cache time, approved playback applications and user authentication. The Media can be rendered unplayable if the content or rights policy has been tampered with.