Systems Integration for Wtv Facilitating Next Level Interactive Webcast

There was already a growing demand for video streaming and webcasts worldwide. Then the pandemic struck, pressuring virtual event companies to level up and provide a similar experience to that of a physical event. Where audiences could interact with speakers, pose questions, and access pre-event content. As well as allowing organisers to manage registrations, event access, and audience database. In the face of this industry-wide disruption, WTV, a leading global virtual events company, sought to make webcasts more interactive for audiences and efficient for their organising partners.

Having years of experience in providing virtual and hybrid event platforms, WTV wanted to reimagine the way audiences attend virtual events on their platforms: ShareStudio and StreamStudio.

The Eminent Need for Change

Matching the experience and convenience of physical events in a virtual setting came with its own set of challenges. Providing interactive events means allowing attendees to ask questions directly to the speakers. Take part in polls and having helpful and responsive technical support. Many virtual events are global in nature. Thus, facilitating streaming on a lower bandwidth was crucial as well.

Since virtual events are here to stay, WTV aimed to push the boundaries of webcast experiences even further. They wanted to provide audiences an access to virtual libraries of pre-event content. Also allowing for post-event replays viewers to watch at their convenience.

WTV also wanted to allow organisers to gather audience data. These data will become the building blocks of an organised database. Allowing them to search and provide access to registered users in real time.

The Path Towards Transformation

WTV partnered with TulipTech to transform webcasts and video streaming experience for both audiences and organisers. Meeting their requirements meant integrating multiple platforms and widgets into their own streaming platforms.

With our expertise in systems integration and years of experience in Streaming Media, OTT , VoD and WebRTC, we took on the challenge of integrating six platforms in their StreamStudio and ShareStudio portals.

Slido - Facilitating Q&A and Polls

Slido allows live Q&A sessions between speakers and audiences during an event. Also facilitating polling and other similar features through an interactive plugin. It works by enabling organisers to collect live data from the viewers and making it accessible to those concerned.

But, the features Slido offered were not required for all events WTV hosted. So we decided to go with a conditional integration. The plugin can be added or removed from the portal by controlling it from the admin panel of WTV provided to the organisers.

We integrated a Slido toggle, matching the design of the page, where users can turn it on and add the event ID. The Slido will directly bind the iframe on the view page for the end user with the data related to the event. The integration was achieved without any difficulties. We were able to smoothly achieve the desired functionality within the timeframe.

Nobotchat - Providing End-to-end Tech Support

There are a lot of technical issues viewers might face while attending a virtual event. Nobotchat offers real-time technical support to webcast viewers. Backed up by highly trained human chat agents.

We integrated Nobotchat in the ShareStudio platform of WTV and made it available in two forms – as a widget, and as an embedded app in the support page. Making on-demand technical support available to attendees throughout the event and even afterwards.

Tthe seamless integration of Nobotchat means they can now offer end-users a wide range of troubleshooting. From login access recovery to providing solutions for common live stream problems.

IBM Cloud for VOD- Empowering Virtual Knowledge Transfers

WTV required a video on-demand platform for their ShareStudio portal. Allowing audiences to get access to valuable pre-event content. The VoD platform would also host post-event content and recordings for audiences to watch at their own convenience.

IBM Video Cloud offered the right solution for the job. It provides a scalable, cloud-based online video platform that is an end-to-end solution for live or on-demand content.

We integrated the IBM API by rendering a page that lists the available channel playlists in a carousel format. Using JavaScript, HTML, and CSS, the application is able to render videos uploaded into the IBM video platform into playlists based on predefined environment variables.

Another important component is the security integration where a JWT token is utilized to authenticate the application with the IBM API endpoints.

With this integration, they are now able to set up video playlists, arrange them in order, and display them on the portal with relative ease.

Peer5 - Streaming on Lower Bandwidth

Peer5 is a solution that reduce the amount of internet bandwidth utilized by enterprise companies and allow customers to organize webcasts with thousands of participants without risk of overloading their available internet bandwidth. Peer5 uses intelligent client peering to ensure the optimal bandwidth saving is achieved.

We coordinated and liaised with both WTV and Peer5 to ensure knowledge transfer and integration would move as smooth as possible. We integrated Peer5 as an option in the WTV platforms, using a simple User Interface design for activation and deactivation from the administrative page. From the webcast frontend perspective a conditional script would load the Peer5 SDK based on the user’s selection within the administrative interface of the WTV’s application.

The successful completion of this integration meant that webcast organizers could easily choose to utilize the Peer5 solution within their webcast and take quickly and easily advantage of the solution, it also meant that the WTV’s webcast application would be more enticing for customer already using the Peer5 solution.

Ramp - Scalable Enterprise Video Streaming

The Ramp solution is very similar to the Peer5 from an end user utilization perspective, however it came with its own specific requirements in terms of technical integration.

As with the Peer5 integration, TulipTech managed the communication and coordination amongst teams to ensure knowledge and information would be transferred amongst stakeholders in the most efficient way.

The integration enabled the WTV webcasting application to turn on/off the RAMP feature with simplicity and allow webcast organisers internal and external to utilize the solution for their webcasting with ease.

This enabled WTV to further develop relationship with customers using the RAMP solution to deliver their webcasts and eventually allow those customers to move their business to WTV.

The integration will also help WTV to expand their market opportunities and be able to leverage different technology to satisfy a wider set of customer requirements.

Lenos - Streamlining Data Management

Lenos enables users to manage virtualand in person events registration by providing a single interface to manage invitations and data analytics.

A Striking Difference

As many WTV’s customer were using the LENOS solution to manage their event’s registration, TulipTech has been requested to engage with this integration. The LENOS application provides a set of REST APIs that can be plugged into and ensure a seamless integration.

As in other projects, we managed the communication and development of the integration to ensure a smooth and efficient transition. WTV’s ShareStudio application has been fully integrated with the LENOS solution by implementing new modules into the ShareStudio application that would directly communicate with the LENOS’s REST API’s and allow participants to register in LENOS and log into ShareStudio without having to reinsert their details.

It also allowed the ShareStudio application to acquire all the registration data from the LENOS platform and provide a fully integrated set of analytics to the event organizer. This integration did not only enabled WTV’s to satisfy their existing customer requirements and create a stronger relationship, but also expand the market reach to those customers using LENOS with a different set of technologies.

Project Feedback

Our task with WTV was all about equipping them to take webcasts and video streaming to the next level. Allowing them to maximise engagement and organisational efficiencies while hosting an event.

Integrating the five platforms and plugins in WTV's streaming portals was challenging. However, with my team's ingenuity and dedication, we were able to deliver what our client expected from us.

It excites us knowing that, with the host of capabilities we integrated into their system, WTV is now ready to meet the growing demands of the streaming industry.

Next Step

If you would like to know more about how TulipTech can help with System Integration of your platform with different technologies, such as WebRTC, OTT , VoD , Webcast , RestAPI , SDKs, Mobile& TV apps please reach out to the TulipTech Team.

Masum Shamjad

Founder and CEO, TulipTech