How digital challenges are changing the role of media and publishing companies Digibiz, London, June 18th 2009 Andrea Gianotti Il Sole 24 ORE Digital Documents Management

Agenda Introduction Digital challenges R&D activities Conclusions

Agenda Introduction Digital challenges R&D activities Conclusions

Gruppo 24ORE Gruppo 24 ORE is a multimedia publishing group. Its main product is the newspaper Il Sole 24 ORE. Il Sole 24 ORE (born in 1865) is one of the leading daily newspapers in Italy; it mainly deals with contents about the economy and the financial markets. Il Sole 24 ORE is also an integrated publishing system that reaches over eight million people every week , through its range of media and channels.

Gruppo 24 ORE is a multimedia publishing group. Its main product is the newspaper Il Sole 24 ORE.

Il Sole 24 ORE (born in 1865) is one of the leading daily newspapers in Italy; it mainly deals with contents about the economy and the financial markets.

Il Sole 24 ORE is also an integrated publishing system that reaches over eight million people every week , through its range of media and channels.

Digital documents management Provide the supervision about all the processes concerning digital archiving (data and information acquisition, architecture, management, storing, classification and distribution) from a business point of view Setting up initiatives to exploit value from archives Looking for new business opportunity in B2B web 2.0 arena

Provide the supervision about all the processes concerning digital archiving (data and information acquisition, architecture, management, storing, classification and distribution) from a business point of view

Setting up initiatives to exploit value from archives

Looking for new business opportunity in B2B web 2.0 arena

Agenda Introduction Digital challenges R&D activities Conclusions

#1 – Push up the value curve in contents lifetime time value press agencies newspapers collections archives Internet + radio/ tv E.g.: News

# 2 – Use information beyond the contents We’re full of contents but poor in information! How to give specific answer to a specific question, beyond text? Information extraction from multimedia formats Understand what’s inside, because of pre-selection in very huge number of content to manage

We’re full of contents but poor in information!

How to give specific answer to a specific question, beyond text?

Information extraction from multimedia formats

Understand what’s inside, because of pre-selection in very huge number of content to manage

#2 – An example News: “Today the EU has cut 80% off subsidies to wine producers” I’ve to assess a wine producer credit risk: has this consequences on his next balance sheets? I’m investing in agricultural terrains: what was now the correct values of vineyards? I’m a spirit producer and use grapes surplus: am I expecting a fall of commodities price?

#3 – Job specialization vs. multi-skills job: an organizational dilemma The information production is now so large diffused, that many publishing company are going to become “validators” and “packagers” of those information, more than “producers” as occurred in the past. New target expectations, in terms of innovative formats (multimedia, interactive web, “tweeting”, etc…) is imposing to content producers to be able to move across different skills.

The information production is now so large diffused, that many publishing company are going to become “validators” and “packagers” of those information, more than “producers” as occurred in the past.

New target expectations, in terms of innovative formats (multimedia, interactive web, “tweeting”, etc…) is imposing to content producers to be able to move across different skills.

#3 – Schema One content producer  Many skills A publisher as format-independent Contents database available in many format (text, video, images, audio, tables, graphics, …) Content Publisher Final product/service modification chioce … etc… Images Realation with readers and comments Animations Audio Text Video Content Producer

#4 – Control the quality of information and sources in UGC Digital publishers are opening to readers and users contributions They have to manage a potentially very huge numbers of contents, filtering the relevant one according to source and context Verifying the quality of information is all about credibility  huge amount of data needs new tools to deal with

Digital publishers are opening to readers and users contributions

They have to manage a potentially very huge numbers of contents, filtering the relevant one according to source and context

Verifying the quality of information is all about credibility  huge amount of data needs new tools to deal with

#5 – There is a “native” format, there isn’t a “single” format anymore A content is generated in a format (or a mix of different formats): text, audio, video, spreadsheet, animation, image, etc… A content should be able to be transformed – in a simple way – in any other format, according to current and future publishing need

A content is generated in a format (or a mix of different formats): text, audio, video, spreadsheet, animation, image, etc…

A content should be able to be transformed – in a simple way – in any other format, according to current and future publishing need

#6 –Who’s the customer? This is not about clustering customers! This is knowing single and specific needs from single and specific customer How to do to this? Behavioural analysis + Social habits = Profiling Understand needs (explicit or implicit) Be flexible to provide the correct information to a specific user’s need

This is not about clustering customers!

This is knowing single and specific needs from single and specific customer

How to do to this?

Behavioural analysis + Social habits = Profiling

Understand needs (explicit or implicit)

Be flexible to provide the correct information to a specific user’s need

Agenda Introduction Digital challenges R&D activities Conclusions

R&D activities: not (only) from an IT side A publishing company is not an IT company, even if uses a lot of IT for its processes R&D activities are addressed more into applying value to contents for customers needs with the support of exploitation of IT R&D activities Publishing companies are both data providers and market drivers

A publishing company is not an IT company, even if uses a lot of IT for its processes

R&D activities are addressed more into applying value to contents for customers needs with the support of exploitation of IT R&D activities

Publishing companies are both data providers and market drivers

E.g.: The Musing project 6th FP  will end by March, 2010 Semantic-based business intelligence solution How to deal with risks (credit, operational, reputational) by financial institutions  very actual! Using state-of-the-art technologies and very new models and solutions to efficiently provide banks risk assessment

6th FP  will end by March, 2010

Semantic-based business intelligence solution

How to deal with risks (credit, operational, reputational) by financial institutions  very actual!

Using state-of-the-art technologies and very new models and solutions to efficiently provide banks risk assessment

Research streams in digital business for a publishing company How to deal with multimedia contents, both from internal (be able to manage large volumes of data) and external side (be able to give the exact content with the exact format to the single user) How to move from contents to information How to definitely ignore the format of a content …

How to deal with multimedia contents, both from internal (be able to manage large volumes of data) and external side (be able to give the exact content with the exact format to the single user)

How to move from contents to information

How to definitely ignore the format of a content

…

Agenda Introduction Digital challenges R&D activities Conclusions

Digital challenges have to be engaged Because “digital” is the present (and, of course, the future) of a publishing company Because “digital” opens (a lot of) new business opportunities Because “digital” is saving money AND improving quality to current and foreseen business processes

Because “digital” is the present (and, of course, the future) of a publishing company

Because “digital” opens (a lot of) new business opportunities

Because “digital” is saving money AND improving quality to current and foreseen business processes

From “broadcasters” to one-to-one information providers in B2B market Customers are more and more expecting something really matching with their own profile They want to choose  choosing is not searching! They want to pay (only) for added value information

Customers are more and more expecting something really matching with their own profile

They want to choose  choosing is not searching!

They want to pay (only) for added value information

Which business model for the future of publishing companies? Re-using contents produced or acquired (and again, and again, and again, …) Micropayments Collecting and integrating contents from “open” (but trusted) sources Becoming (also) “content platforms” Dealing with players that uses contents to make (a lot of) money in web 2.0 arena (E.g.: telco, search engines, etc…)

Re-using contents produced or acquired (and again, and again, and again, …)

Micropayments

Collecting and integrating contents from “open” (but trusted) sources

Becoming (also) “content platforms”

Dealing with players that uses contents to make (a lot of) money in web 2.0 arena (E.g.: telco, search engines, etc…)

Thank you! Contacts Andrea Gianotti Il Sole 24 ORE T: +39.0230224937 M: andrea.gianotti@ilsole24ore.com