Top 5 Enhancements to the Playback Now Content Hosting Platform in 2022
After COVID paused the initial Playback Now platform relaunch in 2020, 2022 is scheduled to be an exciting year for the custom Playback Now content hosting platform.
“Playback Now’s hosting platform has been added and tweaked, enhanced for 13 years, we are in the process of a total refresh of the platform”, said Patrick Vanderhorst, Playback Now’s IT Director, “If you remember, our original platform was originally created to help sell CDs and DVDs along with online access for the early adopters so we’ve certainly come a long way in 13 years and built a lot of custom features some are relevant but many are no longer relevant. We will be keeping the best features and adding a lot of new enhancements”.
Here is a breakdown of the top 5 enhancements coming to the Playback Now content hosting platform in 2022.
1. Single Sign-On
Single sign-on (SSO) is an authentication scheme that allows a user to log in with a single ID and password to any of several related, yet independent, software systems. True single sign-on allows the user to log in once and access services without re-entering authentication factors. As more and more associations want their backend technical systems connected, the ability for “single sign-on” has become the norm.
The updated platform will give the ability to allow single sign-on with our client’s other systems. The most common example will be when our clients have an AMS setup and perhaps they sell on-demand packages on their AMS. The magic of SSO means that if a member is logged into the association AMS system and decides they want to purchase an OnDemand video package, they will instantly be connected inside the Playback Now platform to view the videos. No multiple logging in, just a seamless connection of the two independent systems giving the customer a smoother journey between the systems.
2. Custom Integrations
Our new platform is set up to allow many integrations which means that we will now be able to connect to your registration system so when you are taking your registration, your system should be able to ‘speak’ directly to our system. For example, if a customer purchases access to a live stream on your system, our system will immediately generate the account and access so no more list sharing and rushing to import last-minute registrants 2 minutes before we go live!
3. Ability to custom design or mirror your current association page layout with design and colors
While our standard layout will now allow a bit more flexibility, this additional feature closely aligns with the above SSO enhancement and will allow Playback Now website designers the ability to custom design each instance of our platform to match the branding, color, layout of an association’s .org homepage. For example, if a user logs into the association website or AMS clicks on perhaps the “Conference Recordings” link the user will instantly be taken to the Playback Now platform but with the colors, layout and branding being near identical to the association’s actual site, it will not appear to be a 3rd party site. To enhance even further, utilizing the SSO feature, users will seamlessly be logged into the Playback Now platform as well. To the user, it will all feel as though we are on the same website and no longer opening multiple tabs/windows and using multiple usernames and passwords.
4. User Analytics
The transition to virtual-only conferences confirmed the importance of user data and analytics of popular sessions. While we have tracked this data in the past, there was not an easy way for our partners to access this information. Analytics will now be more robust and easier to access.
5. Custom Mobile Apps
While we have always had the Playback Now mobile app which allows users across all of our stores the ability to stream OnDemand content easily through their mobile devices, we will now have the ability to create individual custom mobile apps for our association partners as well.
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