Multimedia authorisation protocol draft spec issued
April 10, 2012
The Open Authentication Technology Committee (OATC), a non-profit industry association of programmers/content owners, multi-channel video programme distributors (MVPDs), technology companies, and system integrators, has confirmed its Online Multimedia Authorization Protocol (OMAP) draft specification is now available for public comment and download.
The OATC OMAP specification is a voluntary open standard that provides MVPDs and programmers with consistent technology guidelines for verification service systems that make customers’ subscription content available online across a variety of Internet-based platforms.
OATC standards secure back-end data exchanges between content websites/applications and MVPD billing and authentication systems that preserve consumer anonymity and privacy. In addition, the standards define the architecture, protocols and data formats needed to build and deploy interoperable systems that authorise access by consumers.
The OMAP specification will benefit stakeholders in the online subscription content ecosystem:
- Multimedia content publishers and distributors will reduce unauthorised access to content, share a common architecture to minimise operational overhead and cost and provide consumers with standardised, secure access to media content over the Internet using their home and mobile devices and client software.
- Technology vendors and third-party service providers can develop value-added services and commercial solutions to deploy across the entire subscription content ecosystem.
- Consumers get choice, convenience and a simple and consistent experience, unlike today’s proprietary solutions.
“OATC is creating the open standards needed to enable simple online access to subscription TV services by bridging the gaps in existing technology with practical and workable solutions,” said Glenn Reitmeier, OATC president. “We are very excited to announce this preview of our first of several standards to come that will help MVPDs and programmers give their subscribers more choices than ever before.”
The OATC is inviting the public to download (http://www.oatc.us/Standards/Download.aspx) the draft specification and provide comments by May 4, 2012.