New Revenue Protection Service for OTT TV

It is worth remembering that when business models get disrupted, the disciplines embedded in those business models also get disrupted. OTT providers of content are disrupting older business models. By doing so, they also create a new dynamic for managing fraud and assuring revenues – one that fits and supports the way that OTT providers make money and the particular kinds of frauds they suffer. And this opens up possibilities for vendors to service their specialist needs. Who will fill the gap? One such firm is Farncombe, a British professional services company that focuses on digital media, and TV in particular. They have just launched a monitoring service that protects OTT content providers by detecting piracy and fraud; see their press release here. With many traditional electronic comms providers needing to revamp their business model to compete with OTT, and opting for revenue models where content charges generate a larger slice of revenues compared to access and usage charges, there will be increasing demand for revenue protection services like Farncombe’s. Will firms like Farncombe get an ever-greater foothold into these telcos, or will the vendors of traditional telco RA and FMS extend their offerings to match the new threats to their customers? When it comes to fraud and criminality, everybody needs to run to keep pace with change, and that is true of traditional telcos, disruptive players, and suppliers.