Making TV more engaging and social with help from Microsoft technologies

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iConnectUS PRO leverages the Microsoft stack to change the way people watch TV

Microsoft partner iConnectUS PRO is aiming for nothing short of a transformation in the way people watch TV with its unique, industry leading, cloud-based offering called iConnectCAST. “Not only can you watch TV, but you can share your viewing experiences with friends,” says iConnectUS PRO CEO Michael Fetyko. “iConnectCAST lets you consume content together and have a more social TV experience.”

That’s just one part of the equation. “You also have the ability to impact programming,” Fetyko continues. “iConnectCAST collects user-generated content and makes it available for producers. We track social sentiment using Microsoft Social Engagement in real time, and when something bubbles to the top as a trend, producers can incorporate that into live programming. It helps them keep their finger on the pulse of what’s interesting to viewers and fans.”

Technology and support: the Microsoft advantage for startups

When first developing iConnectCAST, Fetyko’s team chose to partner with Microsoft, and they never looked back. “When we were first working on our video platform, I had a friend at Microsoft who educated me on the things Microsoft Azure does, including managing video,” Fetyko says. “For me, there was no question. Azure provided so much more utility than the other top guns in cloud. In scenarios where there are Microsoft apps like Office 365 or SharePoint, cloud integration with Azure is seamless.”

“And they weren’t trying to push us into a big, expensive commitment,” Fetyko continues. “They were more interested in incubating our success, helping us walk before we run. They’re really focused on helping startups succeed. The access to their data scientists and architects, and the mentoring we’ve received, has been incredible. When you look at the breadth of technology and support Microsoft brings, they’ve always been the right choice for us.”

“First mover” advantage underpinned by Microsoft innovation and capability

"We’ve said we want to transform entertainment—a pretty lofty goal in a competitive marketplace,” Fetyko says. “But we feel confident partnering with Microsoft. We can focus on innovation and speed to market in our solution, and tap into the Microsoft stack that helps make our solution work.”

The core iConnectCAST tool runs on Windows 10, and the solution uses Microsoft Social Listening. “On Azure, we use Media Services, Cognitive Services, Machine Learning, Cortana Intelligence, Dynamics 365, Bot Services, HDInsight, Power Platform, and more,” Fetyko says. “Microsoft is building the heavy-lifting tools, so we can make the most of what those tools can do for our clients.”

Delivering powerful intelligence and business insights

From iConnectUS PRO’s perspective, the future of content consumption for brand engagement and conversations will require a high degree of relevance. “We’re digging deep into Cortana Intelligence and Microsoft Cognitive Toolkit to help us make sense of the massive amounts of data we’re collecting from user-generated content as well as speech-to-text and facial recognition. It’s an accelerator to help us permeate more channels of engagement.”

“Our solution integrates directly into Microsoft Dynamics 365, so we can cultivate audience analytics and execute campaigns through CRM, including how social media gets involved and managed,” Fetyko continues. “And we rely on Power Platform to help us present data visually and in a meaningful, non-technical way for business stakeholders.”

Working under a cost-effective, profitable business model with Azure

iConnectCAST lends itself particularly well to large-scale live events with extensive video content—sporting events, concerts, live talent shows, national political debates, and more. Microsoft Azure is the perfect cloud platform for handling massive, sustained traffic spikes while keeping costs in line.

“We had a major global, live event recently where we took advantage of Azure’s app-elasticity capabilities,” Fetyko says. “In a simple, browser based interface, we were able to spin up processing, hosting, and video-streaming power right when we needed it, and then spin it right back down again when the spike had passed, so we weren’t spending money on capacity we weren’t using.”

“We had another client who was hesitant at first to embrace the cloud due to cost concerns,” Fetyko continues. “But with forecasting and planning help from Microsoft, we hit our deadline, as well as performance and uptime targets, and came in right on budget. This was unprecedented for them and a huge confidence builder in the Azure cloud and us.”

“It’s business-critical for us to deliver performance and watch our costs at the same time,” Fetyko says. “We have to forecast costs, keep our pricing competitive, and work under a profitable business model. Azure makes it very easy to do that. Prior to Azure, we would have had to invest in very specialized, cost-prohibitive expertise and development.”