BSkyB dishes out new web tools to customers

Sky wants to offer remote control over the web

Broadcaster BSkyB is redeveloping its e-commerce platform to take advantage of the increasing convergence between television and the internet.

The company is introducing systems to analyse user behaviour online, and wants to allow customers to do more through the web.

“We want to take the TV proposition online and provide customers with a remote control for their set-top boxes over the web,” said Alasdair Wright, director of online and interactive channels at BSkyB.

An example of such initiatives is Never Miss, a tool launched at the end of March that allows users to schedule recording of TV series and films well in advance of them being broadcast.

Initial releases of the new online platform are scheduled for the last quarter of this year, followed by continued improvements in functionality. BSkyB makes extensive use of agile programming techniques for its web development.

As the transformation takes place, the broadcaster is also investing to enhance areas such as search engine optimisation and customer experience management.
Last week, BSkyB completed the deployment of a user analytics tool across its transactional web site, aimed at improving service as well as gaining a better insight into user behaviour.

The Tealeaf-supplied system will support the firm in diagnosing critical business problems such as page abandonment, which can be “like finding a needle in a haystack”, said Wright.

“As we develop more capability online, it is essential that we are able to understand issues and address them quickly as they appear,” he said.

Wright added that a productivity increase would be another benefit from using the new system, as increased visibility of user activity online and the scale of any eventual issues will support the prioritisation of development resources.