Report of the Group B "Content
and uses" appended to the recommendation of 8 March 2002
8 March 2002
Group B 'Uses, Applications and Services' finished its overview
of the various subjects that its members had proposed to study during
the second semester in 2001 when the group held its first meetings.
Six draft recommendations likely to promote the development of
uses have emerged from this overview, for submission to the CSTI.
A seventh draft was also drawn up jointly with group C ('Needs
for Experts'). The draft recommendations address the following
issues:
In the area of content enhancement and the diversification
of on-line payments methods
- The broadcast of audio-visual works on the Internet,
- The digitisation of the French heritage of knowledge,
- Online micro-payment.
In the area of appropriating the services and
controlling the tools
- SME and SMI using Information and Communication Technologies
and appropriating services ,
- E-administration adapting to users' daily life,
- " The educational system appropriating the Internet (jointly
with group C).
In the area of innovative drive and the observation
of uses
- The dynamics and economics of 'use' models
Content
enhancement speeds up the growth of offers drawing on widespread
broadband infrastructures (see the work by Group
A).
'Local support systems' should be set up if the services are to
appropriated and the tools controlled. The set-up or reinforcement
of said 'local support systems' requires experts in information
and communication technologies (see the work by Group
C).
I.
CONTENT ENHANCEMENT AND DIVERSIFICATION OF ONLINE PAYMENTS
I.1. The Broadcast of Audiovisual Works on the Internet
Putting films online
so they can be downloaded on the Internet runs into several difficulties.
However, the broadcast of recent films on the Internet would contribute
to the growth of broadband in France. The CSTI focused on three
legal impediments, i.e.,
I.1.1-
Royalty entitlement
Internet
royalties are not usually specified in the original release contracts
for royalties. This is a major legal impediment.
However, there seems to be a consensus to consider
that 'Internet royalties' are deemed ceded with the other royalties,
even if there is no specific transfer clause. All films are then
allowed to be shown on the Internet without having to spell out
each royalty release in riders to the initial contract.
The consensus of the profession will be formalised
in a contract between the performing rights associations and producer
syndicates, as an extension to the pay-per-view agreement signed
in 1999.
I.1.2-
Media Scheduling
Currently,
films are released (in Europe and in the United States) according
to a specific broadcast schedule where time-slots for initial
marketing must be complied with, i.e.:
- movie theatres
- + 6 months, video-DVD
- + 9 months, pay-per-view
- +12 months, scrambled subscriber channel
- + 24 months for co-productions otherwise + 36 months, network
channels
The following features:
- film showing per consumer request
- permanent film availability
- same functions as a VCR (pause, fast forward, rewind, and so
on)
- pay-per-view
argue for the inclusion of VOD (video on demand) within the 6
to 12-month time-slot, after the film has been released in theatres,
hence positioning the Internet before TV networks.
The regulatory authority (decree by the Ministry
for Culture) is in charge of deciding which time-slot should be
granted to VOD in the media scheduling.
I.1.3- Third party access to film catalogues
As
in the United States film catalogue ownership is very concentrated
in France.
When the US majors created two film-broadcasting sites, the US
Department of Justice ruled non-exclusivity, i.e., the films broadcast
by a catalogue owner must be accessible to third party broadcasters,
under the same terms and conditions. In France, the Conseil de
la Concurrence (the council for fair competition) will probably
make a like decision and monitor its enforcement.
The CSTI thinks that this position, which promotes the broadcast fluidity
of editorial contents on the Internet, should be adopted in France.
Internet operators should be eligible to benefit from the public
aid mechanisms for promoting the release of editorial contents
(films, music, books, and so on).
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CSTI recommends facilitating the broadcast of audiovisual
works on the Internet, first and foremost cinematographic
works, to enhance the broadband service offering. This should
be deployed by:
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I.2. Digitisation of the French Heritage of Knowledge
Major libraries and information holdings in the big
countries are not only digitised but also increasingly networked
through high broadband links. Yet, very few libraries in France
have connected to the RENATER network or adopted a short-term
methodical plan to digitise their priceless wealth.
The CSTI believes the cultural exception
too often addresses just cinematographic works. Considering this,
it would be expedient not to fall behind for written works, drawings,
or photographs that the libraries or museums contain.
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The
CSTI recommends the adoption of incentive measures for the
holders of this heritage to promote digitisation, online
circulation, and broadband interconnection. The purpose
would be to speed up the widespread digitisation of information
holdings (publishers, universities, libraries, archives,
and museums).
The CSTI would like to see these incentive measures attached
to conditions guaranteeing that:
- Digitisation is based on open document and description
formats
- Maximum enhancement of the digitised funds is ensured.
This supposes a policy of indexing and pooling on the one
hand, and a policy of making the funds available non-exclusively,
under reasonable conditions, to publishers or suppliers
of trading or non-trading private services.
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I.3. Online Micro-payments
In many fields, the model of a 'free' Internet is
now outdated. This is specifically the case for the commercial
content broadcasters. Until now, they have adapted their economic
models to the indirect funding of their offering, through advertising
and derived services. They are now looking for additional financial
sources.
Besides the standard online card payments, which will require
Group B to address the issue of the confidentiality of these tools
in 2002, the group first addressed the matter of micro-payments.
In France, the success of the kiosk mechanisms on the Minitel
has prompted suppliers to look at this kind of solution. The context
having changed with deregulation and the globalisation of offerings,
yet in our country there is still no commonly recognised platform
to date.
Stopgap measures (some of which can be short term) are being set-up.
They focus on audiotel or the use of a mobile phone. Users are
obliged to spend time getting information on a media (audiotel
or cell phone) or downloading (on the Internet).
The situation in most countries is not much better. Deffered
e-mail payments such as Paypal are practical for big purchases
but tend to deter spur-of-the moment purchases while browsing.
Without waiting for the emergence of a widespread transboundary
solution, the members of the CSTI believe it requisite to design
a platform to promote the spread of anonymous, immediate, and
easy shopping for information and for instantaneous downloads,
in France.
A special working group with the French prime movers would make
it possible to expedite the validation of a system that would
be recognised by most of them.
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The
diversification of payments on the Internet is likely to
buttress the content industry, spurring greater creativity,
and risk-taking in the new service offer. The CSTI recommends
the goal of setting up a shared micro-payment system (in
addition to the existing payment options) that would be
recognised and promoted by the prime movers of the digital
economy.
It advocates the creation of a working group on this issue
and its set-up during the first semester in 2002.
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II.
APPROPRIATING SERVICES AND CONTROLLING THE TOOLS
II.1. The SME and SMI Using ICT and Appropriating Services
The SME and SMI can hone their competitive edge by
using New Technologies. After the first awareness campaigns, SME
and SMI heads have become convinced of this. However, they have
not yet decided to roll out the generic examples they were shown
in their company or to make the required investment to do so.
Accordingly, the CSTI thinks that the earlier collective approach
of the different sectors of the economy should be completed over
a two-year period (2002-2003). This can be done through a targeted
awareness campaign and customised 'pre-diagnoses', to provide
those company heads who so desire with a more accurate view of
the impact of their decision in terms of return on investment
once the migration is done, but also in terms of the duration
of said migration and of the repercussions on their business during
the transition phase. Company heads would only have to pay a minimum
fee for this study.
This approach should:
- Work closely with the local prime movers and deliberately seek
out the active participation of the best relays for reaching the
SME, i.e., associations, management centres, certified accountants,
and so on.
- Grant seals of approvals to the service providers, upon proposal
by the prime movers.
- Unite the operations nation-wide under the aegis of the MINEFI
(French Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry) and AFCCI to
ensure the promotion, overall monitoring, experience pooling,
and consistency of the evaluations.
However, the spread of current approaches is checked by limitations
stemming from the lack of sufficient motivation of the unconnected
SME.
An action concerning offerings and service providers for the SME
would be likely to trigger renewed interest, and to spark a new
demand. This action could include:
- On the one hand, the communication and internet 'support service'
offer and the offer from SME advisory companies on matters of
computing and the new economy: the main actions are the responsibility
of the local prime mover. The first of these actions is addressed
by the 'Infrastructures' group.
- On the other, the service offering from State administrations,
the local authorities, and the set-up of e-exchange between the
companies and public authorities: information, public teleservices,
government procurement contracts, and so on.
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If the ICT are to stimulate all of French economic life
properly, the CSTI recommends:
- The implementation in 2002 of a national awareness and
pre-diagnosis campaign for the SME and SMI, extending earlier
operations. Campaign deployment would mainly rely on the
active participation of local professional relays.
- Incentive measures for the SME to buy ICT and Internet-related
advisory and engineering services, and to purchase or renew
their equipment.
- That the State administrations prioritise the development
of public teleservices for companies and the online availability
of government procurement contracts. The State administrations
might want to look at financial incentives to prompt the
use of said services.
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II.2. E-administration Adjusting to User's Daily Life
Spurred by the government, the French administrations
and local authorities have started to set up websites. Apart from
a few common 'portals' such as service-public.fr, this approach
is still limited to creating 'islands' within the various entities.
Most of the websites are exclusively dedicated to the applications
of the ministerial department or public service that launched
the website.
The 'second stage' of e-administration announced by the Minister
for the Civil Service is the enhancement and diversification of
teleservices for the public as well as partnerships and pooling.
The CSTI considers that :
- For improving the efficiency of rendered services at the lowest
cost, the public services should be strongly urged to pool the contents
they produce and circulate, especially between States departments,
and to territorial authorities. Citizens should be able to choose
the relevant local or national entry point of their choice to initiate
or complete a procedure. This approach can be started on a small
scale by setting up links, 'syndication' actions, or portals. However,
the approach will eventually have an impact on the structure of
the data per se. As of now, this eventuality should be prepared.
- With the growth of teleservices, the administrations should
focus their efforts on services to the public (for instance, access
to personal files or procedure follow-up) and not only on forms,
which are merely a facility for the administration (which no longer
has to fill them out).
- The material rollout of an electronic signature
system, preferably an inter-administrative system, is a priority,
if full teleservices are to be provided and if they are to have
a growth-generating effect on this market.
- The time-saver for citizens through not having to repeat the
same procedures endlessly and to supply the same information over
and over again could be one of the major contributions of the
ICT. In this respect, the CSTI will closely monitor the work of
the 'Personal Data and Electronic Administration' mission chaired
by Mr. Pierre Truche. The CSTI hopes that its findings will reconcile
the need for the protection of user's personal data with the quality
requisites of an administration whose starting point should be
the simplification of user's daily life.
- The local scope of public services should be taken fully into
account because it often reflects the reality of the administrative
offices in the field. Accordingly, the CSTI suggests that, by
the end of 2002, all the ministries put a description of the territorial
organisation of their action on their websites where at least
a minimum of informative facts would be available - who does what,
where, and so on (addresses, useful information).
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For the priority development of user and SME oriented
teleservices and for the second phase of e-administration,
the CSTI recommends that :
- Pooling and local entry point should be underscored, by
setting objectives for this purpose and by identifying the
events of daily life that now generate a series of separate
transactions that it would be easier to regroup within the
same chain and carry out as a single process
- Rules should be defined and a calendar set to ensure the
short-term rollout of simple, and reasonably secure provisions
for the electronic signature
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III.
INNOVATIVE DRIVE AND THE OBSERVATION OF USES
The rationale of supply has clearly dominated
the market of the products and services exploiting the opportunities
offered by the technological advances of these past years. Even
when marketing studies were serious, the definition of an offer
with a high-tech content usually pre-existed the study itself.
This approach has proved its limits, WAP being the most striking
example. However, the problem goes much deeper: regarding new
services, an analysis of current needs or behaviours is not necessarily
a very good projection of future demand.
The interaction between the rationale of supply
and the rationale of demand has become more complex than the prime
movers expected. Predictably, the complexity will become greater
as the technologies start circulating throughout increasingly
personal, social, and professional areas of our daily life.
According to the CSTI members,
- The knowledge and understanding of uses, behaviours,
criteria, and the dynamics driving potential users to appropriate
new services are still deficient. Similarly, the innovation source
(through the creation, deviation, and adoption of technologies,
uses or new services), i.e., the community of 'active' users (free,
'hackers', young people, and so on) is not well known. Yet this
innovative source is the wellspring of major phenomena, such as
(today's) peer-to-peer file exchanges, SMS, or even the Web.
- A multidisciplinary approach, bringing together various fields
such as sociology, behavioural psychology, ergonomics, and so
on, should be given priority to underscore how functions considered
as 'useless' or 'unknown' until now can rapidly become key functions
or diverted functions for unanticipated or solvable applications
(like SMS).
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For increasing the likelihood of success of the French
prime movers in applications and services, the CSTI recommends
the creation, approval, and networking of laboratories of
uses, appropriate for:
- Building and circulating a corpus of knowledge on the
uses of the ICT and the dynamics driving the appropriation
of innovations in this field
- Enhancing the knowledge of the community dynamics generating
new uses
- Helping companies, with a focus on the SME, to evaluate
the use value and appropriation modes of the technologies
and projected services
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