Globosat
Massive success for an application can be defined as: 5.7 million visitors, with an average of 138,000 per day, 60,000 simultaneously, and an average 33 minutes spent on the site per visit. On the basis of installation alone, 61.9% of customers downloaded the application at least once. These astronomical figures were actually reached by SportTV 4K in Russia, a streaming video application offering content in 4k resolution. Beginning in 2017, Dextra started developing the app in partnership with Samsung's television manufacturing operations, and the cable TV network Globosat.
The application was distributed freely and exclusively to the owners of Samsung's most recent line of SmartTVs, shortly ahead of the 2018 World Cup. Mapping out a joint gameplan, Dextra and Globosat realized that the primary concern was to not only create a fantastic experience for existing owners, but to also attract new customers for these 4K televisions — the flagship of Samsung's advertising efforts at the time.
In addition to transmitting live matches in 4K, SporTV 4K in Russia showed the latest World Cup news, standings, video highlights, and advanced statistics, such as attempts on goal, for example — a veritable feast for diehard fans.
From a technical perspective, the project was a major challenge for all those involved. Dextra's team already had hands on experience with apps smartTVs, having worked on apps for Globosat's "Combate" and "Philos" channels; both provide live and on-demand content. Dextra's developers decided to use React to facilitate a faster, more agile development process, in addition to languages such as HTML5, JavaScript, and CSS.
"We had very specific requirement that any partner on this project must be capable of developing upon this platform [smartTVs]. Few companies in the world have the required know-how to tackle these technologies. In 2016, we sat down with Dextra and they readily met the challenge of expanding their capabilities."
Cassiano Fróes, Manager of Digital Platform Technologies at Globosat
This was the first time that content of such high resolution was transmitted via streaming in Brazil — 4K consumes roughly 8 times more bandwidth than conventional HD transmissions. Connectivity limitations within the country demanded extra attention from the team during development. Specifically, this consisted of numerous performance tests designed to help reduce the demands on users' internet service and ensure a higher-quality experience.
Results: The application was not only a success in its total number of downloads and visitors since its release, but it also successfully generated a significant social media buzz throughout FIFA's 2018 World Cup. What's more, for Dextra, this application represented a new frontier to be explored with Globosat — an already well-established partnership.
In the field of smart televisions, the partnership between Dextra and Globosat began in 2017 with the development of applications for the "Combate" (boxing/MMA) and "Philos" (arts and culture) channels. The knowledge exchange between these two companies helped to reinforce Dextra's efforts to overcome performance challenges related to these unique operating systems. The work done in tandem proved so successful that the SportTV 4K in Russia app has continued to operate beyond the World Cup — and is poised for further success in 2019.
This long term partnership actually started in 2008, when Dextra was contracted to create a CMS (Content Management System) for material related to Globosat's host of channels, primarily SportTV. Dextra successfully reduced lead time for completion from an estimated four years to only two.
Next, Dextra began work on Multishow and GNT channels, by assisting in the migration of content to the new publisher. Afterwards, Dextra made improvements to the channels' websites, and designed a number of new elements, resources, and customized activities —all of which worked to facilitate interaction between presenters and their public.
"We were able to break down major barriers of communication, even from afar. While we're based in Rio de Janeiro and Dextra is based in Campinas, my internal team was able to work closely with Dextra in our day-to-day operations, thanks to technologies such as video and voice-based chats. And for this project, maintaining that fluidity between our teams was essential."Cassiano Fróes, Manager of Digital Platform Technologies at Globosat
The Era of Applications
In 2010, Gloob, a Brazilian children's network, developed an application aimed at their young viewership for both the iOS and Android. The app was developed by a Globosat partner that wasn't meeting quality standards nor launch dates.
So, Dextra was invited to draft a project proposal which would solve the aforementioned problems and deliver quality results. First, Dextra's team stabilized the application (Phase 1); then, they went on to correct errors and lay the groundwork for new functionality (Phase 2). Later, as the platform evolved, it began to receive significantly improved user reviews in leading virtual marketplaces (Phase 3). Also of note, is the fact that after Phase 1, the application saw a significant increase in streaming video consumption, and a 50% reduction in crashes.
Among the various new functions implemented by Dextra was the option for Single Sign-on and an improved user experience using both open and closed content. Meanwhile, improvements made on the authentication system made life easier for both children and their parents, who were previously required to pass through various steps for authentication.
The project provided Dextra with an enormous leap in visibility, and earned them numerous partner awards from Globosat in 2016 and 2017.
Recently, the Gloob application was successfully migrated into the much larger Globosat Play — Globosat's overarching streaming platform, which brings content from all of their channels together under one roof. Once again, Dextra was present to help in this migration. Since then, Dextra has been working with Globosat on projects including SportTV Gols, Multishow Humor, and GNT Receitas (now known as Nhac).
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