Large scale user testing project as part of the Digital Britain initiative
According to NewMediaAge, the UK Technology Strategy Board (TSB), the government body for business innovation in technology, and NESTA, the National Endowment for Science, Technology and the Arts, will collaborate on digital user-centred test-bed projects, as part of the Digital Britain initiative, to develop and trial business models, network operating models and service platforms.
“The TSB has earmarked £10m funding for the digital test-beds, which aim to create new business and charging methods to enable content owners to profit from their work, and support the creation and integration of cross-platform content products and services.
It plans to study user behaviour for new advertising and charging models, including virtual currency for digital content and micropayments, new services and technologies by commercial and public businesses, and new business relationships between networks, operators and content owners.
It will also include trials of services and technologies enabled by next-generation access, content and content-aware network operation, and controlled suspension of copyright protection.”
According to a TSB press release, the digital test-beds where we will create an environment where businesses and users can explore the effects of alternative operating and business models. In particular, studies of user behaviour will allow investigations such as:
- Services and technologies enabled by next generation access
- New business relationships between network owners, operators and digital content owners
- Content and context aware network operation
- Controlled suspension of copyright protection to investigate other commercialisation routes
- New advertising and charging models. e.g. virtual currency for digital content and micro payments
- Pilots or new services and new technologies by commercial and public businesses
Further background:
– Technology Strategy Board’s strategy for ‘Digital Britain’
– Technology Strategy Board’s Creative Industries Strategy – Executive Summary
