Decision Suite

Streamline the deployment of dynamic, addressable advertising in complex TV environments

The BlackArrow Decision Suite offers a highly scalable, distributor-friendly environment to execute dynamic advertising campaigns for on-demand TV. The various modules in our Decision Suite inform not only when and where to play ads, but also who has ownership rights for the ad and for the associated revenue.

Four services, one industry standard. Designed to run in any cable headend or data center, the SCTE 130-compliant Decision Suite is comprised of four highly scalable, configurable services:

Ad Decision Service (ADS) Placement Opportunity
Information Service (POIS)
Request
Decoration Services
Multiplatform
Integration Services



From a system architecture perspective, the BlackArrow Decision Suite has been developed to account for the interoperability, scalability and implementation concerns you face. The result is a system that features:

  • Tested, completed and demonstrated integrations with leading VOD equipment vendors
  • Highly scalable and configurable services
  • Flexible deployment options from either the network’s edge, or in a more centralized location within an existing or planned network architecture

Integrated support for multiple network partners. The Decision Suite is seamlessly integrated with the BlackArrow Sales Suite – its fully loaded ad-management counterpart for ad sales teams. The Decision Suite executes on the business logic contained in the Sales Suite to manage placements, allocation rules, inventory, contracts and more.

Ad Decision Service

The BlackArrow Ad Decision Service (ADS) is a highly scalable, reliable engine for optimizing ad decisions and delivering addressable advertising in on-demand TV environments. Working in conjunction with the Inventory Manager and Contract Manager modules in the Sales Suite, the ADS makes real-time decisions based on a wide matrix of criteria including CPM, campaign performance, frequency capping and metering among others to maximize yield while managing campaign commitments. BlackArrow’s ADS is fully compliant with the SCTE 130-3 specification, which defines ad decisions and event data exchanged between an ADS and an Ad Management Service (ADM).

Highlights:

  • Real-time placement request handling and ad decision engine
  • Advanced decisioning algorithms optimize the selection of which ad to play based on multiple campaign criteria
  • Multiple pacing algorithms ensure the proper delivery and execution of campaigns 
  • SCTE 130-3 compliant interface

Placement Opportunity Information Service

The BlackArrow Placement Opportunity Information Service (POIS) works in tandem with the Ad Placement Manager and Allocation Manager modules of the Sales Suite to make informed ad-placement opportunity decisions. This service determines which sales organization has ownership rights for the ad – and its associated revenue; which Ad Decision Service to consult; and when and where to play ads. BlackArrow’s POIS conforms to the SCTE 130-5 specification and enables organizations to detail all ad opportunities that exist around any given piece of on-demand television programming.

Highlights:

  • Real-time request handling and placement opportunity decision engine
  • Tailored ad loads and permitted ad types, based on addressability criteria such as viewer or program attributes, daypart, geography, and more
  • Instantaneous allocation decisions based on sales rights business logic
  • SCTE 130-5 compliant interface

Request Decoration Services

BlackArrow’s Request Decoration Services enhance addressability and ease the integration of content and subscriber data into the ad decisioning process. This highly configurable set of interfaces aggregates, and optionally caches, relevant data to enable a greater degree of audience addressability. BlackArrow’s Request Decoration Services provide an SCTE 130-4 interface for Content Information Service (CIS) integrations and an SCTE 130-6 interface for Subscriber Information Service (SIS) integrations.

Highlights:

  • Leverages internal or third-party data sources such as subscriber or content information to enhance placement opportunities and ad requests with data that can be used for deeper levels of addressability
  • Enables customized prioritization of request enhancements via a highly configurable workflow
  • Optional local caching of data to increase performance
  • SCTE 130-4 CIS and 130-6 SIS compliant client interfaces

Multiplatform Integration Services

BlackArrow’s Multiplatform Integration Services are a set of interfaces that enable dynamic ad delivery across any on-demand platform. By “plugging in” a service using our transparent technology layer, we enable you to deploy new platforms and functionality quickly — without requiring the purchase of additional equipment or software.

Highlights:

  • Platform-specific interfaces provide dynamic ad delivery and placement opportunity decisions across multiple environments
  • Provides standard SCTE 130-compliant interfaces for VOD environments and HTTP/Web Services interfaces for integration into Web platforms
  • Scales to accommodate new platforms and environments rapidly

We’re your advanced advertising technology partner. Learn more about our solutions for distributors, or contact us for deployment details.