While IE Online (IEO) had standalone products addressing segments of the subscription lifecycle, they faced some challenges on scalability and felt the need for a more suitable solution for their tech effort and integration. Reliance on most third-party tools tended to be inefficient, with integrations being time-consuming, solution features limited and costs high.

IE Online launched an initiative with the support of Google to identify and integrate services for a comprehensive, scalable solution that would drive engagement, acquisition, conversion, and retention. To further this objective, IE Online integrated the following services across the subscription lifecycle:

-One-tap and Single Sign-On (SSO): This consolidated identity and authentication across all group sites using common login credentials (email / mobile number) and supporting 3rd party account logins.

-Centralized Payments System: This modular platform integrated multiple internal clients, seamlessly with various external payment gateways through plug-and-play SDKs.

-Commerce: This enabled diverse subscription types. This system facilitates the sale of SKUs (e-paper, premium content) based on subscription products across different plans.

-Reports and Dashboards: This automated system simplified the decision making for IE Online. The tool slices and dices subscription data available with the IE Online to empower informed decision-making.

-Revenue Recognition Tool: The tool accurately allocated revenue accounting for statutory and partner outflows, based on subscription duration.

-AI/ML Acquisition and Retention: This module enabled user acquisition and retention. The tool identifies and creates a cohort of users with high subscription potential driving acquisition and retention

IE Online expressed that relying on third-party tools for each of these tasks proved inefficient and unscalable. Such integrations were time-consuming, features limited, and cost ineffective.

Owing to the services offered, IE Online improved on many parameters such as agility, efficiency, and effectiveness, enabling both revenue growth and cost management. Subscription being a long-term, core revenue stream, this empowered them to have a better use case of end-to-end customer metrics, resulting in better customer journey.

With multiple brands and subscription types across the group, these services form the bedrock for their future Customer Data Platform (CDP), driving the subscription business. Each service caters to specific stages of the subscription life cycle, minimizes time-to-market, and equips IEO’s business with data-driven insights for informed decision-making.