HWW Limited

HWW Limited was an Australian media-information and metadata company that supplied television, film and broader entertainment listings to digital and traditional media businesses. Its data supported electronic programme guides, recording, navigation, search, discovery and recommendation functions across websites, mobile services, IPTV systems, hybrid broadcast broadband television platforms, print publications and set-top boxes. The company began in Sydney in 1974 as Horan and Wall, The Information Agency, founded by Philomena Horan and Stephen Wall. It initially operated from Peter Day's Kirk Gallery in Surry Hills and won the youth radio station 2JJ as its first client. Tony Walker subsequently joined the partnership, which adopted the name Horan Wall and Walker. The business developed from a general information and listings agency into a specialist supplier of structured entertainment data. HWW syndicated national listings covering television, movies, live music, restaurants and bars, horoscopes and humour. Its television and film data became particularly important as Australian broadcasters, subscription television operators, mobile carriers and device manufacturers needed consistent, searchable metadata for increasingly digital services. The company became the official listings provider for Foxtel in Australia and won Foxtel's electronic programme guide contract in 2004, contributing to the launch of the subscription television provider's digital television service. The company's first content-management system was SPACE, an abbreviation of Sales Prospects And Client Environment. SPACE evolved into a broader internal foundation for handling data and content across HWW's subject areas. Following the company's acquisition by Mi9, HWW developed DataGenius, a more specialised platform for managing television schedules and film metadata. DataGenius enabled editors and operators to standardise, enrich and distribute programme information across multiple platforms. Its capabilities included ingesting information from several sources, managing bound and unbound data, supporting language translation, and maintaining identifiers for series, episodes and programmes. HWW also handled local scheduling requirements such as real-time accuracy, time-zone and location differences, series linking and numerous channel configurations across Australia. HWW became a proprietary limited company and was floated on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1999. Mi9 acquired the company through a scheme of arrangement in 2006 and HWW was removed from the exchange. Under Mi9 ownership, the business supported a mobile-content strategy and continued producing, aggregating and syndicating information for major carriers, including Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Its customer and partner base also included Foxtel, Freeview, Samsung, Telstra and Beamly. DataGenius was licensed to international subscription television operators such as Integral and MultiChoice, which could install and manage the system within their own environments. By 2014, HWW was described as Australia's leading supplier of movie and television data. In October of that year, Gracenote acquired HWW from Mi9. The transaction placed HWW's data capabilities within Gracenote's broader entertainment-information business. The HWW brand was retired in 2015, so the company is best treated as a historical media-data brand rather than an active standalone business.

HWW Limited originated in Sydney in 1974, when Philomena Horan and Stephen Wall established Horan and Wall, The Information Agency. The early business traded from Peter Day's Kirk Gallery in Surry Hills and obtained the new youth radio station 2JJ as its first client. Tony Walker later joined the founders, and the partnership became known as Horan Wall and Walker. The company built its business around collecting, organising and distributing information for media and publishing clients. Its output expanded beyond radio-related material to include television and movie listings, live music information, restaurant and bar listings, horoscopes and humour. As media distribution moved from print and broadcast toward digital platforms, HWW's structured information became useful for websites, mobile services, IPTV, HbbTV, subscription television, connected devices and set-top boxes. HWW developed proprietary systems to manage its content. Its initial content-management platform, SPACE, or Sales Prospects And Client Environment, became a foundation for handling information across the company's content domains. After the business was acquired by Mi9, it built DataGenius to manage schedules and metadata for Australian television and movie clients. DataGenius allowed content teams to combine information from multiple sources, standardise and enhance metadata, manage different relationships between programmes and episodes, translate content, and distribute records with programme and episode identifiers. It also supported local scheduling requirements, including accurate real times, time-zone and location differences, series linking and extensive channel configurations. The company became a proprietary limited company and was listed on the Australian Securities Exchange in 1999. HWW's growing role in digital television was reflected in its 2004 Foxtel electronic programme guide contract. HWW worked with Foxtel on the introduction of its digital television service and became the official provider of Foxtel listings in Australia. Mi9 acquired HWW through a scheme of arrangement in 2006, after which HWW was delisted. The acquisition supported Mi9's mobile-content strategy. HWW produced, aggregated and syndicated data to large mobile carriers and other media companies, including Telstra, Optus and Vodafone. Its customer ecosystem also included Freeview, Samsung and Beamly, alongside Foxtel and Telstra. DataGenius was licensed outside Australia to subscription television operators including Integral and MultiChoice, with those customers able to run and administer the software within their own environments. In 2014, HWW was characterised as Australia's leading supplier of television and movie data. Gracenote acquired the business from Mi9 in October 2014. The acquisition ended HWW's period as an independent operating brand, and the HWW name was retired in 2015. Its historical significance lies in the role it played in converting locally relevant entertainment listings into structured metadata for Australian and international television, mobile and digital-media services.

• 2015

  Brand retirement

  [1]HWW Limiteden.wikipedia.org

  The HWW brand was retired.

• 2014

  Acquisition by Gracenote

  [1]HWW Limiteden.wikipedia.org

  Gracenote acquired HWW from Mi9 in October.

• 2006

  Acquisition by Mi9

  [1]HWW Limiteden.wikipedia.org

  Mi9 acquired HWW through a scheme of arrangement, after which HWW was delisted.

• 2004

  Foxtel electronic programme guide contract

  [1]HWW Limiteden.wikipedia.org

  HWW won the Foxtel EPG contract and supported the launch of Foxtel's digital television service.

• 1999

  Public listing

  [1]HWW Limiteden.wikipedia.org

  The proprietary limited company adopted the HWW Limited name when it was floated on the Australian Securities Exchange.

• 1974

  HWW founded in Sydney

  [1]HWW Limiteden.wikipedia.org

  Philomena Horan and Stephen Wall founded the business as Horan and Wall, The Information Agency. Tony Walker later joined the partnership, which became Horan Wall and Walker.

A specialist business-to-business provider of structured entertainment metadata, listings and content-management technology for broadcasters, pay-TV operators, publishers, mobile carriers and connected-device platforms.

• Metadata management software

  DataGenius

  DataGenius was HWW's television and movie metadata management platform, developed after the Mi9 acquisition. It enabled editors and television operators to receive data from multiple sources, standardise and enrich programme information, manage bound and unbound data, translate records and distribute metadata across services. The system supported local scheduling needs such as accurate real times, channel configurations, series linking and unique programme, series and episode identifiers. HWW licensed it to international subscription television operators, including Integral and MultiChoice.

• Content-management system

  SPACE

  SPACE, short for Sales Prospects And Client Environment, was HWW's first content-management system. It developed into an internal foundation for handling the company's information and content across multiple domains, before later systems such as DataGenius were built for more specialised television and film metadata workflows.

• Entertainment metadata

  Television and movie listings

  HWW supplied structured television schedules and movie information for publishers, subscription television providers, IPTV and HbbTV operators, mobile services and device platforms. Its data supported electronic programme guides, recording, navigation, search, discovery and recommendation features, with localised schedule information designed for Australian channels and locations.

• 2014

  Sell HWW to GracenoteM&A

  Background

  HWW was an established Australian supplier of television and movie data, with customers across television, publishing, mobile and connected-device markets.

  Action taken

  Gracenote acquired HWW from Mi9 in October 2014.

  Aftermath

  HWW's capabilities became part of Gracenote's entertainment-data operations, and the HWW brand was retired in 2015.

  Source

• 2006

  Accept Mi9 acquisitionM&A

  Background

  HWW had developed a substantial business supplying syndicated entertainment content to media companies and mobile carriers.

  Action taken

  Mi9 acquired HWW through a scheme of arrangement, and HWW was subsequently removed from the Australian Securities Exchange.

  Aftermath

  HWW continued under Mi9 and supported its mobile-content strategy, while developing DataGenius and expanding software licensing to international subscription television operators.

  Source

1. 1HWW Limiteden.wikipedia.org