4 ways DDL attracts a dedicated audience of binge-viewers

Last updated: 14 December 2017

These days, businesses can prosper or perish based on how flexible they are when it comes to understanding and anticipating market trends, and their ability to act on those projections to embrace and leverage new technologies. Continuous developments in digital serve to challenge the traditional driver’s license landscape to think about customer experience in a way that was unimaginable a decade ago. When it comes to envisioning a DMV landscape with digital driver’s licenses at the core, a correlation can be drawn with the way network television transformed a time-honored broadcast model when on-demand platforms like Amazon, Hulu and Netflix ushered in the new paradigms of dual-browsing and binge-watching.

On Demand and On the Move

According to a report by the Federal Communications Commission, two of the biggest factors in the evolution of the digital programming phenomenon are increased choice in content for viewers, and increased user control over when and how to access that content. The customization that is now possible gives viewers on the receiving end of that technology the ability to control the timing of their viewing experience – time shifting – and the ability to skip commercial advertisements. Suddenly, the viewer can choose what programming to watch when, for what length of time, and on which device.

A similar kind of customization will be offered as advancements in DDL technology become a marketplace reality. Users will be able to unlock their credential on their smartphone whenever and wherever they choose, and then control the personal data that is shared in a given situation. Unlike the information found on your traditional license, which is static and cannot be customized, the DDL allows for curation of attribute sharing. So DDL users have more control over the personal information they release, including at airport security checkpoints, Law Enforcement stops, and proof-of-age verifications. It’s easy to imagine a future in which multiple digital credentials – passports, hunting and fishing licenses, insurance cards, etc. – can be collected, updated, and customized all on your smartphone, similar to the way multiple streaming services are accessible via a single media streaming device.

DDL technology is flexible enough to accommodate users who prefer traditional driver’s licenses as well as mobile licenses on smartphones.

As a new normal in viewer behavior takes shape, television titans have had to adjust traditional programming models to accommodate a dynamic and evolving consumer culture. Many of the network shows that are now available for streaming online are perhaps finding larger viewing audiences because they embrace new platforms that reflect consumer habits. People who prefer to watch online now have the opportunity to follow shows that were originally only offered in traditional TV formats, and an established audience now has the option to make tuning in accommodate their lifestyle and preferences. If 11:30 p.m. is past your bedtime, you can go online the next day and catch interviews and topical takes from your late night TV faves. In the DMV world, the accessibility of DDL can suddenly make traditional driver’s licenses relevant in new markets, while deepening the existing relationship people have with their personal credentials by putting them in a format that is flexible and convenient.

A comparable course for digital driver’s licenses will involve the issuing authorities – in this case motor vehicle bureaus and DMVs in conjunction with state legislatures – assessing their customer needs and determining the best ways to meet them.

DDL technology could allow driver services to push notifications about licensee status changes, pending revocations, and voter updates.

The benefits of DDL technology for those issuing entities would include providing a platform for securely updating licensee data in real time. Just like entertainment streaming allows for the power of suggestion – gaging what a viewer might like to watch next – DDL technology would allow driver services to push notifications about licensee status changes, pending revocations, and voter updates. It would also allow customers to skip or “fast-forward” through long lines at the DMV by enrolling in services or relaying information to the agency from anywhere.

Not Your Grandparents’ Digi Ecosystem

About 61% of Americans aged 18 to 29 access TV primarily via online streaming, according to a recent study by the Pew Research Center. In the same study, just over half of all adults say cable connections remain their primary means of watching television. There’s no doubt that mobile apps and online streaming have transformed the way people access and experience information and entertainment, and it’s clear that the arc of the technological landscape is shifting toward digital delivery. What exists now is a media ecosystem which accommodates both traditional and emerging pathways, and, increasingly, multi-screen interactivity where people engage their mobile device while watching TV on a traditional screen.

 

We asked… and participants in each of the piloted jurisdictions answered! Check out our latest Infographic for complete Phase I pilot results and details about how DDL was received in our first rounds of field testing.

DDLs are primed to operate similarly, either as an updated, convenient way to securely store and share your credential, or as an ideal back-up to the traditional plastic license. As the groundwork is laid for a DDL ecosystem – including DMVs, law enforcement, airport security, and a wide array of traditional and online merchants – the technology will be flexible enough to accommodate users who prefer traditional driver’s licenses as well as mobile licenses on smartphones. And just like there are times when live television makes people tune in by the millions – events programming, for example, like awards shows or holiday specials – for now, traditional driver’s licenses still have an important place alongside DDL in the emerging ecosystem.

Online, Offline, Curated and Cross-platform

Some of the important flexibility features that add to the appeal of online streaming apps have parallels in DDL. For example, you can download programming to watch on your subscription app in an offline mode. This is very useful if you want to watch a show while flying in an airplane where there is no connectivity, for instance. The viewing app works seamlessly in an offline mode, and your programming remains available at your fingertips. Similarly, the DDL solution we’ve developed can operate in an offline mode, where, for example, a credential can still be verified by Law Enforcement on the side of a long stretch of highway where there is no available signal.

Can you see yourself getting rid of a physical driver’s license altogether? Or is it important to you to have the traditional form of ID on hand?

Another critical aspect of the DDL in terms of flexibility is that it has been developed for multiple operating systems and various mobile devices. Just as the streaming apps have continuity in terms of features and programming across devices, so will the DDL offer users the same experience independent of the device or operating system they are using. Additionally, as various use cases for mobile licenses emerge, your DDL credential has the potential to interface with online websites for user verification. Updating your auto registration, completing business transactions, or filing taxes online may be expedited with a credential harnessing the power of digital technology.

DDL Made Possible for Viewers like You

Couch potatoes and road warriors unite in their appreciation of the convenience and flexibility that turning to digital offers. Are there TV shows you will only stream online? Can you see yourself getting rid of a physical driver’s license altogether? Or is it important to you to have the traditional form of ID on hand?

Share your experiences with digital technology below, and take our ten-question survey to let your opinion on DDL be heard!

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