The International Federation of the Phonographic Industry acts on the behalf of the international recording industry. This large organisation acts for 1,500 record producers and distributors in 76 countries worldwide.

Overview

The IFPI Secretariat is responsible for co-ordinating international strategies in the key areas of the organisation's work, such as anti-piracy enforcement, technology, legal strategies, litigation and public relations. It also lobbies governments and has representation in international organisations.

Based in London with links to regional offices in Brussels, Hong Kong, Miami, Moscow, etc. the Secretariat is the recording industry's most authoritative source of market research and information, providing a comprehensive range of global industry statistics.

The Requirements

The Market Research department used to have several separate and distinct systems and they were proposing to add further systems to their online portfolio. With the number of system they were proposing to add it was important that they keep control of and manage the new systems.

The Solution

Market Research Online (MRO)

To achieve this the IFPI required a framework around which all other systems would be able exist within. It would also have to be easy to use and scaleable so future additions would cause little or no disruption to the current systems.

To simplify the systems and make it easier for the Market Research Department to add new systems and manage the users to each of these systems. Alchemy created a global user authentication system. This would provide a central area where all users wishing to use a Market Research system would go to. They could then login and the back end system would define which of the functions they would ahave access to.

The Market Research Department could also administer the database themselves as we created a web interface whereby they could enter, edit and remove users to the system and define the access levels to each of the systems. As new systems get added to this framework, the database would be easy to upgrade so that access to the new system would be easily attained.

This framwork also provided a structire within which each of the systems could exist so that a coherent look and feel could be achieved and accessibility would be greatly simplified.

The MRO currently houses the following systems:

• Awards Database
• Country File Database
• Market Data Online (MDO)

Testimonial

"Alchemy's interpretation of our project requirements has been excellent from day one. Development is consistently efficient and well managed which, added to the team's proactive and approachable attitude made the whole experience painless. They deliver on time and when we need to communicate at short notice, they're always available. When we needed to implement other projects, we have had no hesitation in contacting the Alchemy team. It's not easy finding a proven & reliable new media outfit nowadays. We're happy to say that's not a problem we have."