In the past, the value chain for the distribution of teaching material was clear. The teacher prescribed the material, the publisher supplied the bookshop, where the student subsequently purchased the book. Since the invention of electronic teaching material, however, this value chain has become much less self-evident. As the school now carries out its own ‘online content’ distribution, through such means as intranet and ELE (Electronic Learning Environment), the role of the bookshop as distributor has become superfluous. Since schools have assumed responsibility for the accessibility and distribution of content, they are subsequently also faced with the task of regularly collecting payment for the use of the electronic content. As a result the school or university has to bear an increasing administrative burden, whilst also unwittingly accepting responsibility for payment obligations and the protection of copyrights.

With a view to addressing this problem, Siennax teamed up with Wolters Noordhoff, the developer of the largest online curriculum in the Netherlands, to devise a solution that would optimize the new value chain of content while at the same time removing the administrative burden from the shoulders of the schools and universities. Confidentiality reliability and administrative efficiency were important preconditions.

The solution is a web service called Backstage. Backstage was tested at several pilot schools and is now ready for a broader rollout and application by various schools, ELEs and publishing companies. The online value chain with the application of Backstage operates as follows. A student logs on using a school portal or Internet connection. The ELE refers the student to the relevant content, whereupon he or she clicks on the applicable URL. In the background, Backstage reports and checks the student data. If the student has not yet paid for the content requested he or she is asked to authorize payment for use of the content. Once authorization has been given, the student is granted access to the required content. If the student has already paid, however, he or she is immediately granted access to the requested content. Backstage registers the transactions, automatically supplies payment data to Interpay, and keeps debtor accounts.