Context and Goals

The project was initiated to replace the outdated protection system used for the digital editions of Il Sole 24 Ore. The primary goal was to design and implement a new watermark-based solution capable of preventing and monitoring the illegal distribution of PDF copies.

Unlike traditional static protections, this approach required a dynamic system that could generate watermarks at runtime, uniquely tied to each user or device. Beyond simply securing the files, the aim was to create a robust traceability mechanism to discourage misuse while ensuring seamless user access.

I joined the project during its maintenance phase, taking over from another project manager. My task was to ensure continuity, oversee ongoing improvements, and guide the team in stabilizing and extending the system after its initial rollout.

Responsibilities

As Project Manager, I coordinated the initiative from handover through to stable operation. My responsibilities included:

• Taking over project ownership and ensuring a smooth transition from the previous manager.
• Aligning ongoing maintenance tasks with long-term strategic goals.
• Gathering new requirements from business stakeholders and technical teams.
• Defining priorities and coordinating cross-functional efforts across infrastructure, development, and customer support.
• Translating business needs into technical specifications for enhancements to the middleware solution.
• Overseeing testing phases to ensure reliability of watermark application under different scenarios.
• Facilitating communication between AWS engineers, developers, and customer care to guarantee smooth adoption.