To ease academic stress, students approve using their technology fees to purchase the Mediasite lecture capture platform
MADISON, Wis., July 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ — Sonic Foundry, Inc. (NASDAQ:SOFO) , the recognized market leader for rich media webcasting and knowledge management, today announced an overwhelming student vote for Mediasite will put the webcasting platform in University of Wyoming lecture halls this fall.
“The decision to purchase Mediasite was student-driven and student-funded. When the committee viewed the technology and discovered its benefits, the majority of students voted to install Mediasite,” said Maggie Deming, director of IT services at University of Wyoming and chair of the Central Student Technology Committee (CSTC). The CSTC is comprised of student and faculty representatives from each of the university’s eight colleges and strives to support a wide variety of state-of-the-art technologies.
Marcus Curley, a recent University of Wyoming graduate, was one of the 16 students on the CSTC that selected Mediasite. “I was on committees, taking 16 hours of classes and working 20 hours a week. I had a busy student life. To have the ability to go back and watch classes would be the perfect way to ease the stress of school a bit. It’s a huge benefit to be able to review on your own time,” said Curley. “Mediasite can also help you transition into higher education. Early in college you’re trying to figure out how to take these classes and be efficient as a student. Taking notes takes a lot of time and you miss some things. With Mediasite you can just watch, listen and absorb the information as it comes and not have to worry whether you’re going to remember this later.”
Deming said because the technology funds are derived from student enrollment fees, “it’s paramount to have student representation on our committee. We want the investments we make to be supported by the students who are the source of funding, and we want to make sure it’s something they would use and they’re interested in.”
Initial deployment at the University includes three Mediasite classrooms in the main lecture building, as well as one portable unit. Faculty scheduled to teach in that building will have the chance to demo the lecture capture technology this fall. By spring of 2009, faculty will be able to request the technology, dubbed WyoCast On Demand, as part of their classroom environment.
“We feel that classroom capture will be a game changer for the university. Mediasite is the most innovative technology the Central Student Technology Committee voted on for this coming year. It will let students be more engaged in the class instead of having their heads down in their notebooks,” said Deming. “Mediasite will be a learning resource for students. If someone has a problem getting through a certain formula — if their notes don’t make sense to them, they can review and reinforce the learning that happens instead of being lost in a class.”
“The University of Wyoming’s process is an outstanding example of giving the power of choice to the students,” said Rimas Buinevicius, chairman and CEO of Sonic Foundry. “We are proud to partner with the university as it continues to democratize knowledge management on campus, inviting feedback from both student and faculty to further connect the University system through lecture capture.”
This announcement is part of Sonic Foundry’s next-gen education initiative. With its higher education Mediasite community now topping 600 colleges and universities, the company is highlighting customer stories that exemplify the convergence of technology and education.
Since its introduction in 2003, Sonic Foundry’s Mediasite has set the standard as a transformational communication medium for delivering critical information and sharing knowledge. Trusted by more than 600 colleges and universities, the patented Mediasite webcasting and content management system quickly and cost-effectively automates the capture, management, delivery and search of rich media presentations that combine audio, video and accompanying graphics for live or on-demand viewing.
About Sonic Foundry(R), Inc.
Founded in 1991, Sonic Foundry (NASDAQ:SOFO) (NASDAQ:http://www.sonicfoundry.com) is the recognized market leader for rich media webcasting and knowledge management, providing education and training solutions and services that link an information-driven world. Based in Madison, Wisconsin, the company has received numerous awards including the 2007 Frost & Sullivan Global Market Leadership Award, Ziff Davis Media’s Baseline Magazine’s sixth fastest-growing software company with sales under $150 million and Deloitte’s Technology Fast 500. Named a Bersin & Associates 2007 Learning Leader, Sonic Foundry’s webcasting and knowledge management solutions are trusted by education institutions, Fortune 500 companies and government agencies for a variety of critical communication needs. Sonic Foundry is changing the way organizations communicate via the web and how people around the globe receive vital information needed for education, business, professional advancement and safety. Product and service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of Sonic Foundry, Inc. or their respective owners.
Certain statements contained in this news release regarding matters that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Because such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, uncertainties pertaining to continued market acceptance for Sonic Foundry’s products, its ability to succeed in capturing significant revenues from media services and/or systems, the effect of new competitors in its market, integration of acquired business and other risk factors identified from time to time in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
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