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ViewCast Video Solutions Helping Fuel Distance-learning Growth 3 Million Expected to Attend Class Online DALLAS � August 23, 2005 � As schools and students start a new academic year, education experts predict that nearly 3 million college students will attend classes online. And many major universities worldwide will depend on ViewCast Corporation to deliver those classes. Using ViewCast�s Osprey� capture cards, its Niagara family of streaming video encoders and servers and the ViewCast IVN network, students and teachers worldwide now have access to hundreds of classes from remote locations, offering students opportunities unheard of only 20 years ago. "Distance learning is seeing explosive growth as the Internet has overcome geographical obstacles and people can gain the education they need, regardless of their locations,� said George Platt, president and CEO of ViewCast. �Businesses are also stimulating growth as they continue to encourage their employees to gain new skills through online education." Some of the more well-known universities using ViewCast�s technology include the Univeristy of Michigan and Michigan State; Hatfield College of Management in London, England; the Geneva Institute of Management in Geneva, Switzerland; and National University of Singapore. M68 Technologies Inc. is a value-added reseller that hosts distance learning programs from its data center. "M68 Technologies offers NetLearn, a low-cost, Web-based video broadcast, record and storage service for educational and corporate learning organizations. ViewCast�s Osprey technology is integral to our service and allows us to offer distance learning capabilities at a fraction of the cost of competing services. As a result, we�ve seen a marked increase in sales activity particularly in light of the recent run-up in travel costs." 51 percent of all online courses worldwide had online discussion forums in 2001, growing to 65 percent in 2005. - More than half the U.S. population -- 133 million adults -- has Internet access today
- Globally, more than 90 percent of college students access the Internet, with 50 percent accessing the Web daily
- 87 percent of four-year colleges offered distance-learning courses in 2004, up from 62 percent in 1998
- In 2004, an estimated 2.5 million degree-seeking students were enrolled in distributed courses and that number will increase again this year. About 33 percent of these students took all of their courses online.
- 51 percent of all online courses worldwide had online discussion forums in 2001, growing to 65 percent in 2005.
�Technology and education are combining to offer almost anyone, anywhere, an education,� said Platt. �And we are proud that our products are helping lead the way.� Educators are finding that the ViewCast IVN provides tremendous value by simplifying the use of technology to a level comparable to that in the home, reducing the training and support normally required of new technology. Colleges and universities typically require a flexible solution that can deliver both live and stored video applications, an environment ideal for the ViewCast IVN network. The ViewCast IVN provides schools with a single platform capable of managing and controlling all video assets while enabling the institution to potentially grow its audience via numerous distance-learning applications. Additionally, many school districts operating K-12 institutions can use the ViewCast IVN to create a District Classroom. This custom application might consist of a room or series of rooms dedicated at each campus that will share their lesson with all students in the district via video. This type of application enables the district to employ their best instructors to do select broadcast teaching sessions and allow other teachers to observe techniques and methods in a real-time learning environment. The ViewCast IVN integrates the award-winning, industry-leading Osprey video capture boards to provide a powerful, reliable and cost-effective video distribution platform. To further enhace this solution, ViewCast recommends the inclusion of its Niagara streaming media encoder, a platform that allows video communication to extend beyond the school to create a virtual classroom. Inclusive in the Niagara encoders is the Niagara SCX software that enables a plug and play streaming solution that is ideal for streaming, archiving, or video production. �ViewCast IVN gives schools a cost-effective, easy to use distance learning system that also provides for a digital media library, web casting, closed-circuit TV and receipt and re-broadcast of cable programs,� said Platt. �ViewCast IVN�s open architecture also allows schools to use their current cable plant, videoconferencing equipment, DVD players and VCRs to manage and distribute video content from any location to another. �This is a very exciting time. IDC predicts that by 2006, 65 percent of all Internet users will be international, opening new opportunities for schools to reach entirely new student populations. Plus, the opportunity is there for students to attend schools in another country without leaving their homes and jobs,� concluded Platt.
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