Virtual Interactive Systems

DIVX Exit’s Stage 6 and Disney Enters Stage 9

March 4, 2008 by Tom Townsend

Another month and another change in the video landscape. Last week I received an email from the folks over at the video sharing site Stage 6 (that was run by DIVX) informing me that they were shutting down operations the end of February. With the flood of new video sharing sites on the ever expanding landscape for User Generated Content (USG) it was inevitable that DIVX would shut this service down, as it was not a money maker at all. So no surprise here. Effective March 1^st former users of the DIVX site are now redirected via a link to VEOH who who has assumed most of the clients from DIVX, that is the ones that did not move their content some where else.

In a totally coincidental event with interesting timing was ABC’s DISNEY company making the formal announcement of their foray into the online video scene with the advent of STAGE 9. Where DIVX and DISNEY differ is that DISNEY is going after full on BROADBAND content vs. the USG format that DIVX embarked on. Disney is also developing projects for full series created specifically for the broadband video markets. In this respect they can achieve monetization via add revenue just because of who they are and what they will bring to the table. (The team over at NewsOXY has a good article on Disney.)

I think this year we will see a lot more firms move away from the basic garage made, USG ,YouTube type of video entry, and will see the filed morph into more professionally done video projects. The cutesy stuff on the USG sites is just that. It has not made much money for those users or for those that have created the content. If the companies that host the content are to become profitable they will all need to adopt some form of add revenue policy. This means that in order to attract advertising dollars, the quality of the content will have to increase. That is were firms like Virtual Interactive Systems based in Tampa Florida, come into play. We are working with Small to Medium Business to add video advertising content to get their products and services discovered in their local markets and beyond to even international exposure.

Video Sharing Landscape changes as LiveUniverse buys Revver

Video Sharing Landscape changes as LiveUniverse buys Revver

February 20, 2008 by Tom Townsend

Back in January I wrote about the perennial favorite (REVVER) of many web Video enthusiast, and mentioned that they were going through some tough times that indicated a change was in the wind. Well the wind has now settled and as of Thursday the 14^th of February REVVER is now part of Brad Greenspan’s LIVE UNIVERSE family. It also appears that the final numbers were quite a bit higher than originally speculated. Numbers being mentioned were closer to $5 Million dollars, and all though the final purchase price is still a closely guarded secret it appears that both sides were happy with the outcome. The folks over at NewTeVee covered the Revver story rather well and today they released a follow-up article discussing the options of continuing with Revvers business model. It will be interesting to see how the landscape evolves for us content creators in addition to what happens to the add base home front, now that Brad has three horses in the stable with: Revver Video, LiveUniverse and LiveVideo to contemplate?

Video Sharing sites and your business

Filed Under: New Media Marketing, VISIN NEWS Tagged With: Video for business, Video Sites, Viral Video Production, Viral Video Seeding, WbVideo Sharing Sites, web 2.0 video

Video Sharing sites and your business

January 18, 2008 by Tom Townsend

So you know about You Tube and Google Video and maybe three or four other sites that will let you post your videos for free?. Now let’s ad to the mix with the Social Networking sites like MySpace and Facebook to name a few and soon the numbers start to swell to over a hundred. These sites are often categorized into different arenas based on usage of the content and the services they provide such as user generated, video sharing web sites, video sharing platform / white label providers and web based video editing.

The landscape on these sites continues to ebb and flow like the tides and as the New Media Generation continues to evolve, new names will pop up and some businesses will be swallowed by the larger video fishes of the media ocean. Some will survive, as You Tube was purchased by Google last year and thrives. Some will die and some will morph into other businesses or be bought and merged into existing service providers.

Last year’s big buzz of course was You Tube…..right now all the talk is centered on another shake-up in the developing video sharing sites. One of the originators of the user generated content form Revver Video may be going through some changes.

It appears the Revver had an executive shake-up in December 2006 that resulted in two of its three co-founders, Ian Clarke and Oliver Luckett, along with some of the support staff, leaving. There is speculation now regarding the site’s well being and it is being fueled by the rumored departure of their CEO Steven Starr. This could very well signal trouble for the video-sharing site. Some have even speculated that Revver would be taken over by Live Universe. “Los Angeles-based LiveUniverse is run by MySpace founder Brad Greenspan. Though its flagship site is the somewhat obscure LiveVideo, the company would add Revver to its network of video sites.”

Revver has had problems with attracting the kind of traffic that You Tube enjoys. It is one of the first sites that took on the revenue-sharing model. Will it be able to continue in its current model if it continues to lack in traffic or if its CEO departs?

With the recent inclusion of ad-sharing revenue models, this year will prove even more difficult for video-sharing sites to compete with the like of You Tube. Guba is another video-sharing site that has seen some execs leave, in this case to start their own video-sharing site and .

Whatever the outcome, you can be sure that Virtual Interactive will be right in the thick of things. When it comes to promoting your business or products, Video Sharing Sites can add real buzz to your business with very little impact on your bottom line. The key here is keeping track of who does what and when in the over all landscape of the Web 2.0 , Social Networks and New Media world. You can rest assured that when it comes to any thing Video related we are on top of it. This is the marketing edge that separates us from our competitors and that our customers have come to expect and where we will consistently deliver on.

Wall Street Journal: Online Videos can increase your business

Adding Web 2.0 Services will increase business

Filed Under: New Media Marketing, VISIN NEWS Tagged With: business video, Ineractive video, online video, revver, Tampa Video, Video Services, Video Sharing, youtube

Real Estate Technology – basics for increasing sales

January 2, 2008 by Tom Townsend

Virtual Interactive Systems offers customized services for Real Estate Professionals. The Art of Real Estate Technology and New Media Marketing for Residential and Commercial Properties is coming of age.

How can you tell that the service provider you are working with knows the Real Estate industry and better yet, knows enough about the technology that they will guarantee that your listings will be viewed or that you will increase the reader base to your site?

We cut to the chase and work with only those services that we have reviewed and tested as reliable. We keep abreast of the latest updates in MLS services and other listing technologies that will help increase your brand awareness and gain you new buyers or potential sellers. “It’s all about the content”.

Content management and distribution networks are all over the Internet and increasing rapidly where the best Virtual Tours and Listings data can be pushed to a massive, relevant audience, and the content becomes a marketing juggernaut to increase your business . Though this content is trickling in from different entry points (iTunes, Revver, YouTube, Goggle Video, Metacafe, etc), the programs and clips are coming to the web because the business of online video is being realized.

The key to increasing and solidifying your business leads, of course, is the massive, relevant audience; and the key to that audience? Context.

The valuation of video for virtual tours will be based on how many people view the video and its contextual relevance to the groups viewing it. In the online world, making sure that content is as available and easily found as possible, and investigating the context-to-content relationship of the user-circles choosing to view the video are a key to lasting reward for Real Estate professionals.

We specialize in Virtual Tour Creation, Viral Videos and Web Based Marketing Strategies for Blogs,Vlogs and Podcast Syndication across the Blogosphere, the Internet Nationally and Globally for Real Estate Professionals.

Virtual Interactive creates media content for your listings that get viewed. We provide metrics that show you were your site is placing in the search engines and how often your content is being viewed. We use Analytics and Landing Page Optimization to continually update your site and ensure that your traffic is ever increasing.

Get your Real Estate Business the Web 2.0 advantage and let VISIN develop the winning campaign that your sellers will love and gets buyers to call you.

Filed Under: RealEstate Technology Tagged With: real estate blogs, Real Estate Media, Real Estate Technology, Real Estate web 2.0, Technology Basics, Virtual Tour

Adding Web 2.0 Services will increase business

January 2, 2008 by Tom Townsend

Virtual Interactive Systems NOW offers Web 2.0 Services. “Take your site to the next level. If your Internet Presence does not include Web 2.0 Technologies then you are most likely giving money away to your competitors”.

What are Web 2.0 Technologies ? They are Blogs filled with relevant content about your products and or services. Today Blogs including Audio and Video content should be a major part of your site that will also incorporate Social Network Marketing to further increase brand awareness.

Blogging Systems provide a media rich forum for you to engage your current customers and at the same time solicit new customers and educate them about your company and product offerings.

“Many business web-sites today are the cyber equivalent of having a storefront without signage and a door that won’t open”. If you have a static web site but want to add a Blogging component to increase your business then VISIN can lead the way.

We work with clients to develop a compelling message. With the addition of a customized Word Press Blog, including media rich content developed specifically to your unique business offerings and customer base.

When combined with the Blogging Systems and Internet Presence Management developed by Virtual Interactive Systems, your business will increase and new customers will find your offerings increasingly moving up on organic page searches.

Filed Under: Web 2.0 Tagged With: Blog Site Design, New Media Content, New Media Marketing, Web 2.0 Services, Word Press Blog Design

Web Design Services with New Media Synergy

January 2, 2008 by Tom Townsend

Virtual Interactive Systems NOW offers customized Web Design Services. “We go beyond the traditional Static Web Site Development”. If your Internet Presence does not include Web 2.0 Technologies (herein referred to as New Media) then you are most likely giving money away to your competitors. The rules have changed and they continue to evolve every month by the major search engines. Today Blogs, Audio and Video content should be a major part of your site.

Web applications can be engaging and intuitive enough to make data entry or filling out a purchase form not just functional but enjoyable. We can provide your site the power of a truly interactive web design that creates emotional bonds between your company and your customers.

VISIN works with clients to develop a compelling message to help increase the sales of your product and services. When combined with the Blogging Systems and Internet Presence Management your business will increase and new customers will also find your offerings increasingly moving up on organic page searches.

Filed Under: Web Design Services Tagged With: blog design, Blogs vs static web site, New Media Design, static web sites, Web 2.0 design, Web Design Services

Virtual Interactive Team adds Internet Presence Management

January 2, 2008 by Tom Townsend

The Virtual Interactive Team has a new addition to our service offerings that NOW brings Leading Web 2.0 Internet Presence Management services to our clients VISIN will be providing clients with Media Tools and Services that will leverage Video Production and Audio Marketing Techniques to further promote their customers products and services across the Internet and the Blogosphere.

The addition of Viral Video and Audio content combined with our Total Internet Presence Management will provide a synergy that will propel clients business to new heights.

Virtual Interactive Systems is dedicated to spreading information about audio and video podcasting, blogging, and other new media technologies to it’s clients to increase their revenue earning potentials beyond traditional bricks and mortar methods. VISN specializes in the Small to Medium Business segment.

Filed Under: VISIN NEWS Tagged With: Internet Presence Management, New Media Services, synergy, Video Production, Web 2.0, Web Audio, Web Video

Media Tools

January 2, 2008 by Tom Townsend

-NEWS FLASH -

Virtual Interactive Systems to provide valuable advice and How To videos for it’s customers and subscribers on Media Tools used for Interactive Media Development. This list will include the following:

Digital Still Cameras
Web Cameras (Web Cams)
Video Camera’s
Microphones – (for both Podcasting as well as simple narrative voice overs -selecting the right podcasting microphone)
Podcasting Kits – (equipment for completing podcasting & audio broadcasting)
Software Applications – (selecting the right application for Podcasting,Audio, Video and Graphic file manipulation based upon usage, features and cost)
Internet Services -(selecting the right Internet Service for Photo sharing, Video Sharing, Podcasting and Social Networks)
Shopping Cart – We have put together a VISIN shop that aggregates all of the Media Tools in one place so that customers can make their purchases on line from some the most trusted sources on the Internet.