New Product Allows Companies To Produce Own Webcasts

Compiled ByJill Jusko Video-content management company Virage Inc. has announced the release of VS Webcasting, a product that allows corporations to self-produce live and on-demand Web events, such as market announcements and executive communications. San Mateo, Calif.-based Virage says corporations can use VS Webcasting to schedule and deliver interactive live Webcasts that include audio and video synchronized with slide presentations and documents, as well as audience polls and questions. Additionally, VS Webcasting provides event administrators with all of the necessary tools to schedule a live Webcast, notify attendees and manage an event. The product also creates a searchable, on-demand version of the event available minutes after the live broadcast is over. VS Webcasting uses the proprietary Virage SmartEncode process to automatically encode and index the video during the live event. The process extracts information from the PowerPoint slides to create a table of contents and keyword index. Other information, such as speakers' names, can be added to the index. The resulting archive allows audiences to find and watch any part of the event at any time.