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Tag: ‘webcasting’

Why Outstanding Mobile Platform Support is Critical

Posted Aug 9 2011 by in Aaron Booker, Video Delivery, Webcasting with 0 Comments

Everyone knows that a chain is only as strong as its weakest link. Well, I like to think of any multi-platform software or service as a chain – if one of the links (platforms) in the chain is weak, well… it’s time to get a new chain. I bring it up because I recently read a blog post by Jeremy over at Never Stop Marketing about an experience he had with the AdobeConnect live conferencing software. Jeremy was testing out the software, trying to connect with a colleague, but the colleague only had mobile devices handy. AdobeConnect didn’t support mobile, so they had to use a different service. That’s why, in Jeremy’s words, it’s important to think “mobile first.”***

In today’s connected world, mobile devices are ubiquitous. One third of American adults own a smartphone, according to a recent Pew study. In the tech industry, that fraction seems much closer to 100%. I see tablets everywhere at conferences, with the iPad dominating usage even in our Microsoft-based ecosystem. However, mobile interfaces and support often continue to lag behind their traditional PC/Mac counterparts. As Jeremy and I agree, this is wrong. Mobile is critical and should be your best-optimized system – because it may be your user’s only option.  For video, we prefer our clients’ viewers to watch our work on the best screen possible.  We’re proud of what we do, and we know that bigger screens make high quality video look better. However, nothing is more critical than the viewer watching the video, regardless of screen size or computing type.

At Varvid, we offer video production, editing, hosting, and webcasting services, and all of those follow our “mobile critical” principle. Our workflow is optimized to deliver files ready to upload (H.264) to mobile oriented delivery platforms, and we make sure that all videos hosted with us are available for playback on mobile devices. When we choose partners for video platforms and webcasting, we pick providers who share our idea that mobile support is paramount. With webcasting, which is decidedly not compatible with mobile by default, we make an extra effort to provide mobile support to the market leading devices. A recent webcast that we worked on was streamed online in four different formats – including state-of-the-art HTML for iOS devices.

How are you supporting your mobile device carrying clients? Does your helpdesk support those users?  How well? AdobeConnect can stand to lose a couple users – can you?

*** For what it’s worth, AdobeConnect is now optimized for mobile, but first impressions are what stick with clients and potential clients.

Why Webcast? Why Not??

Posted Jul 18 2011 by in Aaron Booker, Webcasting, WPC with 0 Comments

If you know Varvid, you know that our passion is taking your video and putting it on the Internet. You might know us as the people who interviewed you at Microsoft’s Worldwide Partner Conference in the past few years. You might know us as the people who are helping you leverage the power of video for your website. What you might not know is that one of Varvid’s oldest and most reliable lines of business is webcasting.

What’s Webcasting?

Webcasting is the Internet-everywhere, always-connected companion to standard event videography. In today’s modern world, you can’t be everywhere at once – but now you can have access to the Internet and a hand-held screen at all times. Varvid is here to make sure that event attendance and visibility isn’t limited by the size or location of the venue – we can show anything to anyone, anywhere. In the past, we’ve provided live webcasting services for such events as Magic: the Gathering Pro Tour, Sea to Ski, Fight Night Rounds XII – XV (in association with 360 Productions and GoFightLive.tv), and, most recently, Worldwide Partner Conference 2011.

Past ‘Casts

Last week, we partnered with the Microsoft Partner Network and Mimecast to provide awesome, informative webcasts, three times a day, from the floor of the Worldwide Partner Conference. Some of the roundtable discussions were even hosted by our very own Aaron Booker! It was a terrific experience all around, and would have been even without the 2,000+ daily views. But what was really exciting for us was integrating Facebook into the entire process. Through Aaron’s digital wizardry, we were able to display the live stream directly on our Facebook Fan Page, enabling viewers to become better acquainted with Varvid while enjoying our live coverage. And did we get likes? Oh yeah, we got likes.

Casting Our Webs into the Future

So what’s next for Varvid and webcasting? Well, our friends at Fight Night Entertainment are up to their old tricks with Fight Night Round XVI at Swinomish Casino, August 13th, and we’ll be there in force with360 Productions and GoFightLive.tv. And the technology for webcasting is evolving all the time: some musicians have started using Facebook to host live concerts, with admittance payable in Facebook Credits.ReelSEO‘s Grant Crowell considers it a revolution. Beyond that, well, make us an offer. Webcasting an event can be a great way to create buzz and get exposure. Whether you’ve already got a video crew, or would like us to find you one (we know some real pros), we’re ready to help you share your event with the world.

Varvid Webcasts Magic: the Gathering Pro Tour in Nagoya, Japan

Posted Jun 10 2011 by in Aaron Booker, Webcasting, Wizards of the Coast with 0 Comments

This weekend, Varvid‘s Aaron Booker will be on-location in Nagoya, Japan, providing top-tier webcasting services for the Magic: the Gathering Pro Tour competition. The tournament, put on by tabletop gaming heavyweight Wizards of the Coast, will host hundreds of internationally-ranked Magic players. These pros will duel it out all weekend long for a chance to take home part of a whopping $230,000 prize pool! Tune in to the Top 8 live stream here: http://www.wizards.com/webcast, starting Saturday June 11th at 6:45pm PST (9:45pm EST), and we’ll keep you updated with pictures, screenshots, and highlights from the event.

Live Webcasting and MSPU – Success Squared

Posted Jun 16 2010 by in Event Coverage, MSPU, Uncategorized with 0 Comments

We find our band of troubadours fresh off the heels of HTG Summit in Dallas and prepping for WPC in July. Does that leave any room to help others in the internet delivered video arena?  Of course it does.

The Varvid team recently returned from a triumphant excursion to Southern California for the live webcasting of MSPU’s Boot Camp in Santa Ana. Here’s the quick overview of what MSP University offers.  Whether you’re a Managed Services startup, or a $100 million dollar a year Managed Services Provider, Managed Services Provider University has the resources and the experience to help you improve your IT business by decreasing costs and increasing revenue.

Aaron at the helm...

Not only did Varvid stream live from the event, they were on site to record a myriad of classes for the MSPU catalog, available exclusively to MSPU clients. Some of the topics that were discussed included Sales 101, Marketing, Service Delivery and CEO Tracks. Now if you didn’t get the chance to attend this Boot camp, not to worry. They offer these all over the nation.

In a nutshell, MSPU provides MSP’s the opportunity to continue to learn the ins & outs of this industry. Visit their site for more details and to learn more about this incredible organization.

A special thanks to the Varvid crew on hand for this stellar event; Traci, Trevor & Jeremy really stepped up to the plate and took charge.  And what can we say about “King” Aaron? Simply put, he is the reason Varvid continues to be an industry leader in internet delivered video, from event coverage and webcasting to client testimonials and case studies.