Sonic Foundry Profile
Sonic Foundry, Inc. (Sonic Foundry) operates as the global leader for video capture, management, and streaming solutions as well as virtual and hybrid events.
The company helps customers maximize the value of their video initiatives and infrastructure while leveraging its expertise and global footprint to help unlock a smarter, more connected world for learners, workers, and entrepreneurs everywhere. Sonic Foundry's family of brands includes Mediasite, Video Solutions, Vidable, and Global Learning Exchange, as well as Mediasite Connect, which are trusted by thousands of educational institutions, students, corporations, and health care organizations in dozens of countries around the world.
Brands
Mediasite
Video Capture Solutions (Hardware)
Mediasite is an integrated and scalable video management platform that quickly and cost-effectively automates the capture, management, and distribution of live and on-demand video content. Ideal for a wide spectrum of use cases from higher education classrooms, virtual lab experiences to corporate townhalls and online training modules, Mediasite is used by over 1,500 educational institutions, corporations, health organizations, and government entities globally.
Mediasite provides the following primary flexible hardware and software solutions to record and upload any video-based content from anywhere, automatically:
Mediasite Recorder and Recorder Pro: The Recorder and Recorder Pro are built-in room appliances that use schedule-based capture and advanced audio/video integration to fully automate high-quality video and content recording in lecture halls, training rooms, simulation labs, and auditoriums. The room can be scheduled to automatically record and publish to Mediasite, so instructors and speakers can focus on teaching and presenting, free from technological worries and confident that everything said and presented is being captured.
Mediasite Mobile Recorders: The Mobile Recorder is a portable recording device used to capture and stream broadcast-quality video from any environment when portability is key. Designed for on-the-go webcasting, hybrid events, guest speakers and conferences, the lightweight design moves easily from location to location and can be set up and ready to record in only a few minutes.
Video Capture Solutions (Software)
Mediasite Mosaic and Mosaic Pro: Mosaic allows instructors, employees, and students to create high quality videos, screencasts and slideshows from their computers or mobile devices with just one click. From demos and video training to flipped classes, lectures and assignments, everything needed to record, upload, manage and publish personal videos is in one simple-to-use tool, requiring no professional video skills. Mosaic Pro extends those desktop software capabilities to multi-use PC's commonly used in classrooms and training rooms by adding full automation workflows and administrative controls that allow presenters to effortlessly publish video content from shared learning spaces.
Mediasite Capture: Released in 2023, Mediasite Capture is a simple, browser-based recording application that provides users a quick, intuitive way to record their camera, microphone, and desktop to create high quality, rich media presentations independent of a desktop-based application.
As part of Sonic Foundry's end-to-end video solutions, Mediasite video management and delivery solutions ensure the rapid and efficient delivery of recorded and live content.
Video Management and Delivery Solutions
Mediasite is a secure solution to manage, search, analyze, publish, and stream video content. With Mediasite, government, businesses, and educational institutions can automatically publish video to a learning management system (LMS), content management system (CMS), training portal or any website; centrally manage and secure any video; create an enterprise or campus YouTube channel; deepen engagement and improve learning with quizzing, annotations, comments, polls, surveys and other interactive tools; analyze viewing metrics to measure learner engagement and outcomes; search everything with fully indexed audio, video and slide content; and stream live and on-demand video to any device.
Mediasite On-Premises or Mediasite Cloud
Mediasite is available as either an on-premises license or as a SaaS (Software as a Service) offering within the company's Mediasite Cloud. Customers can conveniently host and manage all their content with Mediasite Cloud, or use it as needed for large events to divert heavy viewing traffic from their on-premises Mediasite deployment. In 2020, the company made an investment in a new dual redundant, high availability data center in the United Kingdom, which went online at the end of September 2020. The company also upgraded its existing U.S. data centers, which went online during the first calendar quarter of 2021 and in fiscal 2023 (year ended September 30, 2023) through early fiscal 2024 the company is transitioning to a public cloud environment.
Vidable
Vidable is an AI powered solution that turns an organization's video libraries into dynamic knowledge bases. Vidable is an integrated AI solution with 3 powerful features: Vidable Assistant, which applies real-time search and content generation capabilities to single videos or entire libraries of video allowing users to quickly locate the content they need and create derivative content from any video. Vidable Insights is a video analytics tool that organizes video library data and delivers custom analytics through a customizable dashboard. Vidable Transformations is a set of AI tools used to enhance video content through automated workflow which improves production quality, accessibility and searchability of video. Vidable is delivered as a standalone platform or through integrations with Mediasite and other video platforms.
Global Learning Exchange
Global Learning Exchange (GLX) provides students in emerging countries access to higher education in a flexible and locally supported environment. GLX offers coursework, degree programs, and certifications through partnerships with 7 U.S. and EU Universities and 2 skill-based certification providers.
The Global Learning Exchange opened its first GLX Hub in Nassau, Bahamas in July 2022 and has since opened Hubs in Abuja and Benin City, Nigeria and Johannesburg, South Africa. GLX Hubs are used as enrollment and admissions centers and act as support centers where enrolled students can study, network with other students, obtain Wi-Fi access and other technological resources, and receive educational and career support from local Hub advisors.
Video Solutions
Video Solutions specializes in comprehensive video services and is organized around a simple value proposition: Making video easy. Video Solutions technicians and project managers have decades of experience planning, managing, and executing video initiatives for event organizers and enterprise organizations around the world. Video Solutions plugs into organizations as needed - providing self-service tools or full-service offerings supported by expert technicians and project managers. From organizing video capture and distribution for an in person, live or hybrid event, to migrating an existing video content library to the cloud to planning and executing an organization's video strategy from start to finish, Video Solutions is a full service offering that is customized specifically to an organization's needs and objectives.
Mediasite Professional Services
Customers can maximize the value of their Mediasite instance and their video library with additional Mediasite Professional Services, including integration services, installation assistance, custom development, training, cloud migration support, and monitoring services. The majority of professional services are completed remotely, allowing for uninterrupted year-round professional services support for new users and existing customers.
Mediasite Customer Care
Mediasite Customer Care plans include software upgrades for Mediasite and Mediasite capture solutions, technical support, warranty extensions, and advanced replacement on hardware, as well as access to the Mediasite Community and other online resources. Nearly all the company's customers purchase a Customer Care plan when they purchase Mediasite or a Mediasite capture solutions. Annual service contracts for Mediasite Cloud include a standard Customer Care plan.
Billings
The company’s largest individual customers can be either value added resellers (VARs) or end users in the case of large higher education institutions.
Sales
The company sells and markets its offerings through a sales force that manages a channel of value-added resellers, system integrators, and consultants. These third-party representatives specialize in understanding both audio/video systems and IT networking. The company also sells to over 200 resellers, and over 1,150 total end users.
The company's GLX business sells directly to students.
Market Expansion
The company has diversified its core offerings through the launch of Vidable and Global Learning Exchange, which has expanded the company into new and adjacent markets where it has the opportunity to expand and leverage relationships with existing education and enterprise customers.
Global Expansion
The company continues to operate Sonic Foundry, International B.V. in the Netherlands and Mediasite KK in Japan, which it acquired in 2014.
In 2022, the company's Global Learning Exchange business opened its first Hub in Nassau, Bahamas that provides students with local support resources and a physical space to connect with other students in the area. In 2023, GLX expanded its presence into Africa with the opening of GLX Hubs in Nigeria (2) and South Africa (1). These strategic locations were selected based upon the dramatic supply-demand imbalance in higher education that exists in these markets. The GLX Hub facilities are used for both student recruitment and for student support services, once students are enrolled in coursework or a degree program through one of GLX's education partners.
Research and Development
During the year ended September 30, 2023, the company spent $11.2 million on internal research and development activities in its business.
History
Sonic Foundry, Inc. was founded in 1991. The company was incorporated in Wisconsin in 1994.
