MADISON, Wis. & WEXFORD, Penn. -- Sept. 14, 2004 -- Sonic Foundry(R) Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFO) and BxVideo, a provider of rich media services, today announced they are powering a novel rich media solution offered by Courtroom Connect that is helping re-define the way trial litigation communication takes place both inside and outside the courtroom in many state courthouses. Courtroom Connect, a provider of technology infrastructure solutions exclusively for litigation, is deploying 10 Sonic Foundry Mediasite(TM) rich media presentation recorders together with BxVideo's RMXPRES(TM) array of back-end hosting services to create a unique offering dubbed Virtual Law Viewer (VLV).
"Our VLV service leverages Mediasite and BxVideo's advanced streaming services to add incredible value to what we can offer our clients, especially when clients need to view digital evidence remotely. Along with our other services, such as real-time transcripts, VLV creates a more efficient and productive environment for law firms by allowing paralegals and other law professionals working behind the scenes to see and hear in real-time exactly what's occurring in the courtroom, and respond quickly and accordingly in terms of documents to produce or issues to research," said Louis Goldberg, president, Courtroom Connect. "By mirroring the courtroom experience remotely, it also enables attorneys in satellite offices to monitor the proceedings without the time, costs and hassles of traveling to the courthouse. Legal professionals are always looking for a competitive advantage to help them better serve their clients, and our VLV service, powered by Mediasite and RMXPRES, will become increasingly ubiquitous in courtrooms because of the tremendous value it provides."
Virtual Law Viewer Provides Secure, Real-time Access
Courtroom Connect created the VLV as a proprietary service that enables law firms to work more efficiently and better serve their clients through the use of real-time streaming and viewing of courtroom proceedings and digital evidence over a secure network connection. Specifically, the VLV synchronizes video of the witness, the real-time transcript from the court reporter, snapshots of electronic evidence and audio from the courtroom in an online viewer securely accessed via a computer with Internet access. VLV is offered alongside leading Internet transcript applications, and is easily integrated into the high-tech courtroom environment and leverages all the technology that is already being deployed for major litigation.
A perfect complement to Courtroom Connect's Wi-Fi Internet services, VLV was first implemented in November 2003 and already has been used for a number of high-profile court cases in New York and California.
During one trial, which lasted nearly five months, the defense team used VLV to allow attorneys from three offices throughout the country to view and participate in the numerous daily court proceedings. Attorneys in remote locations were provided with secure, Web-based access to the audio and video of witness testimony and cross-examination, all synchronized with the visual evidence presented and real-time transcripts. The off-site attorneys were able to provide advice and commentary via e-mail and instant messaging to the trial team. The service also is unique because it allows digital evidence to be viewed remotely, which is particularly helpful in complex matters. Typically, this type of courtroom access and consultation requires traveling to and sitting in the courtroom for the duration of the trial.
Leveraging the Power of Mediasite with RMXPRES
Courtroom Connect's VLV application demonstrates that the recently launched RMXPRES hosting service for content digitally recorded on Sonic Foundry's award-winning Mediasite system is taking hold in the legal arena, as well as in other service-oriented markets. A complete, turnkey rich media presentation solution, RMXPRES allows organizations to quickly make significant competitive strides by offering Web-based, integrated audio, video and graphic communication services at a fraction of the cost of traditional video production-based approaches.
"Courtroom Connect's VLV is a perfect example of the power that full-service hosting brings to Mediasite deployments," said Darrin Coulson, president, BxVideo. "By providing a complete complement of all of the back-end content management, access control, secure hosting and integration requirements for the deployment of Mediasite, RMXPRES allows organizations with IT, security and network limitations to still enjoy the benefits of rich media."
Available in mobile and rack-mount versions, Mediasite is a complete rich media recording and publishing system that automates the capture, synchronization and streaming of multimedia presentations. Mediasite's unique dual-channel, real-time processing handles all RGB-source graphics with ease, thereby eliminating the complicated and time-consuming pre- and post-production work typically associated with creating high-quality rich media content. RMXPRES is the first authorized hosting service designed exclusively to record events and manage rich media content captured using Mediasite. The turnkey service gives organizations rapid access to the powerful benefits of Mediasite's live and on-demand Web communications and to build complete rich media libraries without any technical or infrastructure requirements.
"Courtroom Connect's usage of Mediasite's exclusive VersaVisual(TM) multi-source capture and real-time recording capabilities in its VLV service is particularly valuable to litigators who increasingly use a wide variety of digitized collateral while presenting their case, including photographs, maps, e-mails, PowerPoint(R) slides and video," said James Dias, vice president of marketing and sales, Sonic Foundry. "In deploying 10 of our units across a range of applications, Courtroom Connect clearly recognizes the versatility and efficiency of Mediasite, together with the bandwidth and strength of RMXPRES, as an important service to provide to its growing roster of customers."
Courtroom Connected
VLV is just one of the many services Courtroom Connect offers as a leading provider of Internet technology infrastructure for litigation proceedings including complex depositions, war rooms and trials throughout the United States. The New York-based company has more than 20 permanent wireless and wired data networks in courthouses in California, Delaware, Maryland, New Jersey, New York and Pennsylvania providing secure high-speed Internet access, printing, and real-time transcripts to attorneys at the courthouse. It also offers a trial-specific service that allows law firms litigating in most other courthouses without permanent installations to arrange for the services to be available for the duration of a trial. For more information, visit www.courtroomconnect.com.
About Sonic Foundry(R), Inc.
Founded in 1991, Sonic Foundry (NASDAQ: SOFO) is a provider of rich media communications technology for the enterprise. The company's high-performance rich media presentation systems are trusted by Fortune 500 companies, education institutions and government agencies for a variety of critical communication needs. Sonic Foundry is based in Madison, Wis. For more information about Sonic Foundry, visit the company's Web site at www.sonicfoundry.com.
About BxVideo
BxVideo was founded in 2003 with a mission to make rich media communications easy and affordable for organizations of all types and sizes. As a result of careful market research and experience with customers, BxVideo has developed a unique suite of technologies and services that address all aspects of the rich media content continuum -- capturing, publishing, delivery and management. With a growing staff of experienced digital media experts, BxVideo delivers its highly innovative services to corporate, government and education markets. Common applications include online training, internal and external corporate communications, event Webcasting, product sales and marketing, and Web-based distance education. For more information, visit www.bxvideo.com.
