Sonic Foundry to Host Third Annual UNLEASH Mediasite User Conference
Company introduces blended conference with both on-site and virtual attendance options and green initiative to counteract current environmental and economic struggles
MADISON, Wis. - April 27, 2009 - Sonic Foundry, Inc. (NASDAQ: SOFO), the recognized market leader for rich media webcasting and knowledge management, today announced that in spite of an economic climate that has made travelling difficult for some customers, UNLEASH 2009 will open to an audience that is 15 percent larger than the previous year, representing 28 states and eight countries. The third annual Mediasite user conference will take place April 28-29 at the Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center in Madison, Wis., the first convention center in the United States to earn LEED-Existing Building Silver certification from the U.S. Green Building Council.
For the first time Sonic Foundry is offering a blended conference. Through the virtual attendance pass, online attendees will have access to live conference sessions, interact with presenters through Mediasite's real-time Q&A and network with in-person attendees through social media tools such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn.
"This is, by far, the most productive conference for connecting with other users and discovering new ways to take our Mediasite program to the next level," said Jeff Baxter, special projects coordinator of Memphis City Schools, who has attended UNLEASH all three years. "Reaching out to the web 2.0 community will foster even more fantastic dialogue because it will be open the conference to a wider audience. With the state of the economy, the virtual pass will allow our peers who can't be there in person stay on target with the new information being shared, and create an unparalleled networking opportunity."
Sonic Foundry has announced its commitment to minimizing the environmental impact of this year's conference. Conference attendees will have online, on-demand access to all conference sessions and handouts, eliminating the need for paper handouts. In addition, attendees will receive sustainable conference materials including reusable aluminum water bottles, recycled pens and canvas tote bags. Most importantly, UNLEASH 2009 will take place at Madison's Monona Terrace Community and Convention Center, a LEED-certified facility, and attendees will stay at the Hilton Madison, which provides a free shuttle service to and from the airport, is within walking distance of the conference and integrates recycling and waster reduction programs like towel reuse and newspaper. Details of the UNLEASH 2009 green initiative can be found at www.sonicfoundry.com/unleash2009/green.aspx.
"We are ever mindful of the rapidly changing needs of our customers in today's economic climate which led us to offer UNLEASH as a blended conference this year. Through Mediasite and multiple online communities, it is now possible for them to network, share best practices and foster relationships that continue long after the conference ends," said Sonic Foundry president and CEO Rimas Buinevicius.
To view a sample catalog of UNLEASH 2008 sessions click here.
About Sonic Foundry ®, Inc.
Sonic Foundry (NASDAQ: SOFO, www.sonicfoundry.com) is the
global leader for rich media webcasting and knowledge management, providing enterprise communication
solutions for more than 1,600 customers in education, business and government. Powered by Mediasite,
the patented webcasting platform which automates the capture, management, delivery and search of
lectures, online training and briefings, Sonic Foundry empowers people to transform the way they
communicate. Through the Mediasite platform and its Events Services group, the company helps customers
connect a dynamic, evolving world of shared knowledge and envisions a future where learners and workers
around the globe use webcasting to bridge time and distance, accelerate research and improve performance.
Product and service names mentioned herein are the trademarks of Sonic Foundry, Inc. or their
respective owners.
Certain statements contained in this news release regarding matters that are not
historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Because such forward-looking
statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially
from those expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that
could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to,
uncertainties pertaining to continued market acceptance for Sonic Foundry's products,
its ability to succeed in capturing significant revenues from media services and/or
systems, the effect of new competitors in its market, integration of acquired business
and other risk factors identified from time to time in its filings with the Securities
and Exchange Commission.