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Duke University Pratt School of Engineering Launches Online Learning Program, Becomes 1,500th Mediasite Customer

Posted on: Tuesday, 21 April 2009, 06:16 CDT

Streaming online courses engages modern students, deepens relationships with key constituencies

MADISON, Wis., April 21 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sonic Foundry, Inc. (Nasdaq: SOFO), the recognized market leader for rich media webcasting and knowledge management, today announced its 1,500th customer, Duke University, as the Pratt School of Engineering launches a distance education program powered by Mediasite.

The Pratt School of Engineering began exploring Mediasite last summer when Dean Tom Katsouleas announced several initiatives to expand the masters program, including introducing distance education for working professionals. Katsouleas came to Duke from USC Viterbi School of Engineering, which operates a robust online lecture program using Mediasite. The staff at Pratt has already launched a six-month elearning pilot in the Masters of Engineering Management program, using Mediasite to deliver online courses to geographically dispersed students.

"By tailoring its lecture capture program to professional masters students and alumni, Duke is differentiating itself as an institution committed to lifelong learning," said Sean Brown, vice president of education for Sonic Foundry. The real advantage of the classroom technology, according to Duke staff, is the flexibility the end user has in choosing how to view classroom content. Additional benefits include ease of use for the instructor and high quality video and audio recording.

Pratt has created a blended learning environment in which the live class and the distance students are viewing the same lectures. A smart classroom is equipped with microphones in the ceiling so in-class discussions can be heard over the streaming course. Both instructors and students have quickly adopted the classroom to web technology.

"Duke University Pratt School of Engineering is mapping education to the modern student, giving today's workers the flexibility to complete degree programs via Mediasite, the leading platform for distance education and online learning," said Rimas Buinevicius, chairman and CEO of Sonic Foundry. "We're proud to name Pratt our 1,500 customer, and look forward to our continued partnership as they break new ground in using webcasting to connect students, workers, employers and alumni to the Duke campus."

The patented Mediasite webcasting and content management system quickly and cost-effectively automates the capture, management, delivery and search of rich media presentations that combine audio, video and accompanying graphics for live or on-demand viewing.

This announcement is part of Sonic Foundry's next-gen education initiative. With the company's higher education Mediasite community now topping 600 colleges and universities, Sonic Foundry is highlighting customer stories that exemplify the convergence of technology and education. Through webinars, news and speaking engagements, Mediasite users around the globe are sharing their best practices for using lecture capture to bridge time and distance, accelerate research and improve academic performance.

About Sonic Foundry(R), 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 1,500 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.

SOURCE Sonic Foundry, Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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