Watchitoo Combines Video Chat with Video Watching
With more and more computers featuring built-in webcams, video conferencing technology is becoming increasingly important and versatile. No longer relegated to getting updates from the New York office, web conferencing is being utilized by everyone from politicians to homesick college students. On the heels of this growing popularity are companies developing new and innovative web conference tools.
This week I had the pleasure to speak with Brian August, VP of Business Development at Watchitoo.com. Founded in 2007, this quickly growing service allows people to collaborate with one another around various pieces of live content. The platform requires no download, can be customized and embedded on a website, and is fully integrated into other social media sites. Among its most innovative features is simultaneous streaming. For example – Have you ever wanted to watch a Youtube video with a friend while chatting online? With Watchitoo there’s no need to copy and paste a link. On one screen you, your friend, and the Youtube video are all streaming in real-time.
Watchitoo has also proven to be a valuable tool for businesses and events. In the same way that you and a friend could be watching a Youtube video with one another, a salesperson could be presenting slides and testimonial videos to dozens of clients. Due to its smooth handling of large audiences, Watchitoo can host web seminars or political forums involving audience members directly. As thousands of viewers tune in, any one of them can enter the show after being placed in a virtual green room. There, a moderator can prep the guest by adjusting their microphone, giving them questions in advance, or just telling them to fix their hair. After being prepped, they can go live.
Watchitoo’s business has ranged from individuals to rock bands to large companies. As I write this they are in talks with some of the nation’s leading broadband giants. This summer, the platform will be featured on Mashable’s U.S. Summer Tour. At each of the tour’s five stops, Watchitoo will be used as a “Green Carpet” where people at the event can speak live on Mashable.com to thousands of virtual guests. Questions can be fielded, exciting appearances will be made, and the tour can reach many more people.
During our conversation, August also expressed his excitement towards the launching of WatchitooPRO – an updated version of the software with more features and boosted capabilities. While the current service is only two years old and still proves to be ahead of the curve, WatchitooPRO exemplifies the company’s commitment to leading the way in web conferencing.
As personal computers and even cell phones continue to incorporate front-facing web cams, it will be interesting to see where video conferencing goes. Will it overtake traditional methods of communication? Will we become even more connected with one another? Who can say? Yet, with platforms like Watchitoo changing how we interact online, it appears that the popularity of video conferencing will only continue to grow.
