Business Technology Radio , December 22, 2008:
http://www.businesstechnologyradio.com/adi-sideman---sitepal/tabid/84987/Default.aspx
1to1media, September 3, 2008:
Web-based avatars can interact with customers, answer basic questions, and navigate a company’s site, but are they smart enough to replace a knowledgeable customer service rep? In most cases probably not, but when the City Council of San Carlos, CA, had to eliminate a position from their administrative budget they decided to find out.
http://www.1to1media.com/view.aspx?DocID=31099
Burlingame Daily News:
City Goes High-tech with Staffer, July 16, 2008:
In times of trouble, new creative solutions emerge. That is how San Carlos acquired new civic digital assistant Carly. This interactive employee aids visitors in navigating around City Hall while helping the city government meet its new budget demands.
http://www.theburlingamedailynews.com/article/2008-7-13-sc-carly
Government Technology:
Carly the Avatar Greets Visitors to San Carlos City Hall, July 10, 2008:
Affected by California’s general fund budget cuts, San Carlos City Hall lost its receptionist. Instead of staffing the reception desk with volunteers, however, they opted for a more unconventional approach. Enter Carly the Avatar: a fully-automated, low cost yet highly effective solution.
http://www.govtech.com/gt/articles/376514
Click2Houston.com:
UH Professor Offers Online Instruction, April 18, 2008:
Some students at the University of Houston are learning and earning class credit while logging on the Internet, KPRC Local 2, Your Education Station, reported Wednesday. Dr. Brian McFarlin teaches about half of his Kinesiology 3306 Physiology of Human Performance class online. The other half of the class is taught in the classroom.
http://www.click2houston.com/education/15902372/detail.html
eSchoolNews:
'Hybrid' courses show promise, April 3, 2008:
“Hybrid courses,” or courses that deliver part of their instruction in a traditional lecture manner and part in an online environment, are becoming increasingly popular among schools and colleges. Proponents of the concept say it capitalizes on the benefits that both face-to-face and online learning can provide—and now, there is some evidence to suggest that hybrid courses can help students learn more effectively.
http://www.eschoolnews.com/news/top-news/?i=53395;_hbguid=75a0c5cf-2d27-4826-987e-8c795427a076&d=top-news
Science Daily:
College Students Score Higher In Classes That Incorporate Instructional Technology Than In Traditional Classes, March 26, 2008:
A technical report from a University of Houston Department of Health and Human Performance researcher finds that students in a "hybrid class" that incorporated instructional technology with in-class lectures scored a letter-grade higher on average than their counterparts who took the same class in a more traditional format.
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080324125154.htm
Inc.com:
Your Websites: Age-Old Problems; New Age Solutions, January 30, 2008:
Three traditional problems can be taken head-on with three less traditional solutions. Find out how to: 1) convert more visitors into buying customers, 2) generate more sales per customer, and 3) draw more people to your website.
http://www.inc.com/magazine/20080201/age-old-problems-new-age-solutions.html
SmallBizTechnology.com:
Small Things That Can Have Big Impacts Online, December 23, 2007:
There are a number of minute details that could affect your sales significantly. From clicking on a purchase link that redirects visitors to other websites to adding applications that engage the visitor, the success of your business may depend on your attention to detail.
http://smallbiztechnology.com/archive/2007/12/small-things-that-can-have-big.html
All Business:
SitePal Review -- Case Study Reveals Huge Improvement In Conversions, December 14, 2007:
SitePal used to be considered an annoyance. A new case study conducted by Small Business Trends site owner Anita Campbell, however, shows how SitePal can be used to help increase newsletter sign ups. If she saw a 144% increase in newsletter sign ups, how could it help your site?
http://www.allbusiness.com/operations/4968645-1.html
Business Technology Radio:
Tim Berry on Business Planning, Blogging, and Small Business, December 6, 2007:
Podcast host Tim Berry discusses the critical components of business applications on business planning. He interviews Small Business Trend’s Anita Campbell and brings attention to her case study resulting in an overwhelming 144% newsletter sign up increase.
http://www.businesstechnologyradio.com/recentshows/tabid/25382/bid/3054/Tim-Berry-on-Business-Planning-Blogging-and-Small-Business.aspx
BlackEnterprise.com:
Me, Myself, and My Avatar, November 20, 2007:
Adding the human touch to your Website sounds difficult, but it really isn't. One service that makes it easy and affordable to do is SitePal. Developed by Oddcast, SitePal lets you design speaking animated characters that can easily be added to a Website or blog. You can even send the company your picture and have a customized animated character created for you. You can also use your own voice, or that of a voice-over professional, to deliver messages to visitors of your site. Plus you can change the appearance of the character to change with the message you want to deliver, from hair styles, eye color, outfits, even your character's age and ethnicity.
http://www.blackenterprise.com/cms/exclusivesopen.aspx?id=3786
Online Media Daily:
Oddcast's Photo to Avatar Technology Debuts, August 28, 2007:
Promoting its back-to-school specials, mall operator Taubman has become the first user of Oddcast's Auto Photo technology, which turns any photo into a speaking avatar in seconds. The talking characters may be customized down to their clothing, hair color and background. The avatar can then be emailed, or posted on a user's MySpace page, blog or web site. Students can also access the Oddcast technology through on-site kiosks in the 10 participating Taubman shopping centers in seven states.
http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.san&s=66442&
Small Business Trends Radio:
Virtual Talking Characters Can Add To Your Bottom Line, August 2, 2007:
Anita Campbell interviews Adi Sideman, who describes how using a SitePal speaking character on your website can add to your bottom line by converting visitors into customers. Best practices include using the virtual character to deliver welcome messages and sales pitches, to provide guidance in navigating your site, to verbalize a call to action, and to increase communication by using progressive messaging.
http://www.smbtrendwire.com/2007/08/01/virtual-talking-characters-can-add-to-your-bottom-line/
Hosting Tech Press Release:
SitePal Hosting Partner Program Premieres, August 1, 2007:
A new hosting partners program, designed to assist hosting companies with the acquisition, retention and up-sell of customers, has been debuted by SitePal.
http://www.hostingtech.com/?m=show&id=1891
Web Host Industry Review (WHIR):
SitePal Offers Hosting Partner Program, July 24, 2007:
Avatar technology provider SitePal announced on Tuesday July 24th at HostingCon 2007 (www.hostingcon.com/2007) it is offering a new hosting partners program that offers a simple and effective way to acquire, retain and up-sell SMB customers.
http://www.thewhir.com/marketwatch/072407_SitePal_Offers_Hosting_Partner_Program.cfm
Business Technology Radio:
Using Avatars to Convert Website Visitors into Customers, July 23, 2007:
Brent Leary interviews Adi Sideman, Founder and CEO of Oddcast's talking avatar products, including SitePal. In his radio interview, he discusses how using avatars on your site can potentially improve business results and convert website traffic into leads. He also shares the best practice techniques that will improve your site visitors' user experience and add value to your business.
http://www.businesstechnologyradio.com/recentshows/tabid/25382/bid/2040/Using-Avatars-to-Convert-Website-Visitors-into-Customers.aspx
The New York Enterprise Report:
A Website Avatar Will Grab - And Guide - Your Visitors, July 1, 2007:
Avatars A pictorial presentation of a human in a chat environment can improve your site visitors experience by not only putting a sense of you in your website, but by directing the site visitor to something important. Think of it as a guide or a salesperson for anyone who clicks on your site. The avatar may point out site features, call attention to a special offer or do some hand-holding to improve the rate of conversion. Failure to convert when reaching checkout on an e-commerce site is a well-known source of frustration for companies that market their products online. This is where an avatar, or multiple avatars, could be beneficial.
http://www.nyreport.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Feature.showFeature&FeatureID=457
Web Host Industry News:
Bravenet Offers Customers Avatars, February 16, 2007:
Whether you're a small mom and pop shop or a multi-million dollar enterprise, if you've established an online presence, you're undoubtedly constantly working to increase traffic to your Web site, reduce churn and increase sales of your products and services. And although there are companies who offer methods of achieving these goals, avatar technology developer Oddcast (oddcast.com) says its product SitePal (sitepal.com) is one of the only tools that offers interactive avatars to not only increase sales but keep customers coming back for more.
http://www.thewhir.com/features/021607_Bravenet_offers_customers_avatars.cfm
Press Gazette:
'Virtual Newsreader' on Archant Local Sites, February 7, 2007:
Archant Herts & Cambs has introduced has introduced a "virtual newsreader" to read bulletins on the companion web sites for a stable of weekly newspapers. The Welwyn & Hatfield Times site is the first in the Herts24 stable to use the virtual newsreader, known as Miranda Fox. The SitePal software embedded within the site combines text-to-speech software with an animated charachter. Web editors can change Miranda's appearance and alter the bulletins she reads by entering text into the software.
http://www.pressgazette.co.uk/story.asp?sectioncode=1&storycode=36781
Small Business Technology Magazine:
2006 Products to Watch, February 5, 2007:
Featured as one of the top tools for small businesses, SitePal's engaging avatars allow for a cost-effective solution to expensive and complicated videos and animations
http://www.sbtechnologymagazine.org/magazine/read/archives/articles/article.php?ProposalOnlineID=504
Small Business Trends Radio:
Interview with SitePal Marketing Manager Dottie Duncan, January 4, 2007:
Dottie Duncan, Marketing Manager of SitePal, recently spoke on Small Business Trends Radio. She discussed how small businesses can benefit from using SitePal characters online. Listen to the radio interview.
http://www.smbtrendwire.com/SBSNYC_SITEPAL.mp3
Executive Travel Magazine, December 8, 2006:
For e-tailers, the key to converting Web site visitors to buyers is a pleasant and personalized experience. Many Web-based businesses have turned to avatar systems that provide an animated virtual host to welcome or walk visitors through the site.
http://www.executivetravelmagazine.com/page/Technology+pays
Inc.com, November 9, 2006:
A new website, sitepal.com, allows small-business owners to create customized talking avatars for their websites. Sitepal users design their avatar using an online interface to select attributes such as gender, age, and hair style. Sitepal users can then make their avatar speak by recording their own audio messages or uploading an existing audio file.
http://www.inc.com/criticalnews/articles/200611/products1109.html
Website Magazine, October 31, 2006:
New features of the SitePal talking avatar (which, one of these days WSM plans to test) have been released and includes a lead generation tool. SitePal is a product that allows small business owners to create talking avatars for any web site. The new online lead generation and customer conversion features will be appealing to salespeople and small business owners looking to collect and store more contact information from customers for follow up.
http://www.websitemagazine.com/content/blogs/posts/archive/2006/10/31/sitepal_sales_prospecting_avatar.aspx
Market Wire, October 30, 2006:
As the number of small business Web sites increase in numbers, small business owners continue to seek innovative solutions to monetize their online presence and grow business. A key to driving sales is online lead generation, but until now cost-effective solutions have not been available for businesses with smaller technology budgets. SitePal (www.sitepal.com), a product that allows small business owners to create talking avatars for any web site, has introduced new features that include an innovative solution for online lead generation and customer conversion. By implementing one of SitePal's low-cost virtual salespeople, small business owners can now collect and store contact information from potential customers so that a real salesperson can follow-up and close sales.
http://www.marketwire.com/mw/release_html_b1?release_id=178380&tsource=3
Smallbiztechnology, October 26, 2006:
SitePal's claim to fame has been their easy to customize avatars which can be setup on your web site to say whatever you want them to say. Welcome visitors to your web site, walk people through a short demo and etc. Up until now, the conversation has been one way. But now SitePal avatars can be used to collect leads and pass them on to your sales team. In addition to lead generation, the technology is also helping to simplify online customer service through talking FAQ functionality and an upgrade to SitePal's artificial intelligence system. The new features further engage customers while driving overall retention and conversion rates.
http://www.smallbiztechnology.com/avantgo/2006/10/sitepal-avators-take-your-leads-to.shtml
Small Biz Resource, October 24, 2006:
Those of us who run small businesses within small budgets and lust after glitzy videos for our Websites have an affordable alternative. SitePal, a product of Oddcast Inc., offers talking, animated characters that can be added to any Website. The company says its SitePal characters can increase traffic, enhance the customer experiences, improve sales, add a personalized touch to your Website, and differentiate your brand.
http://www.smallbizresource.com/document.asp?doc_id=108062
Business Opportunity Radio, September 22, 2006:
Oren Levy, Executive VP of SitePal recently spoke on Business Opportunity Radio. He discussed business results from using SitePal affiliate marketing. Listen to the radio interview.
http://www.wsradio.com/internet-talk-radio.cfm/shows/Business-Opportunity-Radio/archives/topics/category/Online-Opportunties.html
New York Enterprise Report, July 15, 2006:
Getting a visitor to your website is only the first step in e-commerce. Imagine if your visitors had a speaking guide to give them a gentle nudge (or a huge shove) toward what you wanted them to do on your site. Thousands of companies have found it useful to have an avatar (an animated talking head) on their websites.
http://www.nyreport.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Feature.showFeature&FeatureID=350
Entrepreneur magazine, June 23, 2006:
Imagine visitors to your website being greeted by a lifelike animated character that follows their mouse movements with its eyes and even talks to them. Sound far-fetched? It's not--and it's relatively easy and inexpensive to implement, thanks to Sitepal from Oddcast, an internet-based subscription service. Sitepal allows businesses to create animated, talking avatars and add them to their websites for a variety of professional and personal applications.
http://www.entrepreneur.com/Magazines/Copy_of_MA_SegArticle/0,4453,328158,00.html
Poughkeepsie Journal, June 21, 2006:
You are searching for information about a company that you want to do business with. When you find its Web site, you are overwhelmed by text, images and links. After a few clicks you end up lost in cyberspace. Oddcast, a user-generated Web technology company, has made it easier for business owners to prevent that scenario from occurring. Based in New York City, Oddcast designed SitePal -- a subscription service that allows users to create animated, speaking characters.
http://www.poughkeepsiejournal.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060611/BUSINESS/606110342&SearchID=73247754277810
South China Morning Post, May 10, 2006:
The New York-based company's SitePal application allows users to create custom avatars and change their appearance, clothes and background setting. Other features allow users to give a voice to their avatar through text-to-speech technology, uploaded MP3 files or phone recordings. Also, for a one-time fee, customers can submit a photo from which Oddcast artists will create a "photo realistic" or animated avatar.
http://www.oddcast.com/sitepal/pdf/TechnologyNews_05092006.pdf
AuctionBytes.com, April 4, 2006:
Oddcast announced that its small-business product, SitePal, has surpassed 5,000 customers, up from 500 in 2003. Over 10,000 eBay auctions utilize SitePal technology, and the majority of its customers, 73 percent, are in the United States, with the product gaining popularity throughout Europe and Asia. SitePal allows small business owners to create speaking animated characters (avatars) for any web site. The SitePal online editor allows users to design a wide variety of avatar characters, which can be added to Web sites, flash movies, eBay auctions and blogs. Voice recordings can be uploaded from the users desktop, recorded by phone or created using text-to-speech technology. The company says the tool enriches the user experience, is cost-effective and is proven to increase sales and conversion rates "SitePal's ability to capture attention and generate interest helps small-business owners turn browsers into buyers," said Adi Sideman, CEO of Oddcast "Avatars often compliment the information on a web page by delivering high-level product information and special promotions. This increases communication with the users, increases conversion and increases sales. Its all about ROI."
http://auctionbytes.com/cab/abn/y06/m04/i04/s02
Smallbiztechnology.com, March 30, 2006:
Oddcast makes a range of avatars that enable visitors to your web site (or certain areas of it) to here and see a message delivered to them from a human face. Their service is very easy to use and if used properly can help give a boost to the usual text only world of web sites. Over 5,000 customers have now subscribed to Oddcast's service, SitePal. From 500 customers in 2003, to 5,000 customers now - that's not too bad. The SitePal online editor allows users to design a wide variety of avatar characters, which can be added to Web sites, flash movies, eBay auctions and blogs. Voice recordings can be uploaded from the users desktop, recorded by phone or created using text-to-speech technology. Some of the top industries using SitePal technology include: graphic design/web design services, business consulting services, real estate/mortgage/financial services, entertainment & media and retail/merchandise (including auctions). Over 10,000 eBay auctions utilize SitePal technology.
http://www.smallbiztechnology.com/avantgo/2006/03/avatars-on-your-web-site-speak-for-you.shtml
WebPro News, November 23, 2005:
Having animated characters on your website can be a good way to increase your conversion and sales. ... SitePal from Oddcast is one good source for such characters. SitePal's animated speaking characters enable you to deliver your messaging using both sight and sound, which reinforces your messaging and establishes trust.
http://www.webpronews.com/expertarticles/expertarticles/wpn-62-20051123AnimatedCharactersCanIncreaseConversionsandSales.html
Shanghai Daily News, November 21, 2005:
Avatars allow users to live vicariously through their ideal alter-ego and create a compelling "spokesperson" to address others in the cyber realm. As New York-based avatar creator and distributor Oddcast.com found, avatars are rapidly becoming a hit for companies seeking innovative ways to market their products.
http://www.shanghaidaily.com/art/2005/11/21/216240/Cyber_alter_egos_stalk_the_Web.htm
www.ecommerce-guide.com, August 29, 2005:
When it comes to running your company's Web site whether you're selling online or providing information to drive sales at your brick-and-mortar location it pays to differentiate your business from the competition. Oddcast, a New York City-based company, believes its SitePal service is just the tool to make small business sites stand out in an overpopulated Internet.
http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/solutions/customer_relations/article.php/3530816
WHIR News, August 25, 2005:
SitePal Reseller Program Offers Unique Value. The new reseller program provides Web designers, developers and Internet consultants with a development interface for creating multiple characters and managing all customer accounts within a central environment.
http://www.thewhir.com/features/lee-sitepalreseller.cfm
Small Business Computing.com, August 17, 2005:
When it comes to running your company's Web site ? whether you're selling online or providing information to drive sales at your brick-and-mortar location ? it pays to differentiate your business from the competition. Oddcast, a New York City-based company, believes its SitePal service is just the tool to make small business sites stand out in an overpopulated Internet.
http://smallbusinesscomputing.com/biztools/article.php/3528051
Smallbiztechnology.com, August 10, 2005:
Oddcast has raised the bar with its easy to use avators by embedding artificial intelligence with them. Oddcast's characters are great for greeting visitors to your web site, but they now can be used to answer questions.
http://www.smallbiztechnology.com/avantgo/2005/08/live-customer-service-on-your-web-site.shtml
Web Host Industry Review, July 8, 2005:
Using its innovative SitePal (SitePal.com) service, Oddcast helps small businesses achieve higher Web sales and customer conversion rates by deploying interactive conversational agents.
SitePal offers Web site visitors a unique customer service experience, providing prompt answers to any visitor questions through the mouth of an animated character.
... Oddcast offers three affordable SitePal packages, custom suited to fit the business needs of the Web hosting client. The plans start at $9.95 per month, ranging from the basic tools needed to create a character, all the way up to a fully customized, interactive artificial intelligence that can be integrated into any Flash movie.
http://www.thewhir.com/features/lee-oddcast.cfm
BusinessWeek, July 6, 2005:
Oddcast's "SitePal" has been adopted by many smaller retailers who can't afford staffing as many live customer-service reps as an Overstock. Depending on how many customers the animated sales rep helps, the software can cost anywhere from $500 to $15,000 per year. Software e-tailer Goldfish Software credits its animated sales rep with converting 33% more of its browsers into buyers.
http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/jul2005/tc2005076_1187.htm
MediaPost, May 18, 2005:
by Shankar Gupta
ONE OF THE THINGS THAT online merchants lament about the Web is its
impersonality. No matter how friendly or inviting a Web site, it's not the
same as having an enthusiastic, perky salesperson give upbeat answers to
customers' questions. Oddcast's SitePal? product can put the aforementioned
salesperson on your site. Using its online studio, Web site owners can
create a virtual character - choose their look, customize their facial
features and clothing, and add a background - give them some lines, and have
them pitch their product on the site. The characters are cartoonish, but
their movements are synched well with their speech, and when not talking,
they idly glance around in a realistic fashion.
The voice can be added over the phone, through Oddcast's text-to-[speech] technology, recorded using Oddcast's audio software, or contracted using
professional voice talent; the company offers a voice talent store as well.
The process of adding the SitePal? to one's site is fairly simple - once the
character is created in the studio, it can be easily embedded in the HTML of
the site, or it can be made into a flash video and uploaded onto the site.
For eBay junkies, SitePal? can even be embedded into online auctions. All of
these options require a minimum in programming knowledge.
SitePal? is offered in three packages: Bronze, Silver, and Gold, which cost
$99.50 to $499.50 a year. Buying more expensive services ramps up the number
of different SitePal[s] you can have simultaneously, the number of times they
can be streamed to customers, and the variety of models and backgrounds.
There are some downsides to having a talking virtual character on your site.
If the character is set to begin talking immediately then a delay in loading
time can lead to the character piping up after the user is already absorbed.
Plus, after the character says its piece, it remains active, which can
distract and act as a hovering, over-eager salesperson.
B to B Magazine, March 14, 2005:
McAfee speaks to its customers, boosts sales with animated 'avatar': McAfee Inc., a Santa Clara, Calif.-based provider of security software, faced a challenge marketing one of its b-to-b products, ASaP VirusScan. The online store had plenty of browsers but many fewer buyers, said Gladys Gavlak, eCommerce marketing and business development manager. Looking to give customers more information without making the site too text-heavy, McAfee chose Flash-based technology from Oddcast Inc., a company that designs animated virtual characters, or "VHosts." Potential customers listened to the avatar's audio message 81% of the time. As a result, the average close rate for customers who saw the Flash-based avatar was 10% higher than for those who didn't. In fact, average daily sales went up by 10% during the time the avatar was deployed on the product site.
http://www.btobonline.com/article.cms?articleId=23605
Smallbiztechnology.com, March 11, 2005:
Putting a Human Face and Voice On Your Web Site. There's so many ways to get one's attention online - streaming video, sounds, blinking graphics and etc. But nothing gets someone's attention more than a "talking head". Someone actually talking to you. Oddcast makes animated avatars or SitePals that one can place in a web site. These talking heads add LIFE to a web site and definitely grab attention. I've recently put one of OddCast's avators on smallbiztechnology.com They can be used to great and/or to high-light a particular offering. I've used my aviator for a combination of things. You can go beyond just a talking head and use it to ask questions and more. As online businesses struggle to find ways to engage their audiences, OddCast's SitePals offer an ATTENTION GRABBING but professional and economical solution. Oddcast has several options in its VHost?line of products including: VHost Studio?- Professional level authoring for character-driven web content. VHost Workshop?- Enabling consumers to create and communicate through conversational characters. VHost Enterprise?- Enterprise level extensible authoring, content management and tracking for character-driven web content. VHost AIMC?- Professional level AIML management and authoring tool. An extension to the VHost Studio?and VHost Enterprise?products. VHost SitePal?- Entry level authoring for placing speaking characters on HTML web pages. VHost e-Learning Suite?- Enterprise level rapid e-Learning development suite. VHost FAQ Maker?- Professional level character-driven FAQ authoring tool. VHost Simulation Maker?- Professional level authoring of role-play driven content. VHost Quiz Maker?- Professional level authoring for multiple choice quizzes delivered by conversational characters. VHost Analyzer?- Is a question and answer interface that provides analysis of users' input and recommends products and services through custom responses and a call for action.
Web Marketing Today, March 9, 2005:
Unless you can engage your site visitor, he or she may be gone within a few seconds and never find out what you have to offer. I've been experimenting with SitePal's speaking animated characters or avatars (www.wilsonweb.com/afd/sitepal.htm) and have seen some impressive preliminary results. My goal was to use SitePal to get the visitor to read what's on the webpage. Here's what I've found so far, doing an A/B split-test employing Vertster Split-Testing System (www.wilsonweb.com/afd/vertster.htm) and comparing results using ClickTracks web analytics software (www.wilsonweb.com/afd/clicktracks.htm) -- both of which I really like! I used an 18 second message. SitePal suggests that message time should be 10 to 25 seconds or less for greatest effectiveness. Average Time on Site 313 sec. (without SitePa) 417 sec. (with SitePal) +33% (Difference) Page Views per Visitor 4.8 pages (without SitePal) 5.6 pages (with SitePal) +17% (Difference) Note: These are specialized pages and unfortunately aren't representative of the average time on site and page views per visitor of all visitors. Total sample was 618 visitors split into two equal groups over a 16 day period. Though I haven't tested it yet, some have reported that SitePal avatars on landing pages have increased conversion rates significantly. SitePal's backend allows you to build the avatar of your choosing, beginning with a variety of models. You can alter the shape and color of the face, hair, lips, nose, age, clothing, and background to get the effect you want. I uploaded MP3 files for the voice. A basic account is $9.95 for a one-month license with 2,500 streams (i.e., the message is played 2,500 times). A one-year account is $99.9 for 30,000 streams, averaging about $8.3/month. You can create characters at no charge to try out the system, though to stream them from your site requires payment. (It's intriguing how their eyes follow your mouse, though I haven't succeeded in making them cross-eyed -- yet.) Is SitePal more effective than website video? I haven't tested that. But it's certainly easier to produce and uses less bandwidth, since it is implemented with Flash. SitePal can be programmed to speak a different message each time the webpage is loaded, so you can say one thing to first-timers and another to returnees who may be more serious about your offer. SitePal characters can also respond to visitor questions using a knowledge base and artificial intelligence techniques. If you use geo-targeting, messages can be varied by geographical location of the visitor. This tool provides a number of possibilities to personalize your visitor's experience.
http://www.wilsonweb.com/art/convert/sitepal1.htm
Advertising Age, March 1, 2005:
ESPN avatars give voice to online chat. ESPN populated its Voice of the Fan chat area with avatars - animated characters that can be customized by web visitors as their online alter egos - in the weeks leading up to the Supper Bowl. The results were so good that ESPN plans to use the avatar technique for coming mega-events such as NCAA playoffs and the Indy 500..
PC Magazine, October 20, 2004:
Didn't catch the Bush-Kerry debates? Or did you miss some of them? If so, you can replay the audio from them, complete with pull-down pick lists that let you jump to certain topics, such as "Increasing Homeland Security," online. The cutesy added catch is that online, animated avatars of Bush and Kerry speak and move expressively, giving the replays a television-style feel. The debates archives and the accompanying avatars were put together by ElectionMall Technologies and Oddcast.
http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,1759,1680945,00.asp
Auction Bytes, September 27, 2004:
Oddcast allows clients to create their own animated characters, and their most recent offering, SitePal for eBay, provides sellers with simple tools to create talking characters to enhance auction listings... "Our philosophy is to allow our clients to create, as easily as possible, Web site-enhancing characters that speak and help sell their products," says Adi Sideman, Founder and CEO of Oddcast, Inc. His flagship product, VHost Studio, is an easy-to-use authoring tool that allows users to create and embed customized animated characters within HTML pages, ad banners, emails, and Flash movies.
http://www.auctionbytes.com/cab/abu/y204/m09/abu0127/s05
Info Week, July 26, 2004:
For Amazon and eBay to grow, these hubs of E-commerce need to open their Web sites to a community of developers who will give their customers the tools they demand... Oddcast Inc. is typical of the kind of company that's helping to make eBay a hub of development. The 5-year-old software company develops interactive characters that act as Web-site guides for clients such as Coca-Cola, Intel, and McDonald's. Last month, it started selling an online capability called "publish to eBay," so someone can license Oddcast's VHost SitePal software and design an online character that's published directly to that person's eBay auction site. "Never in a million years would this have been developed by eBay for its customers," Oddcast CTO Gil Sideman says.
http://www.informationweek.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=25600140
Internet.com, June 22, 2004:
Providing live sales support in connection your eBay sales is a great way to make a pitch or clinch the sale for uncertain buyers -- but one of its major limitations is the cost of simply being making live help available. Now, Oddcast has launched a way for sellers to offer similar support using virtual, talking salespeople. New York-based Oddcast's Vhost SitePal product -- an animated, speech-equipped character that talks to buyers and answers questions -- now supports publishing to live eBay auctions, and can serve roles ranging from customer support to sales.
http://www.ecommerce-guide.com/news/news/article.php/10348_3371731
Wall Street Journal, May 24, 2004:
By using avatars, companies find they can combine the best parts of both face-to-face training and computer-based learning. Like other computer-based training programs, those using avatars can be cheaper and more efficient than human trainers, and deliver a more consistent message. At the same time, they offer an almost human touch that may help reinforce that message. That aspect of avatar training helped attract Kim Holcomb, the e-learning manager at NetBank Inc. of Alpharetta, Ga., an online bank that is beginning to use avatar technology from New York's Oddcast Media Technologies Inc. for customer-service training. "I think it will make training more personable," says Ms. Holcomb.
SOHO Magazine, May 5, 2004:
Through an easy-to-use, on-line interface, the [V]Host SitePal allows the small business owner to create speaking, animated characters for their Web site and add their own audio message via Text-to-Speech or voice recording. Currently, Oddcast Inc., the creator of SitePal, has more than 1,000 customers using this technology to help creatively sell products and deliver information to site visitors. The flash animation site is cost effective, enriches user experience and is proven to increase sales.
Marketing Sherpa, February 16, 2004:
Dean Harris, VP Marketing Vonage, is a heavy Internet advertiser who's tested just about every ad format out there. Vonage, working with Carat Interactive, tested a banner containing a talking head character, powered by Oddcast, in a national campaign that appeared on Yahoo last fall?The campaign was judged on the basis of return on investment?. Happily, the Vonage ad performed 93% better on a cost per acquisition basis than any other creative - including other rich media tests - the team had put on Yahoo email in the past. So, the team is planning on using the tactic again in 2004.
Forbes.com, January 6, 2004:
People feel more comfortable interacting with an onscreen character, even if it isn't a video, and companies know this, which is why virtual characters are playing a growing role in online sales and marketing. A study?by Byron Reeves, Director of the Center for the Study of Language and Information at Stanford University, found that a virtual customer support character on Buy.com cut the cost of support as a percentage of revenue from 2.06% to 0.57%.
Inc. Magazine, January 1, 2004:
With so many Web sites offering similar user experiences, standing out from the crowd can sometimes offer a real competitive advantage. Add-ons, such as VHost from Oddcast?deliver animated virtual hosts that fit into just about any Web context from e-commerce to online training. Oddcast?s realistic VHosts can even speak in 15 different languages. Animated talking ?hosts? increase online involvement.
The Wall Street Journal, October 12, 2003:
What kind of bells and whistles will faster pipes allow? One clue may come from Oddcast Media Technologies Inc., a small New York software-development firm that is building a new genre of broadband interfaces. In them, realistic, computer-generated "spokespeople" guide users through a variety of tasks. In one recent program designed with DigitalThink Inc., a San Francisco e-learning company, animated spokesmodels take prospective Cisco Systems Inc. salespeople through a training program. Another animated spokeswoman named "Lori," with realistic facial expressions and uncanny voice, guides users through a skin-treatment Web site designed by makeup company L'Oreal SA. Some of Oddcast's interfaces encourage users to create an entirely new piece of media, such as mixing a new song or cutting a music video. In recent contests sponsored by advertisers including Toyota Motor Corp., the best videos are featured online and rewarded with a prize. Oddcast Chief Executive Adi Sideman has a vision of what these video Web logs will become. "Everyone will have his personal broadcast station," he says. "Just like you create your own Web page, you create your own TV station. And if you're good, you will be picked up [by a major media company] and get distribution, viewers and advertising."
Internet Marketing Report, October 11, 2003:
What's Working For Other Companies ? a testimonial by Mark West, Managing Director, eVenture Internet Limited, Nottinghamshire, UK: ?We've seen a huge increase in the number of prospects who enter the site and visit our key pages since adding the animation. Sure, it cost us some money upfront, but we can thank our virtual rep for grabbing the attention of at least two prospects who became important customers.?
Marketing Magazine, October 1, 2003:
It's mysterious, unbranded and way cool. It's dugg.ca, an online contest that's right on the mark with its target; young adults age 18 to 24. And no one can believe it was done by McDonald's Restaurants of Canada? The URL dugg.ca was hidden in a Ford and McDonald's contest spot, and [McDonald?s VP of Marketing Neil] Everett says even the chain was stunned by the response. At the Web site, users interact with a voice called "Alex." Depending on responses to questions, the user is "allowed" to enter a contest and choose from one of five possible vacation prizes. "The feedback we got is just amazing," says Everett.
The Globe and Mail, October 1, 2003:
The application is called a chatbot, a computer program that can carry on a conversation with a human, usually through a text interface, but sometimes using speech (dugg.ca does both). Companies are finding increasing applications for artificial intelligence, and dugg.ca is the latest and arguably the most sophisticated use of a chatbot in a marketing campaign. To produce dugg.ca, the Marketing Store worked in conjunction with Oddcast Media Technologies, a New York firm that produces computer-simulated voices and avatars.
Workopolis, September 13, 2003:
Among other things, McDonald's may want to test public acceptance of computers as possible substitutes for the fast-food counter clerk, she speculated. "The thing about this kind of experiment is that you can't control what the user experience is going to be, so for a company as brand-conscious as McD's, it's risky." Sam Punnett, president of FAD Research of Toronto, compared the site to an interactive video game. "It's pretty good as those go. It's like the kind of game parser that you get in a role-playing game." The company may hope to gauge "cross-media pickup" between television and the Internet, he said. "Generally, advertisers -- certainly the more adventurous ones -- are curious about the Web thing because they're never quite sure how effective it is."
PC Magazine, December 16, 2002:
Nifty...an engagingly simple and easy to use tool ... the price is reasonable...lets you add a virtual host to your site, drawing visitors in and making them feel welcome... We like the technology.
Xerox VHost? Wins @d-tech Award for Best B2B Site, November 18, 2002:
Xerox's Max Phaser Campaign created by Young & Rubicam NY won. Rogers says, "They picked one selling point to focus on. Everything centers on color." Judges were particularly impressed with the campaign's accompanying mini-site landing page, which featured audio from a cartoon-style female talking head. "Audio can work for you or against you. In this case where it's very focused on what you're trying to do, it enhances the mission. When it's used just as entertainment, all I want to know is 'how do I turn this thing off?' In this case you are fully down the funnel towards gathering information when it starts, so it enhances the experience," says Rogers.
Jack Aaronson?s Newsletter, September 26, 2002:
One Macromedia Site of the Day last week was [VHost] by Oddcast. It certainly is a marvel of Flash. The technology employs an "agent," or "narrator," that is present on your website, and gives explanations of things, or takes your users through your site in a narrative-style way. This turns your site into a guided story, told by the narrator.
Reuters, September 14, 2002:
BMG has launched http://www.elvisnumberones.com to promote the release of "Elvis 30 No.1 Hits," next month. Via this site, fans can dress their very own virtual Elvis [VHost?] and e-mail him to friends with a personal message.
TurboAds.com, June 28, 2002:
Coca Cola is using Oddcast's AudioMixer? and VHost? products to create a community environment that lets users play DJ?. "We look to be innovative," said Doug Rollins, Coke's interactive brand manager?A recent VHost? deployment for Xerox makes a good case for the use of smarter virtual characters. The Xerox VHost?, which takes the form of an attractive, conservative-looking woman, is about 30k in size, downloading in just under two seconds on a 56k modem?The success of [Oddcast] to the present mainly proves that the effectiveness of a virtual character depends on the way it's applied. It's certainly a testament to Oddcast's imagination and charisma that the company is making press at such a dire moment for the industry.
Internet.Com, June 27, 2002:
Other features of the site include a "Virtual Elvis" workshop, powered via the Flash technology developers at Oddcast, which develops virtual hosts. With the feature, fans can dress up the King of Rock 'n Roll in their favorite period outfit and place him in a variety of storied settings. They can also have the Virtual Elvis voice a comment on a variety of topics. The comments are culled from archival interview tapes. Fans can also send their Virtual Elvis efforts to other admirers via e-mail. Those recipients can in turn customize the pseudo-Elvis even more and then forward him to others.
MediaPost.Com, June 20, 2002:
Coca-Cola also partnered with AOL to launch Cokemusic.com, an immersing, online music experience that will let consumers ?don avatars? [built by Oddcast] and mingle with others. The action is much like that in Neal Stephenson's 1992 cyberpunk novel Snow Crash. The avatars have been dubbed V-egos.
ALICE.Org, June 17, 2002:
You can now publish your bot with an animated talking head. A choice of four "heads" is offered at the moment. The company www.oddcast.com has made these "heads" available?relies on flash and take a few moments to load. When Oddcast's servers receive a new inquiry, the appropriate sound and flash is computed.
AdWeek, May 24, 2002:
Xerox Office Printing Business this week launches a new online campaign to generate interest in its new single-pass color printers?When users click on an ad, they are directed to a sitelet where they can enter the sweepstakes and find out more information on the printers from a virtual host. The virtual host technology was created by Oddcast.
InteractiveTV Today, March 25, 2002:
Create-your-own video apps like Oddcast's will become a staple of the ITV world, as hard drives and broadband connectivity become standard on digital set-top boxes. Such technology should be of particular interest to advertisers, looking for new means of reaching consumers.
Adweek,, November 29, 2001:
Toyota has launched its most interactive and longest-running pre-launch campaign for a new vehicle?Using Oddcast?s VideoMixer? application, Toyota and Saatchi developed a new program, called StudioMatrix, that lets site visitors create their own Internet-based music video.
AdWeek, November 13, 2001:
The interactive campaign, called NFL VideoMixer and sponsored by Intel, enables football fans to create their own Internet based sports highlight reel using Oddcast?s VideoMixer application. ?We thought it was a terrific piece of technology that would give users the opportunity to commune with other NFL enthusiasts,? said Mark Mariani, president sales and marketing at Sportsline.Com, which hosts NFL.com.
New York Time, November 4, 2001:
More than 7,500 songs originally performed by artists as disparate as Eminem and Pasty Cline have been made available on the site since it opened in mid-August. Nearly 15 times as many have been recorded but discarded. Evidently, some singers know their limits.
Los Angeles Times, November 4, 2001:
[Oddcast?s Karaoke Station? and VideoMixer? occupy] a middle ground between games and passive entertainment, a multimedia playroom where the air carries a strong whiff of advertising. For some it's a public stage; for others it's a personal messaging system crafted around someone else's words. The ventures run counter to a widely held belief that consumers don't want to work at their entertainment--they just want to be entertained.
Newsweek, September 10, 2001:
If you have a microphone you can record a karaoke track [at GetMusic?s Oddcast-powered Karaoke site], post it and expose the world to your unrecognized talent.
Entertainment Weekly, September 7, 2001:
Warner Bros. is going hell bent for leather with its new movie, Rock Star?Want to step into Mark Wahlberg?s shoes? Try this on-line Karaoke machine?Assuming your neighbors don?t kill you, upload your performance to the site?s ?listening lounge? and inflict in upon the world. Grade: A-
USA Today, August 21, 2001:
If you pass people singing into their computers, have no fear. They haven?t gone crazy?the Web?s first recordable karaoke application debuts today on GetMusic.
New York Magazine, June 18, 2001:
Oddcast built a grand Karaoke application - the Oddcast Karaoke Station? I sit with three executives, I take the mike. It is my karaoke debut. The music starts. I sing: I want to be a part of it, New York, New York.
New York Times, May 14, 2001:
Happily, the music and interactivity are well integrated? visitors to the [Oddcast-built] Videolab area of the GetMusic.com site can construct their own music video?[allowing] users to become creators themselves, through the same cut-and-paste techniques that have proliferated in postmodern culture. "It lets me put into images exactly how I imagine a video should look," said Meghan Sanders, an 18-year-old college student in Houston who has made videos for Papa Roach, Kittie and Buckcherry.
Jupiter Communications/ Media Matrix, March 16, 2001:
Online-only music destinations must move swiftly to differentiate themselves from their competitors and must realize that online editorial voice is more than text-based. Editorial staffs must deliver more interactive programming elements to online music fans. One best-of-breed example is Oddcast?s Videomixer, which allows users to create videos for various artists.
New York Post, December 7, 2000:
We found the ultimate in video fun on the Web? The Videolab at Getmusic.com, it?s simple and it can even be done at a low bandwidth speed of 56K?Afterward, you can sit back and watch the wizardry. The best part is you can e-mail the video to a friend or make it public by putting it up on the site. Since Videolab debuted 10 weeks ago, more than 169,500 videos have been mixed, according to a spokesperson at Getmusic, which is owned by Universal and BMG.
Wired, November 23, 2000:
According to market-research firm Cyber Dialogue, about 25 million users want to interact with media online. By creating a network of sites using interactive media applications such as the BeatSensor? and VideoMixer?, Oddcast banked its business model on the interactive trend continuing.
TechTV, November 13, 2000:
It was technology and the Internet, after all, that opened doors to the Israeli native's phenomenal success as president of Oddcast, one of several cutting-edge firms poised to meet the swell of demand for interactive tools on the Internet. One of the company's video remixing applications, the hugely successful Videolab, started out as Sideman's master's thesis at NYU.
Entertainment Weekly, September 25, 2000:
As the Internet forces the music industry to think beyond just selling CDs, services like Videolab -- where fans artistically interact with their favorite performers and each other -- will become more common.