Mobile Phone Video Streaming with Steve RadlingerMobile video streaming services for home and mobile consumers now dominate the Internet. Some experts estimate that within five years 90% of all Internet content will be video. Over 120 million people in the U.S. make 300 million trips each year to monuments, museums and other popular locations. And mobile phones offer exciting ways to learn about historical landmarks and other buildings and places.
When arriving at the Lincoln Memorial, Washington monument, Empire State Building and other well-known landmarks, wouldn’t it be great if travelers could view five minute streaming videos on their phones about each site’s history?
VodoModo, a start-up video streaming service, delivers rich-media content to mobile phone users on location.
The five minute mobile mp4 videos, according to Steve Radlinger, Founder & CEO, play on virtually any mobile device, whether connected to a 2G or 3G carrier network. Streaming video to-mobile phones meets the needs of travelers seeking travel planning and on-site information about historical landmarks.
The service turns a mobile phone into a contextual and multimedia rich guidebook to the world. VM started in 2008 and spent a year in stealth mode while creating the content and building a delivery platform that produces contextually-rich streaming videos.
Its mission is to make travelers’ experiences more fun, easier and memorable. Goals include delivering media rich streaming videos on over 270 historical sites in the U.S and Europe within a year to over 500,000 travelers.
The company targets consumers 29-50, reflecting the changing demographics of smartphone users in the U.S. Consumer demand for streaming media is rapidly increasing as more people access the wireless Internet for information and entertainment. VodoModo provides mp3 files for travelers who prefer audio only.
Steve Radlinger has founded or led start-up companies since 1994. He was CMO for Milwaukee-based BoldAir in 2005-2006 and Madison-based ThinkPen from 2000 to 2004 whose patented technology captures handwritten information on plain paper. Steve also launched ApartmentRenting in 1994 growing its service base to 100 nationwide colleges.
Previously, he worked in management at Hughes Aircraft and United Parcel Service. He has an MS in Organizational Development and enjoys sports, long distance bicycling and promoting student entrepreneurship.
In the podcast interview, Brian Prows talks with Steve about VodoModo’s patent-pending web-based tool for collaborative mobile phone streaming videos. Content for the movies comes from public domain photos, the company’s own photographers and image licensing.
VodoModo is rapidly developing streaming videos of historic landmarks for its customers. Content supplements but doesn’t necessarily replace guided tours and personal visits to national and state sites.
Subscribers to VM’s “What’s Nearby” service can access information on their phones about restaurants, bars, hotels, airlines and more. Using GPS or triangulation with cell phone towers, the service automatically pinpoints user locations to offer appropriate suggestions for adjacent establishments. Mobile streaming videos that review places to eat or stay for the night are also in the making.
Subscribers are in “spending mode” at each site which helps attract local advertisers and national brands to location-based services.
The company’s business plan includes subscription revenue ($9.99 for each 15 mobile streaming videos), online advertising, organic online search, social media, point-of-location promotions and referrals, as well as advertising by convention and travel bureaus, hospitality and travel companies.
Future plans include a text messaging service for subscribers based on individual interests and traveler locations. A sports stadium enthusiast, for example, could receive text message alerts when near an historic sports landmark. As 4G wireless networks and phones emerge, services like VodoModo’s will grow even faster.
Listen as Steve Radlinger discusses how VodoModo’s video streaming service informs and entertains travelers.
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