DULLES, VA--(Marketwire - July 28, 2010) - Echo360, www.echo360.com, today announced the launch of a new version of its industry-leading lecture capture platform, the EchoSystem. Used by colleges and universities to record, manage and share rich media course content for lecture review and distance learning, EchoSystem 2.6 includes a new set of features designed to help universities experience further technical efficiency from their lecture capture deployments while simultaneously lowering operating costs at scale.
Twenty-five percent of Echo360 mature client institutions use its capture technology in more than 15 classrooms, including the world's largest installation spanning more than 300 classrooms. Echo360 brings the requirements of these clients to EchoSystem 2.6 by giving universities a viable solution to operate campus-wide lecture capture installations with existing staff and infrastructure resources.
"Lecture capture is considered to be a vital and essential service for students, but the hidden truth is that the operating costs of a campus-wide service can outpace an institution's ability and resources to support it," said Fred Singer, CEO of Echo360. "By tackling the complex technology challenges at scale, EchoSystem 2.6 provides greater system reliability, increases staff efficiency and lowers the day-to-day operating costs of lecture capture."
Key features of EchoSystem 2.6 include:
- Improved Scalability - Echo360 worked closely with universities to update the EchoSystem's underlying architecture and improve the platform scalability. Other updates include new UI elements, optimized job queuing methods and EchoSystem Server performance improvements.
- External LDAP Authentication - With support for external authentication with LDAP, faculty and staff can now log into the EchoSystem server using their existing university credentials. External LDAP authentication support allows technologists to broaden lecture capture outside of the classroom with scalable personal capture deployments.
- Single Sign-On for EchoSystem and Blackboard Learn - EchoSystem 2.6 delivers seamless login integration and a flexible approach to security via "trusted" learning management systems (LMS). Utilizing the Blackboard Building Block, EchoSystem 2.6 comes with bundled support for Blackboard Learning System and Blackboard Learn. Multiple implementation choices are available based on the university's preferred security model. For universities using Moodle or other LMS solutions, the single sign-on functionality is also provided via EchoSystem's open server-side APIs.
- New "Scheduler" User Role - To help administrators gain additional productivity, a Scheduler user role allows administrators to delegate scheduling functions to colleagues responsible for classrooms or recording schedules. Users with this role can log into EchoSystem server with their LDAP credentials and create or modify terms, courses, selections and schedules. They can also monitor lecture capture activities and review presentations after capture and processing.
As part of Echo360's new Release Candidate Program, universities around the world tested preview releases of EchoSystem 2.6 and their feedback was instrumental in the product's development. The Release Candidate Program was conceived to test products within a variety of technology environments, operating systems and deployment configurations before their general release.
"Echo360's lecture capture solution is mission critical to our university and being part of the Release Candidate Program gave us a terrific opportunity to get an early look at EchoSystem 2.6," said Eric Harvey, Applications Analyst for Virginia Commonwealth University. "Version 2.6 made it seamless to broaden the use of the EchoSystem across our multiple campuses by reducing the management burden associated with lecture capture. EchoSystem 2.6 gives us a worry-free way to operate a reliable and scalable service."
In addition to improved scalability, support for external LDAP authentication, single sign-on and the new Scheduler user role, other features in EchoSystem 2.6 include:
- Added support for Windows 7 for personal capture and podium capture software broadens an already comprehensive list of supported platforms.
- EchoSystem Server deployments now support all major operating systems with new support for the processor on Mac OS X. This joins the EchoSystem's existing support for the Windows and Linux platforms.
- An improved server-side API for scheduling extends support for additional scheduling properties.
About Echo360
Echo360, http://www.echo360.com, envisions an opportunity for every student to be freed from traditional barriers to learning with an on-demand education experience. Full-time, part-time, distance, continuing, and online all describe today's student living in a 24/7 world. On-demand media and education converge with Echo360, helping colleges and universities engage students on the students' terms with full and unbounded access to classroom-based content via multiplatform replay. Developed in partnership with the University of Western Australia, Echo360 means scalable and affordable lecture capture solutions that can provide institutions of all sizes with universal availability of lecture content.
Contact Information:
Press Contact
Mary Young
Echo360
Office: +1 703.948.3043
Mobile: +1 703.963.2467