Charter Rolls Out Video Mail
April 1, 2005

Several major MSOs, including Comcast Corp., Time Warner Cable and Charter Communications, are now introducing video mail, the first of the new crop of blended multimedia products...

"Video mail is the on-ramp to video communications," said Brad Herrick, vice president of product strategy for Vibe Solutions Group, a leading cable vendor in the emerging field.

"We are in negotiations with a number of other MSOs," said Herrick, who boasts that Vibe has already cornered about 70% of the cable broadband subscriber market.

Charter Rolls Out Video Mail
March 31, 2005

Charter Communications said it is rolling out a video e-mail application from Vibe Solutions Group.

Ops Link Troops and Family
February 7, 2005

Comcast and Time Warner used their advanced platforms to connect U.S. military serving overseas and their loved ones over the holidays:

Time Warner's Oceanic Cable system in Hawaii set up a videomail kiosk featuring Vibe Solutions Group's software at its offices so military families could tape 90-second video greetings.

Road Runner Launches Vibe Video Mail Application
December 27, 2004

Time Warner Supplies 3 Million Subs With Service

Vibe Solutions Group, a provider of broadband consumer video communications, said that Road Runner High-Speed Online service launched its video mail application to Time Warner Cable's more than 3 million high-speed Internet customers.

The Vibe Video Mail service enables users to easily record and send high-quality video mail, create and send customized greeting cards and text, and record video and digital photos. Vibe Video Mail has been acclaimed for its ease of use, robust feature set and ability to be easily custom-branded for partners.

Road Runner will support the launch of its branded video mail service to Time Warner Cable subscribers through nationwide TV advertising, direct mail and online advertising.

Could video chat replace e-mail?
December 25, 2004

With faster computers and more broadband connections, why not talk instead of type? With the Vibe Phone, you can use the Internet like a video phone.

"We have designed our product to be a simple, easy-to-use product for mainstream consumers." - Brad Herrick, Vibe Phone

What sets the phone apart from other similar video phone applications is its quality. It is a clear, smooth, nearly full-motion picture, and it's easy to use.

"You simply click on a picture icon of the person, and the other person receives a ringing tone just like a telephone." - Herrick

Meep Beep! Road Runner Gets Faster
December 18, 2004

Taking a page from Comcast Cable, the operator has teamed with Vibe Solutions Group on a network-based video mail application

Time Warner has integrated the Vibe platform with its own e-mail application, enabling customers to send basic video mail as well as customized greeting cards.

Time Warner Cable chooses Vibe Solutions
December 16, 2004

Vibe Solutions Group of Clayton, a spinoff of GlobalStreams Inc., has a contract to provide its video-mail application to Road Runner High-Speed Online, the cable-modem service used by more than 3 million customers of Time Warner Cable, said Ted Brisco, Vibe's chief executive.

Vibe Video Mail allows users to record and send messages with video, to create and send customized greeting cards and text and to record video and digital photos. Road Runner will support introduction of the service with television, direct mail and online advertising.

Road Runner Speeds up, puts video on call
December 15, 2004

Time Warner is also giving customers another reason to use the increased speed. Taking a page from Comcast Cable, the operator has teamed with Vibe Solutions Group on a network-based video mail application

Time Warner has integrated the Vibe platform with its own e-mail application, enabling customers to send basic video mail as well as customized greeting cards.

Time Warner Raises Broadband Speeds, Adds Video Mail
December 14, 2004

Despite the competition, cable operators generally have been resistant to slash prices, preferring instead to raise speeds or offer additional services - free music or video mail, for instance. Time Warner Cable, a unit of Time Warner Inc. ( TWX ), is the second cable company to offer a video mail service - behind Comcast. The service will let customers with Web cams record video messages and send them by e-mail. Vibe, a privately held St. Louis technology company that is also working with Comcast, is providing the service.

VIBE BRINGS VIDEO TO QUEST FOR BROADBAND SUBSCRIBERS
November 12, 2004

Video e-mail has enabled Comcast to differentiate itself from its competitors, said Michael Kupinski, an analyst with A.G. Edwards who tracks Comcast.

"It absolutely gives them an edge," Kupinski said. "It's a great opportunity for them to market their broadband service and show an application that regular dial-up services are not capable of."

Briscoe said the technology helps companies such as Comcast resolve issues such as customer acquisition and price maintenance.

"Consumers need something to use on broadband other than e-mail," he said. "This consumer platform is focused on video communications."

THE VIDEO PHONE THAT ISN'T
October 25, 2004

"You can send a basic video of up to 45 seconds, with the maximum length determined by the ISP. You enable greeting cards, which consist of a text message plus video. And, third, you enable photo narrator mode where you import photos or slide and share them or record your voiceover."

The e-mail contains a link and the video is stored on a Vibe Solutions Group server in Windows Media Player format. When the recipient clicks on the link, the video is downloaded and starts playing.

Jupiter Research's Laszlo agrees that video e-mail is an intriguing application. He points out that video e-mail is not intrusive and that anyone sending video e-mail has control over how they appear in the video. He adds that it's easier technologically to deliver a good video e-mail experience.

Text Messaging On Way Out, Video E-Mail On Way In
September 23, 2004

Comcast Offers Service Free With High-Speed Internet

Text messaging may soon become a thing of the past. The latest hi-tech way to communicate may be video e-mails.

Instead of typing out an e-mail, technology is making it easier than ever for pictures to tell the story -- in the form of video mail.

"With Comcast video mail we give the user the ability and the freedom to really customize and personalize the messages that they send," said Greg Butz, of Comcast.

While attaching video to an e-mail isn't new, experts say Comcast has just made the process for the average computer user as simple as one-two-three.

"You click to record, you click preview, make sure you like how you look, and then, three, hit send," Butz said

Is the Video Telephone Finally Here?
September 21, 2004

Other companies, like World Gate Communications and Motorola (MOT), are also working on videophone devices. Right now you need two phones from the same maker to make a video call, but in the future, open standards will ensure that devices of different brands can talk to one another without hassle. Many of these standards still need to be worked out, and that's why a tiny St. Louis-based startup, Vibe Solutions Group, has developed what it calls video-mail. Using a Web camera, you can send a video message to your mom as an e-mail. Using the Windows Media Player, she can click and watch your mug.

Comcast (CMCSK) loves the idea so much that it has started marketing video-mail to its customers in the San Francisco Bay Area, hoping that if video-mail catches on, video telephony could be next. The logic is that if everyone starts sending big fat video files and making video calls, they'll need faster Internet connections, and that means a few extra dollars in Comcast's pocket.

I think Comcast's strategy is a good one, and will get more and more people over the initial anxiety of seeing and talking at the same time. My guess is that in five years, most of us will be as comfortable using a videophone as we are using cell phones in chic restaurants.

Cable company offers new service
September 1, 2004

Comcast this month introduced Comcast Video Mail, for free, to customers with the cable company's high-speed Internet service. Customers who have a webcam will be able to create and send 45-second videos, or to send narrated digital photo slideshows.

The company is also discounting webcams by up to 35 percent, and new Internet customers will receive a webcam for free while supplies last. Comcast is also conducting a Great American Getaway Sweepstakes in conjunction with the new service.

Vibe Solutions Group Video Mail Service Selected by Comcast
August 17, 2004

The Vibe Solutions Video Mail service enables users to easily record and send high-quality video mail, create and send customized greeting cards and text, and record video and digital photos. Additional software is not needed to receive a video mail.

Vibe Solutions Group Video Mail Service Selected by Comcast
August 17, 2004

Vibe Solutions Group Video Mail Service Selected by Comcast
August 17, 2004

The Vibe Solutions Video Mail service enables users to easily record and send high-quality video mail, create and send customized greeting cards and text, and record video and digital photos. Additional software is not needed to receive a video mail.

Vibe Solutions Group Video Mail Service Selected by Comcast
August 17, 2004

"Our relentless focus on ease of use, the flexibility of our platform, and the fact that we are focused on our partners' success, has opened a lot of doors," said Briscoe. Earlier this year, Vibe Solutions Group announced a partnership with Logitech, the world's largest web camera provider, to provide live video calling. Plans are underway to launch with several more partners within the year.

Vibe Solutions Group Video Mail Service Selected by Comcast
August 17, 2004

The Vibe Solutions Video Mail service enables users to easily record and send high-quality video mail, create and send customized greeting cards and text, and record video and digital photos. Additional software is not needed to receive a video mail.

Vibe Solutions Group Video Mail Service Selected by Comcast
August 17, 2004

"Comcast is continuously finding new ways to create the best broadband experience possible for our High-Speed Internet customers," said Greg Butz, senior vice president of marketing and business development for Comcast Online. "Vibe Solutions Group video mail service has helped us deploy an easy to use video mail application, and we are proud to be the first major broadband provider to offer it. Consumer enthusiasm for video mail is strong."

Even in summer, change occurs in the tech world
August 16, 2004

Comcast Corp. is introducing video mail for its high-speed Internet customers.

Video mail allows the user to create video messages up to 45 seconds long using a PC and Web camera.

The videos are sent in the form of a Web link and are streamed from a secure server, where they can be saved for up to 30 days. Because it uses a link, Comcast says, the video mail does not use heavy files that bog down connections or overflow e-mail inboxes.

Video Mail from Comcast
August 15, 2004

Comcast has added video mail as its latest application -- continuing its quest to distinguish its service by new applications rather than price cuts. Comcast Video Mail, available to its customers at no additional charge, enables users to create video messages up to 45 seconds in length, using their personal computer and a webcam. They can also use Comcast Video Mail to send personalized video greeting cards and to share their digital photos via narrated photo slideshows. The application is based on the Vibe Solutions Communications Platform -- previously mentioned in our February 2004 report. We expect this is the beginning of video applications becoming more widespread in the future.

Comcast offering video messages - Broadband clients can send 45-second e-mails to friends
August 14, 2004

  Comcast is offering its high-speed Internet customers a new way to connect with friends, family and anybody else with a Windows Media Player.

      The new service, Comcast Video Mail, allows Comcast broadband customers ? at no additional charge ? to create and send video messages as long as 45 seconds. Users only need to have a Webcam and a PC, and viewers need only the Media Player.

      "I think the first reaction is surprise. People say, 'Wow, this is great,' " said Ray Child, Comcast's spokesman in Utah.

      "With high-speed Internet or broadband applications, we've all been focused on wanting to download pages faster or access information faster, but this takes e-mail to the next level. This is the value of speed, an example of the value that speed provides."

Comcast launches free video-messaging service
By LAUREN MAYK
August 12, 2004

In its latest bid to snag and keep high-speed Internet customers, Comcast is offering subscribers a free video-messaging service and discounted or free webcams.

The new Video Mail product lets users create and send video messages up to 45 seconds long using a webcam, a small video camera connected to a computer. It can also be used to send photo slideshows made up of digital pictures.

New broadband options
August 11, 2004

Escalating the battle for subscribers, the Central Valley's leading broadband Internet providers both announced enhanced services "at no extra charge."

Comcast Cable is offering video e-mail, allowing customers with computer- connected webcams to record video messages for friends and family members to see. SBC Communications is boosting upload speeds, which will benefit users who share large files with others, play online games or maintain personal Web sites.

"You're seeing the broadband-service providers trying to differentiate themselves by adding new features," said Michael Paxton, senior analyst with In-Stat/MDR, an Arizona-base research and consulting firm.

VIBE SOLUTIONS GROUP VIDEO MAIL SERVICE SELECTED BY COMCAST
August 10, 2004

"We are pleased that one of the country's largest broadband providers has recognized the value of our video mail solution," said Ted Briscoe, chief executive officer and president of Vibe Solutions Group. "The versatile capabilities of our solution allow broadband providers to introduce value-added services that foster loyal customers and create compelling service packages to help grow their business."

Comcast Introduces Video Mail - An Exciting New Way to Connect With Family and Friends
August 5, 2004

"Comcast Video Mail offers our customers a new powerful and poignant way to communicate how and when they want, by combining the performance of our best-in-class network with one of today's most innovative, built-for-broadband applications. We are proud to be the first major broadband provider to offer Video Mail - and by providing this service to customers at no extra charge, we continue to deliver enhanced value," said Greg Butz, senior vice president of marketing & business development for Comcast Online.

Comcast: You've Got "Video Mail"
-- Multichannel News, 8/5/2004 3:54:00 PM

Abstract: Comcast launched "Comcast Video Mail" to its high-speed-data subscribers Thursday.

Comcast Corp.'s new Comcast Video Mail application, being offered to its 5.8 million broadband subscribers this month, is powered by Vibe Solutions Group software, Vibe executives said last week. The software allows cable-modem subscribers to send video e-mail greetings to other broadband users. "It's a fairly turnkey application they can add to their bundle," said Vibe senior vice president of product marketing communications Brad Herrick. Comcast's Video Mail application includes a wizard-like interface that helps the consumer set up their webcam and video-mail archive. "We built for them a totally branded solution," Herrick said.

Comcast Introduces Video Mail - An Exciting New Way to Connect With Family and Friends
August 5, 2004

Imagine sending a unique video message to celebrate the birthday of an oldest childhood friend - or being able to share the experience of baby's first tooth with grandparents 3,000 miles away. With Comcast Video Mail, users can connect with families and friends online like never before.

Comcast Introduces Video Mail - An Exciting New Way to Connect With Family and Friends
August 5, 2004

Comcast Announces `Great American Getaway' Sweepstakes Sharing Special Moments Has Never Been Easier - Just Record, Preview and Send

/PRNewswire/ -- Comcast, the nation's number one broadband Internet provider, today announced the launch of Comcast Video Mail, a fresh and electrifying new way to communicate online. Comcast Video Mail enables Comcast High-Speed Internet customers to easily create video messages up to 45 seconds in length, using their personal computer and a webcam. Customers can also use Comcast Video Mail to send personalized video greeting cards and to share their digital photos via narrated photo slideshows.

Comcast Promotes Video Mail as Broadband Differentiator
August 5, 2004

Comcast launched a Video Mail service as an enhancement for its cable modem customers. Users can create video messages up to 45 seconds in length, using their personal computer and a webcam. The actual video is sent in the form of a Web link to any email address and plays back as a Windows Media file. Video is stored on a Comcast server for up to 30 days. Customers can also use Comcast Video Mail to send personalized video greeting cards and to share their digital photos via narrated photo slideshows. There is no charge to Comcast users.

Comcast Video Mail Has 'Vibe'.
-- Stump, Matt - Multichannel News July 19, 2004

"A lot of video-based applications have been built off of text chat and were designed for early adopter, but that doesn't translate well to masses of early broadband users," Herrick said. "You need something simple that a grandmother could use."

Comcast users will be able to download the video mail application from their Comcast.net home page. The application resides on their computer, but the actual video e-mails are stored on Vibe servers throughout the country. "We do all the hosting on the backend," Herrick said.

Comcast forecasts digital TV, PC, phone convergence
July 1, 2004

But Comcast - a 21.5 million-subscriber giant seen as an industry bellwether - says it's ready to roll out next-generation services that need abundant bandwidth and two-way communications. The cable industry is nearly done with $85 billion in network upgrades to create such capacity.

Comcast Introduces Video Mail - An Exciting New Way to Connect With Family and Friends
-- TV Barn

Comcast Video Mail enables Comcast High-Speed Internet customers to easily create video messages up to 45 seconds in length, using their personal computer and a webcam.

Comcast Introduces Video Mail - An Exciting New Way to Connect With Family and Friends
-- CNN/Money.com

Comcast, the nation's number one broadband Internet provider, today announced the launch of Comcast Video Mail, a fresh and electrifying new way to communicate online.

Comcast offering video mail
-- By CRISSA SHOEMAKER for phillyBurbs.com - July 15, 2004 6:11 AM

"We think it's incredibly exciting," Michael Doyle, president of the cable company's eastern division and a Bucks County resident, said in a video mail feed. "It shows a full use of broadband and we think it's something people will use a lot."

Internet service providers have been looking for new ways to entice the growing population of Web surfers.

Comcast Offers New Video E-Mail Application
-- Friday, August 06 @ 06:47:45 PDT

Comcast Video Mail is available to all Comcast High-Speed Internet customers at no additional charge, and the service is designed to be easy to use and enjoy. Sending Video Mail messages is as simple as 1-2-3 - that is, record, preview and send.

Bay Area NBC Channel 11
November 19, 2003 - Inside Digital Media

NBC television interview with Brad Herrick, Vice President of Marketing for Vibe Phone.

Laura Blackwell:
Trillian Gets Video Functions - Vibe Phone adds video messaging to consolidated IM client.
October 10, 2003 - PCWorld.com

Stefanie Olsen:
Net video subscriptions to go prime time
September 23, 2003 - CNET News.com

"Companies that provide the pipes for the services--such as Vibe Phone, Intratel, Yahoo Broadband in Japan and FastWeb in Italy--should do nicely, thanks to partnerships for delivering video over IP."

Peter Meyers:
Software puts pictures to names for chatters
September 14, 2003 - NEW YORK TIMES

Vibe Phone is the simpler, more straightforward and better designed of the two. Audio and video setup wizards help get your camera and microphone working correctly.

Peter Meyers:
Adding Eye Contact to Your Web Chats
September 4, 2003 - New York Times

"In my tests at various locations, Vibe Phone calls went through cleanly...and the picture and audio quality was the closest to Apple's of any of the video services tested."

Jason Meserve:
Vibe Phone targets consumers
July 14, 2003 - Network World Fusion

Vibe Phone is a point-to-point videoconferencing application that uses proprietary codecs and protocols to connect users in a face-to-face conversation over any 128K bit/sec connection or greater.

New 'Vibe Phone' Makes Live Video Calls From PCs Easy
July 8, 2003 - PR Newswire

Vibe Phone is a great example of an application taking advantage of a robust and high-performing Intel Pentium 4 processor-based platform

New 'Vibe Phone' Makes Live Video Calls From PCs Easy
July 8, 2003 - PRNewswire

"Calls can be placed simply by clicking on the desired person's picture on the contact list, and answered with one click."

July 7, 2003 - Daily Wireless

"Vibe Phone, allows anyone with a PC webcam and broadband access via cable or DSL modem the ability to communicate face to face from their PC with a few clicks."