Echo360 Ships EchoSystem 4.0 and SafeCapture HD

DULLES, VA--(Marketwire - Sep 1, 2011) - Echo360, the global leader in campus-wide blended learning and lecture capture solutions, today announced the availability of EchoSystem 4.0 and SafeCapture HD. The new release of Echo360's comprehensive blended learning solution helps universities increase course availability, graduation rates and student retention. EchoSystem 4.0 and SafeCapture HD include a series of enhancements enabling instructors to teach more effectively while reducing the operational costs associated with large-scale blended learning implementations.

At more than 300 classrooms, Purdue University is home to one of the world's largest installations of blended learning and lecture capture technology. The institution has upgraded all of these classrooms to EchoSystem 4.0 for the start of the 2011 academic year because of the importance of the solution to teaching and learning initiatives.

"Our instructors are demanding and using technology in constantly changing ways, and EchoSystem 4.0 prepares Purdue University for the next chapter of faculty demand. Features like the EchoCenter, collaboration, multiple input capture and the live-enabled SafeCapture HD will allow us to support their requests both today and in the future," said Larry French, operations manager for Purdue University's information technology team, ITaP.

EchoSystem 4.0 and SafeCapture HD are available now with the following capabilities:

• EchoCenter: The EchoCenter is a teaching and learning hub for the EchoSystem. It is a course portal that displays a playlist of lecture recordings and allows students to access rich media content. Embeddable into learning management systems, the EchoCenter helps instructors analyze student usage and identify potential problems through viewing metrics.
  
  
• Collaboration: Students experience heightened levels of course engagement through virtual lecture collaboration and note taking in the latest generation of the EchoPlayer. Instructors save time by answering questions in a single, online venue instead of responding to multiple emails or using valuable class time.
  
  
• EchoPlayer for Apple® iPad™: The EchoSystem includes a brand-safe, student-controlled learning experience designed exclusively for the Apple iPad using HTML5. EchoSystem 4.0 also introduces Apple iOS and Android™ streaming, enabling secure mobile viewing and prevents the downloading of instructor intellectual property.
  
  
• Second-Generation, Secure Hardware Capture Platform: SafeCapture HD is the new version of the EchoSystem's future-proof and live-enabled hardware recording option. With SafeCapture HD, instructors can record any combination of video and supporting course materials. It supports high-quality video at 1080p at 30fps and creates a rich, viewing experience for students. SafeCapture HD is one of multiple recording options available with the EchoSystem.
  
  

"EchoSystem 4.0 and SafeCapture HD allow institutions to cost-effectively scale course delivery while catering to the needs of their instructors and students," said Fred Singer, CEO of Echo360. "The EchoSystem is higher education's #1 blended learning and lecture capture solution because of its flexible, scalable and all-encompassing approach."

About Echo360
As a global leader in blended learning and lecture capture solutions, Echo360 helps higher education institutions keep pace with modern students' learning needs through products that digitally record and upload learning content. Echo360 has been recognized with a Product Line Strategy of the Year Award from Frost & Sullivan and named a Visionary Vendor in Educational Technology by IT research firm Basex. Echo360's products facilitate better instruction, lower costs and enrich learning experiences by enabling students to easily access and share multimedia content. Through Echo360's platform, students can replay recorded sessions and review course information online at their convenience and across various devices. More than 400 colleges and universities in 29 countries use Echo360's solution.