June 29, 2006

WISCONSIN DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS AND SONIC FOUNDRY JOIN FORCES TO WEBCAST FOURTH OF JULY GREETINGS TO TROOPS WORLDWIDE
Family, friends and patriotic citizens can record web-based video greetings to troops overseas at no charge

(MADISON) – The Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs and Sonic Foundry, Inc., a leader in automated rich media communications technology, today extended an invitation to all Wisconsin citizens to record a free personal greeting that will be made available via the internet to military service members worldwide.

Members of the public can visit the Wisconsin Veterans Museum tomorrow, Friday, June 30 from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.  The Museum is located on the Capitol Square at 30 W. Mifflin Street, Madison, Wisconsin.  Family, friends and individuals interested in recording a greeting to a solider can mediasite their message in full audio and video, together with any accompanying graphic, and send the greeting via a link contained in an email to soldiers stationed overseas.  Examples of graphical material include photographs, children’s drawings and paintings, or any other type of visual message.

“We’re happy to offer an opportunity for family and friends to communicate messages to service members in such an easy, fast and novel way during the Fourth of July holiday,” said John Scocos, Secretary of the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs.  “We hope to link families with their loved ones, even though they are worlds apart, in an effort to recognize the on-going dedication and sacrifice of all service members and their families,” said Scocos. 

Sonic Foundry’s Mediasite™ webcasting and content management system automates the capture and delivery of presentations and lectures via the web. Business, education and government use Mediasite to automatically record and webcast vital information without time-consuming or costly production.

“This Fourth of July, Sonic Foundry is truly honored to be able to visually capture and connect loved ones with our soldiers stationed overseas through Mediasite,” said Rimas Buinevicius, chairman and CEO of Sonic Foundry. “Mediasite will allow service members abroad to watch a personalized message at their convenience with the simple click of a mouse. At this time of the year when our nation pauses to pay tribute to our armed forces, this is just one small way Sonic Foundry can support deployed service members and their families.”

For more information, contact the Wisconsin Department of Veterans Affairs at (608) 267-3582 or Sonic Foundry at (877) 783-7987.