Terrell actually came from one of those aforementioned Webcasting companies, Digital Planet, where he was the Chief Technology Officer. And it was there that the seeds of Avacaster were planted. As he tells it, "At Digital Planet, we had specific needs for a Webcasting system: a system that was cross-platform, that worked in a Web browser, that didn't require a download, and that would integrate with a live TV production environment, but could also create on-demand events. And on top of that, we didn't want to be paying (or charging our customers) outrageous per-minute fees. So I developed a list of requirements, and we talked to everyone who sold these products back then-companies that Avacast now competes against. No one could provide everything we needed."
The solution, it turned out, came from a multiplayer gaming engine adapted to serve as Digital Planet's Webcasting system. That system subsequently became Avacaster. Educational clients include California State University at Dominguez Hills, which produces over 40 hours of live online classes a week, and they recently signed a deal with Kaplan, the test-prep giant (and parent of Concord University, the world's first online law school).
Another educational customer is the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma, which has an extensive distance learning program to help preserve the Choctaw language. They serve about 150 students each semester via Avacaster.
21st Century Cyber School, a charter school in Pennsylvania, is beginning its third academic year, offering some 70 courses to about 300 students in grades 6 through 12. They began using Avacaster last spring, and also use their system for tutoring, advisement, orientation, and group meetings and discussions.
CLASS FACTS
Subsea cable alternatives can provide a level of comfort for those concerned about disruptions. Realistically, they will continue to play a small, but critical role in the short term.
Maintaining existing network infrastructures often incurs huge technical debt before newer technologies are adopted over time.
Amid ongoing regional uncertainties, telecom infrastructure in the Middle East has expand to include terrestrial low-latency network infrastructure, which offers resilience and agility in navigating political complexities without relying solely on undersea networks.
