Internet
Comcast Introduces Video Mail - An Exciting New Way to Connect With Family and Friends
Aug 05, 2004
Philadelphia, PA.
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.
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 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. With the Greeting Card feature, customers can insert their special video message into more than 50 different cards covering various occasions and sentiments, including birthdays, anniversaries, and holidays. Video Mail's Photo Narrator function allows users to import up to 10 of their digital photos and narrate their own personal slideshow, with the ability to get creative and toggle between a live recorded image of themselves and the actual pictures.
Comcast Also Makes It Easy to Connect with Webcams
Comcast has also made it easy for customers who do not already own a webcam to obtain one. Current High-Speed Internet customers will have the opportunity to purchase select webcams at discounts of up to 35 percent, beginning with Logitech's popular QuickCam Messenger and QuickCam Pro4000 models. Free shipping and free toll-free support are included, and additional brands will be available soon. Details are available at: http://www.comcast.net/products/webcamoffer/.
Additionally, users who sign up for Comcast High-Speed Internet service throughout the month of August will receive a free Logitech webcam, as supplies last. Details are available at: http://www.comcast.net/freewebcam/.
"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.
"Consumer feedback has been overwhelming, including such enthusiastic comments as: 'now this is what broadband is all about' - which succinctly summarizes how Comcast is differentiating itself in the marketplace," Butz continued.
While this Video Mail application is currently exclusive to Comcast customers, virtually anyone can receive and enjoy Video Mail messages from them. These messages can be sent just like email to anyone with a valid e- mail address and Windows Media Player, which is already installed on most PCs. Furthermore, the actual video is sent in the form of a Web link, which means no big files to tie up connections or overload inboxes. Instead, the video is streamed from a secure server, where it can be saved for up to 30 days. In addition to making the process easier on both ends, this approach ensures that sending Video Mail is speedy, by eliminating the need to wait for video downloads.
Signing up for Comcast Video Mail is also an effortless process for Comcast High-Speed Internet customers. Customers can simply visit the Comcast portal at http://www.comcast.net and log in to their accounts. From there, they select to download the Video Mail client by clicking on the Video Mail icon at the top of the Comcast.net home page. Customers can then download the Video Mail client by following on-screen prompts. Once downloaded, Comcast Video Mail can be launched from three different locations: the top of the Comcast.net portal, within Comcast Webmail, or via a Comcast Video Mail icon on the taskbar.
Comcast Video Mail is based on the Vibe Solutions Communications Platform. Vibe Solutions is an industry-leading provider of custom broadband video communications solutions.
Comcast Video Mail "Great American Getaway" Sweepstakes
To celebrate the launch of Video Mail, Comcast is announcing its "Great American Getaway" sweepstakes, with a grand prize of a trip for four to Honolulu, Hawaii. The vacation package includes round-trip air transportation, hotel accommodations for five days and four nights and round- trip ground transportation to and from the hotel. To enter the sweepstakes, and for more details, consumers can visit http://www.comcast.net/videomailsweepstakes where they can view a Comcast Video Mail demo and fill out a form to be automatically entered in the sweepstakes. Additional prizes include Dell computer systems, Logitech webcams and sets of 50 free prints from Snapfish, plus consolation prizes for all non-winners of 20 free Snapfish prints.
About Comcast.net
Comcast's premier broadband online service www.comcast.net features news, weather, and stocks, plus exclusive broadband content with streaming video and high-quality sound.
Comcast.net features include:
- The Fan(TM), an innovative broadband video player. Since its launch on http://www.comcast.net, video usage on the site has increased by a factor of 15.
- The Assistant, a personalized toolbar with always-on utilities such as weather, sports scores, stock watch lists, horoscopes and much, much more.
- Comcast Video Mail, a unique, comprehensive service that offers Comcast customers the ability to send video from their Comcast email accounts to any valid email address.
- Comcast Photo Center, the one place to go for online photo sharing and film developing with free unlimited photo storage.
- Best-In-Class Content, from leading providers such as ABC News, E!, G4/techTV, The Weather Channel, IFC, Planeta Networks, Atom Films, and others.
- Comcast Rhapsody, the country's leading Internet jukebox service that provides subscribers with unlimited access to a vast library of music from all five major labels plus more than 200 independent music labels.
- "AskComcast," an interactive help tool developed using technology from Conversagent. This interactive agent "chats" with Comcast High-Speed Internet customers in a conversational personalized way, helping them find information they desire about their service and its features.
About Comcast
Headquartered in Philadelphia, Comcast Cable is a division of Comcast Corporation (Nasdaq: CMCSA, CMCSK), a developer, manager and operator of broadband cable networks and provider of programming content. With a presence in 22 of the top 25 United States markets, Comcast is one of the leading communications, media and entertainment companies in the world. Providing basic cable, Digital Cable, high-speed Internet and telephone services, Comcast is the company to look to first for the communications products and services that connect people to what's important in their lives. The company's 59,000 employees serve more than 21 million customers.