I recently had the pleasure of connecting with Michael Fitzpatrick, co-founder and CEO of ConnectSolutions for a sneak peak at their new Podium 2 platform (just announced today)

What a pleasure!  Michael’s a fellow old timer with a strong sense of what he wants to accomplish in a world increasingly crowded with remote communications solutions.  He has a clear idea of where he wants to differentiate for the market(s) they’re pursuing and how intends to, interestingly, avoid being a “me too” product developer.

That said, there are some familiar features peculiar to webcasting that are absent in Podium 2.  But don’t let that stop you from taking a peek.

On the cool list are some well-designed features that will challenge potential users to imagine new ways of connecting with and engaging their audiences.

Announcements

Perhaps the best way to describe this is by analogy… you know how CNN or a sports program on ESPN might have that scrolling tape at the bottom with additional news?  Imagine something like that in your webcast to reinforce your message, provide supplemental data, or the like.  The net of it?  In a multitasking culture that’s accustomed to both splitting their brain between what the newscaster is saying and the other stuff scrolling by, this could be a powerful tool to keep around many types of viewers.

Social Media Integration

Okay, this isn’t unique, but the product does it well.  I’m a SM fan and user, so the elegance of the solution caught my eye.  Webcast to a Facebook audience?  Not with your average conferencing solution.

(Shareable) User Notes

Event participants can take notes (which isn’t new), but the interface is well designed to have that note-taking experience be a good one.  Think, “my participants don’t have to go to Word or try typing in a box the size of a Twitter post.”

<Fanfare here>  User Video Responses

Now this is just dang cool.  Want to gather real time feedback or testimonials at the end of an event from participants who can record themselves from their own webcam?  They push a button, make a recording, and hit “submit.”

One of the things in the ‘to-be-determined’ category is whether such a tool can find widespread adoption within an organization, but of this I’m sure…it certainly will if Michael has anything to do with it.  If you’re looking for a fresh alternative in the world of webcasting, ConnectSolutions might just be worth making your short list to take a look at.