LocaModa Wiffiti Beta Program Offers Premium Features To EdTech Market

Cambridge, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/07/2012 -- LocaModa today launched its wiffiti (why-fee-tee, short for 'wireless graffiti') beta program for the education market. The beta program is in response to unanticipated demand outside of LocaModa's core market, when more than 100,000 wiffiti boards were created by teachers and other educators to engage students via their phones.

LocaModa helps brands engage audiences via social networks and mobile phones and on screens in places like Madison Square Garden, Times Square, health clubs, colleges and cafes reaching over 100 million people each month. LocaModa discovered that brands are not alone in wrestling with the challenge of keeping their audiences' attention. Over the past six months, enterprising teachers have been using LocaModa's wiffiti boards to help make their classes more interactive and stimulating.

Stephen Randall, CEO LocaModa commented, "It might seem obvious today, but just like brands, teachers are becoming increasingly aware that they cannot win attention away from social media or phones simply by requesting that their students turn their phones off. Effective communicators leverage all possible screens to ensure their message is seen, heard and remembered. The classroom is no exception. Teachers have to use whatever screens they can to attract their students' attention – the mobile screen in a student's hand, a web screen on their desk or a smart screen in the front of the class."

The wiffiti beta program offers early access to two specific versions for educators: free and lite. The Ed Tech beta program includes standard rate text messaging for free. Moderation tools that were only included in LocaModa's enterprise versions are also included, enabling teachers to block or delete messages or users. For more details see Product Comparison Details below.

Wiffiti is being used in several ways by educators (see below, a list of books covering wiffiti in schools) – for debates, or quizzes where students use their phones to text or tweet an answer to a screen at the front of the class.

To request an invitation to the beta program, go to www.wiffiti.com

Stephen Randall is speaking at the 2012 Digital Signage Expo, March 8th at 9.00 am in "An Interactive Shootout: Digital Convergence Fact Vs Fiction.

PRODUCT COMPARISON DETAILS:
The wiffiti beta program offers early access to two specific versions for educators: free and lite with the following features:

Free
- Follow Twitter users
- Anonymous User Names (great way to engage shy students)
- Follow Twitter hashtags
- Photo to Screen: Instagram, Twitpic, yfrog & more
- Text to Screen
- Web To Screen
- Facebook to Screen
- In-line Questions/Promotion
- G-Rated Filters
- Zap (quick delete all displayed messages)
- Online Support

Lite - includes all free features plus:
- Moderation tool
- Email to screen
- Post Screen Delete (click individual messages via web)
- Vanity Board ID
- Access/Security features
- Analytics and Reporting
- Hide URLs

For more information, or to request an invitation to the beta program, go to http://www.wiffiti.com

WIFFITI IN BOOKS:
- Teaching Generation Text: Using Cell Phones to Enhance Learning Link
- Interactivity in E-Learning Link
- The Excellent Online Instructor Link
- Anytime, anywhere!: mobile learning using cell phones Link
- Toys to tools: connecting student cell phones to education Link

Note: Scholastic features wiffiti in a course: Mobile learning lesson plans Link

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LocaModa Takes Social Media To Big Leagues

Cambridge, MA -- (ReleaseWire) -- 03/07/2012 -- LocaModa today announced partnerships with the Miami Heat and the New York Knicks.

As it is becoming more commonplace for brands to connect to fans at and beyond their events, there is a growing awareness of the opportunity to engage entire communities via multi-screen marketing – e.g. mobile, web, TV and event signage.

This strategy comes at a time when marketing executives are witnessing the advantages of leveraging the reach of social media over text messaging. Although text messaging has been used for a number of years to engage fans at events (for example, encouraging them to send messages to jumbotrons), such messages can only generate engagement with fans at the event.

With LocaModa, event managers can stream any social media (including text messages) to screens while providing enterprise moderation tools in real-time. At a recent game in Madison Square Gardens, over 42,000 messages were generated and fans at the game could see real-time moderated tweets, instagram photos and emails on the big screens.

The LocaModa platform is regularly used to enable massive engagement for brands including AT&T, GM, Gatorade and Diet Coke and at events including American Idol Tours and a recent concert with The Black Eyed Peas that benefited the Robin Hood Foundation, New York City's largest poverty-fighting organization.

Greg Stellato, Sports & Event Licensing, LocaModa said, "We're delighted to have leading teams embrace our technology." He also added, "But as we're a Boston company, our moderation tools are really stress tested when our passionate local fans get their phones out at a New York game."

LocaModa has a granted patent for the method of connecting web-based networks (such as Twitter and Facebook) to place-based digital networks to foster cross-channel engagement. The LocaModa platform doesn't just result in a more engaged audience, it is also being used by customers to reduce the complexities of real time messaging on their digital signage systems.

LocaModa's CEO, Stephen Randall is speaking at the 2012 Digital Signage Expo, March 8th at 9.00 am in "An Interactive Shootout: Digital Convergence Fact Vs Fiction.

For more information on this press release visit: http://www.releasewire.com/press-releases/release-3.htm