Message #80 From:
NewsBot Date: January 10, 2007 06:56:00 AM
WIZD News Wizzard Software's Podcast Downloads from Switchpod.com Surpass 3 Million in December, Up from 2.1 Million in November
PITTSBURGH--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Switchpod.com, a top podcasting
network that was recently acquired by Wizzard
Software (OTCBB:WIZD), announced today that podcast downloads from
the Switchpod Network exceeded three million in December, surpassing the
2.1 million media downloads in November. These numbers represent
consumer downloads of audio and video podcast shows through Apple’s
iTunes™ and other new media online content
destinations.
“December’s 43%
month-to-month surge in downloads once again justifies our claims that
podcast consumption is growing at a massive rate, and with the mini
Shuffle iPod released prior to Christmas, the market for our content
grew substantially, and shows no signs of letting up,”
says Jake Fisher, co-founder of Switchpod.com.
This announcement from Wizzard follows Apple Inc.’s
(NYSE:AAPL) unveiling yesterday of the new iPhone and Apple TV, which
promises to bring portable media to a whole new level in 2007. The
Switchpod Network broadcasted approximately one million hours of audio
and video shows to their respective subscribers in December.
“While the majority of podcasts are audio, the
number of video podcasts is growing rapidly and our viewers will now be
able to watch video podcasts on their computers, on the new wide screen
iPod announced by Steve Jobs yesterday, and through the new Apple TV,
which can stream video podcasts from your computer to your television in
high definition,” said Weina Scott,
co-founder of Switchpod.com. “With these new
products consumers will be able to download podcasts from wherever they
are and watch video podcasts when they want, where they want, including
in their car, at the gym, on the subway, and now, on TV in the comfort
of their living rooms.”
One notable podcast that is now hosted on the Switchpod Network is Mysterious
Universe, a weekly program focused on exploring mysteries of the
world, such as UFOs, ancient history, the paranormal and other unusual
topics.
Other new and noteworthy podcasts hosted by Switchpod include:
Olallo
Rubio, a popular Latino comedy and music podcast;
Rip Curl, an
international outdoor sports podcast that ranks in the top 50 Sports
and Recreation podcasts on iTunes; and
The Adventures of
Sherlock Holmesby
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This collection of 12 Sherlock Holmes
mysteries has been acknowledged by iTunes as a “New
and Notable” podcast and is currently
ranked in the top 20 podcasts in the K-12 category. This and other
audiobooks are available for free download in podcast format at www.switchpod.com.
In December 2006, Nielsen Media Research released findings from its 3rd
Quarter Home Technology Report, which stated that MP3 players are
now found in one quarter of US homes and the penetration of MP3 players
has jumped by 150% in the last three years.
Apple, iTunes, Apple TV, iPod, iPhone and Shuffle iPod are all
trademarks, owned by or are credited to Apple, Inc. Other company and
product names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
About Wizzard Software
Founded in 1996, Wizzard Software has become a leader in the speech
technology application development market. Wizzard architects solutions
to business problems using its expertise in consulting, speech
development tools and building speech based applications for the Desktop
and Internet. Wizzard has achieved global recognition because of its
expertise with voice communication whether it is via computer or
telephone. Wizzard's successes have led to expanding speech technology
opportunities in both the government and commercial sectors including
several healthcare industry products and services. For more information,
visit www.wizzardsoftware.com.
Legal Notice
Legal Notice Regarding Forward-Looking Statements: "Forward-looking
Statements" as defined in the Private Securities litigation Reform Act
of 1995 may be included in this news release. These statements relate to
future events or our future financial performance. These statements are
only predictions and may differ materially from actual future results or
events. We disclaim any intention or obligation to revise any
forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information,
future developments or otherwise. There are important risk factors that
could cause actual results to differ from those contained in
forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to risks
associated with changes in general economic and business conditions,
actions of our competitors, the extent to which we are able to develop
new services and markets for our services, the time and expense involved
in such development activities, the level of demand and market
acceptance of our services, changes in our business strategies and acts
of terror against the United States.
