Top 20 of 2020: Team Mediasite’s Annual Countdown of Its Favorite Moments of the Year

    December 31, 2020

    So, let’s be honest. 2020 has been the year of curveballs and surprises – some good, some … well, you know. #2020.

    It may have been a difficult year for all of us, but we still have many reasons to be grateful. At the end of each year we like to reflect on some of our favorite moments from the past 12 months (you can see our lists from 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019)!  Here are some of the top 20 highlights that we are grateful for in 2020. Keep checking back in the coming days as we count down to our favorite moment.

    gif Christmas winter funny holiday happy Elf buddy the elf hilarious perfect mistletoe crosswalk the movie elf movie christmas blog winter blog

    1. You, our incredible customers

    2020 was a year of incredible challenges but also resilience. You rose to the challenges and came out even better and ready to leverage video at your organizations in 2021 and beyond. You pivoted quickly with confidence and adapted so that your students, instructors and employees could still get the most engaging and collaborative experiences possible despite distance. You inspire us daily. Let’s all celebrate in this very favorite moment of the year that you, our wonderful customers, will come out on the other side in 2021 ready to lead the way to demonstrate streaming video’s incredible power.  

    2. A new CEO in our midst 

    We are excited that Joe Mozden Jr. joined the Mediasite team as CEO. He comes from DeVry University and has a strong background in educational technology leadership. He is an extremely engaged company leader who loves to hear from you all and has a very strong vision for the future of Mediasite. Joe recently published an article in InBusiness Madison, 3 Keys to Reshaping Your Business in a COVID-19 World. Read it here. Welcome to Team Mediasite, Joe! 

    3. Mediasite Events’ new virtual events platform

    Mediasite Events announced a new complete virtual event platform for a video-first world. No two events are the same, and the Mediasite Events team is custom-building virtual worlds for organizations and schools of all sizes for a flexible, scalable and engaging experience, despite distance.

    The team, which has more than 15 years of experience creating dynamic online events all over the world, is providing white glove services without the need for travel. The virtual event platform includes everything from a customizable event website with live or simulated live session streaming, content catalogues, e-commerce options for sponsors, virtual expo halls, e-poster sessions, interactive features like live chat and polling and more.

    Read more about our virtual events platform in this press release.

    4. Mediasite + Zoom = Amazing new integration

    As schools and businesses use web and video conference systems prolifically for remote work and live online learning, it is critical those meetings and classes turn into evergreen learning content in a central and secure virtual information hub. Our seamless integration between Mediasite and Zoom makes that possible. Learn more about the Mediasite + Zoom capabilities here.

    5. We launched our new one-click video capture app, Mediasite Mosaic

    At the virtual InfoComm 2020 conference this summer, we launched Mediasite Mosaic to be a one stop shop for all things recording and video. Our goal was to make the easiest, one-click platform for you as you create prolific amounts of video.

    Learn more about Mediasite Mosaic at www.mediasite.com/mosaic/.

    P.S. We’re proud that Mosaic won a few awards this year!

    6. Mediasite U having YOUR back

    Everyone needed a little extra support during the pandemic. Mediasite had your back with creating all sorts of training courses and content to help ensure your video success. All of our training content was created and uploaded by our video experts. Some of our top courses on Mediasite U included:

    See them all at https://learn.mediasite.com/.

    7. Our December release of Mediasite  

    Streaming video’s incredible value is front and center in this digital-first world as everyone teaches, learns and communicates online. That means it is critical those meetings and classes are both easily accessible to all intended viewers while also completely secure from unwanted eyeballs. Plus, it goes without saying that video engagement is of the utmost importance as everyone watches from a distance.    

    When you update MVP to the latest version of our award-winning video content management platform, you’ll get a wide range of new features and enhancements to help make managing your video content simple, reliable and flexible. Learn all about our December release of Mediasite in this Mediasite U training.  

    8. The new norm: Data and tools to fuel effective virtual learning for all students 

    The pivot from in-person classes to virtual learning at colleges and universities around the world has been an eye-opening experience this year. Instructors quickly realized the power of video to deliver engaging, personalized learning, and students settled into video lectures and collaborative conferencing calls. It may have been easy to overlook one important aspect – accessibility – during the rush. 

    But, ensuring the course content is easily available to all students has never been more critical. In this webinar, we discussed how to give students the best experience by creating the most impactful, data-rich and searchable study tools to personalize their learning. Register to watch the webinar here. 

    9. Our Mediasite Events team being superstars 

    Our Mediasite Events team stepped up to the plate at the start of the year with its new virtual event platform, ensuring meetings, conferences and events could still go on despite distance. They have earned a lot of wonderful attention for their efforts this year, like: 

    10. Infographic: Solving the virtual learning puzzle 

    The flipped classroom concept, blending on-demand content with real-time discussion, has never been more relevant than it is today. If conferencing systems are your virtual, real–time classrooms, on-demand streaming video is your textbook. Our virtual learning infographic gives you all the right tools you need to conquer any fully virtual or hybrid classroom environment. Download our stellar infographic here. 

    11. Edgecombe Community College selects Mediasite for all faculty; Plus, how one math teacher navigated the new normal 

    edgecombe logoOur partnership with the North Carolina Research and Education Network (NCREN,) run by MCNC, allowed this community college to flourish with video learning during the pandemic. Through this partnership, all schools in the state have access to cost-effective technology and services like Mediasite to start or expand their digital learning initiatives. The school selected Mediasite to create video lectures that students can watch online. Math instructor Francine Long became one of the biggest users on campus by repurposing and recording video lessons. Read the school’s journey with Mediasite here. 

    12. Giving med students a front row seat

    northeast ohio medical universityA gross anatomy lab is one of the most valuable resources to medical students. However, each lab experience is a one-and-done operation. You can’t recreate it, but you can use Mediasite to capture the moment for on-demand review. In this webinar, learn how Northeast Ohio Medical University integrated Mediasite into its gross anatomy lab where students can share live streams and upload video directly to their learning management system. Register to watch the webinar here.

    foundation for research and education in dermatology

    13. Dermatology group shares urgent COVID news with health professionals via Mediasite Events

    The Foundation for Research and Education in Dermatology (FRED) needed to get information out fast about the ever-changing COVID-19 outbreak. FRED turned to Mediasite Events to turn its continuing medical education conference into a virtual event. The Mediasite Events team filmed live and pre-recorded content for dermatologists all over the country, and at one point, 40 percent of U.S. dermatologists tuned in! Read the full on case study here.

    14. Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin put together a seriously impressive virtual conference

    The Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin had to pivot its in-person event to 100 percent virtual in a matter of days. Mediasite Events helped the organization create an engaging experience for the 1,400+ dairy farmers and allied industry partners from across the country who planned to travel to Madison, Wis. for the event. It actually ended up being a lot more people than expected by going virtual! PDPW nearly doubled their virtual attendance and are continuing to use Mediasite Events to host live webinar events. Read these articles to get the full picture:

    15. The future is virtual – How to get your events remote ready

    Transforming revenue- and customer-generating events into dramatically different online environments can feel overwhelming, but the good news is you’re not alone. We had a unique panel of experts from all aspects of the experience present a webinar about how you can lead the way forward in this video-first world by creating an event that feels like every attendee is in the room. Register to watch the webinar here.

    16. E-book: Moving to the cloud

    mediasite on devicesSchools from pre-school to collegiate levels are using online learning, and businesses and healthcare organizations are turning to video to stay connected during the COVID-19 pandemic. The use of streaming video has never been more prevalent than right now, and its awesome power to connect people from all corners of the world in real-time is front and center. But, with that new demand for video comes an immediate need for more bandwidth to ensure that these organizations can handle the massive increase in viewership outside of their networks. Many don’t have the infrastructure required to serve peak demand. The solution? Moving to the cloud. It can be done rapidly with minimal disruption to end-users. In this e-book, Bill Cherne, VP of Customer Success and Support, talks about the top questions he hears from people as they prepare to make the move to the cloud.

    Download the e-book here.

    17. University of Wisconsin-Madison’s Distance Teaching & Learning conference triples virtual attendance with Mediasite Events

    The Distance Technology and Learning Conference held annually by the University of Wisconsin-Madison Continuing Studies department had some snags due to the pandemic. But the conference quickly pivoted to  an all virtual event with Mediasite Events and actually tripled virtual attendance and cut conference costs in half. Read the full case study here. 

    18. A community focus 

    We are proud to be a part of the Madison, Wis. community and this year more than ever it is important that we all give back where we can. In the spirit of giving, our employees donated to Friends of State Street, Share your Holidays and Toys for Tots and we ended up doubling our goal for this holiday season.  

    Several of our employees have been participating in their own volunteer initiatives as well. Barb Pahlow, one of our fabulous quality assurance engineers, recently participated in a custom Make-A-Wish delivery. Here is her account of her experience:  

    “On October 1, I participated in a Make-a-Wish delivery of a custom PC VR system. Prior to this, I polled the Sonic Foundry engineering team to get their best “dad jokes” which I inserted into dozens of balloons (inflated with a hand pump for safety). The jokes were a hit! The recipient read a couple of jokes and then started telling some of his own. My wish partner also arranged for a first responders parade – a couple of squads, ambulances, fire trucks. This was in Columbus, Wis. When I first met this young man a year ago, he spent most of the interview telling bad (amazing) dad jokes. When it came time to finally deliver his wish, I wanted to incorporate jokes in some way. As for his health, he’s doing very well!” 

    19. Our solutions got some love!

    Mediasite Events’ new complete virtual events platform and our new Mediasite Mosaic one-click video capture app won awards. Plus, one of our amazing clients, Professional Dairy Producers of Wisconsin, is currently up for an award! We are extremely proud of our solutions that help you create virtual events and personal videos. Our awards this year include:

    We couldn’t be prouder!

    20. Mediasite played (and continues to play) a key role in virtual and hybrid learning.

    Education as we know it will not be the same ever again. Luckily we can help you take your hybrid learning plan on the right track! Our very own EVP of Sales Rob Lipps had the opportunity to sit down with University Business to provide tips and tricks for hybrid learning. Read the whole article here.

    • Olivia Fulton
      Written by
      Olivia Fulton
      LinkedIn
      Twitter
      Senior Marketing Intern
      Olivia is a senior at the University of Wisconsin - Madison studying Journalism with a track in Strategic Communication as well as Communication Arts with an emphasis in Rhetoric, Politics and Culture. She is also pursuing minors in Digital Studies and Entrepreneurship. As a marketing intern at Sonic Foundry for the past three years, she is gaining an insightful “real world” experience.
    Back To Top