Web site operators looking to boost the stickiness of their site can now add voice message boards via a new application service provider, BYOBroadcast.com Inc.
The 9-month-old startup uses Java applets for recording and playing the audio snippets, founder and President Ben Krysiak says. User's of the software only need to accept a download of special components that are used by the Java recording applet to interface with the machine's audio input, usually a microphone. Audio also can be recorded over the phone using an assigned phone number.
"We needed to make the technology AOL-easy," Krysiak says of his service. "We needed to get it down to that user level."
Customers of the service only need to add code snippets to their Web site that points to the BYOBroadcast servers. Message lists can be customized and the Java player can be embedded in the page or pop up in a separate window. Krysiak says the pop-up window can be customized with the customer logos and ads for increased revenue opportunities. BYOBroadcast is working on a client that can be embedded in e-mail messages for those end users with HTML-enabled e-mail clients.
BYOBroadcast stores and streams all content from its NaviSite co-located hosting center. The company is using Sun servers and EMC storage technology to run the operation. Krysiak says the company's rollout was slowed slightly by the recent Verizon strike, which affected the company's installation time for the T-1 lines needed to offer telephone-based recording of messages.
Pricing for the service starts at $US500 for low-volume customers. Those wanting telephone access via a toll-free number will have to pay extra.