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Janesville tech firm launches software

JANESVILLE — A news release heralding the release of software that could shape the future of electronic communication doesn't typically carry a Janesville dateline.

But last week Janesville-based GinkoMedia announced release of its Web-based software that lets users take a do-it-yourself approach to creating and editing rich media messaging.

With the Ginko software, users drag and drop to build souped-up Web pages combining video, images and text. People can be sent to the pages stored on GinkoMedia servers to see and hear messages that can generate leads, educate an audience or make a corporate announcement.

"Look what technology has done for communication; it's made it faster, easier and cheaper," said Mary Kuehne, the company's co-founder and vice president of sales and marketing.

"But it's also taken away the personal element. People are sensory by nature, responding to sound and moving objects far more than to traditional text. Rich media is a sensory experience."

The software has been in development for about a year, said Kuehne, who staffs the Janesville office on West Milwaukee Street.

In addition to Kuehne, there are four other owners, including CEO and co-founder David Alvin, who lives in the Chicago area.

The five partners are bankrolling the company, and they all continue to work day jobs, Kuehne said.

So far, GinkoMedia has three customers, including one who bought a license before the software was even on the market.

"The potential for growth is huge," Kuehne said. "It's a solid product that works all the time, every time."

Alvin and Kuehne said GinkoMedia is an emerging leader in the on-demand rich media presentation market. The company, they said, is poised to help clients get better results at lower costs.

They expect software licenses will appeal to large and small businesses, as well as the educational field.

"For example, a teacher can do a presentation on a review for a test and then link every student to the presentation," Kuehne said. "She can see who views it and how much of it they watched.

"When someone fails the test, she'll be able to see that the student only went through 25 percent of the review material."

Because the software allows users to do projects themselves, it helps save time and money, and that should appeal to small businesses and educational institutions, Kuehne said.

License costs vary by the length of the message and how long its' stored on a server.

"Everyone is beginning to see rich media messaging as the future of communication," Alvin said. "Organizations are looking for a way to own the creation process and easily deliver the content.

"We provide that."