EDUV: Education and Internet (Educate the Universe)
good posts copied from EDUV thread:
To: Roddy Slaughter (213 )
From: RAYS Friday, Mar 12 1999 12:14AM ET
Reply # of 217
All: Lots of good posts on Raging Bull about EDUV, here's some:
These were copied and pasted:
By: IFLY_Trader
Reply To #355 by hweb2 Thursday, 11 Mar 1999 at 6:01 PM EST
Post # of 362
Hweb, I think the major distributor they were referring to was Virgin Megastores. OK, I have transcribed my notes before, most has already been reported on the 2 previous posts, but here it is anyway. I left out some parts because my hand got tired or they were repeated or it's info we already know pretty well. Excuse any misspellings or mis-representations.
Recap of Conference Call conducted on March 11, 1999:
Mark Bruk: re: current status on becoming full reporting, financials, NASDAQ listing
-currently selecting auditors for 1998, 1st quarter 1999 - down to either Price Waterhouse or Ernst & Young, selection to be made within 2 to 3 weeks. Audited financials in April - Form 10 filed about the same time to become fully reporting, expect 30 to 45 days while in information exchange with SEC, another 60 days for full reporting - so expect unaudited financials in early April, audited financials end of April.
Current employees - 14 full time employees, 2 part/time, 4 person educational advisory board, 1 personal advertising/marketing advisory board - actual breakdown of 4 people in marketing, 6 programmers, 2 more P/T programmers, 4 in administration - total of 21 people on the EDUV team.
GOAL: Finest Education Software Company in the World
Mark Crimini, EVP - quickly talking about EDUV's product line
English Pro 6.2 - retail form, finished Nov. 15, began shipping in Dec. & Jan., originally test marketed in Canada - placed in 100 retail outlets - outselling competition between 4 to 10 to 1 - 3 letters of recommendation from major resellers - now going to the US - PR firm TriSynergy Corp - small company but headed up by distribution channel expert, former buyer for CompUSA & Electronics Boutique, 600 stores total - already distribution w/Navarre (sp??) plus verbal confirmation with one of the largest retailers with product to available beginning April 1 - will place about 10,000 products, expect to sell 2,000 units/month.
2 international contracts currently - Hong Kong & Australia - in fact I'm traveling to Hong Kong end of the month - Thailand distribution possible.
Internet Initiative - FreeEnglish.com is flagship - revenue based on 1)banners 1 cent/impression 2) click throughs 3 to 4 cents/impression 3) sell-throughs, as originator get between 5 to 15% of revenue.
FreeEnglish.com - launched Jan.1 - best code below the surface - phonetic instruction - will move to streaming video and audio.
TheGlobalStore.net & Eduversity - associate sites - Eduversity & other 7th Street sites sell EDUV's ESL products - GlobalStore to open next week - partnership with Digital River - Free English is the magnet to attract users to these sites for additional revenue.
FOCUS - Finest Phonetic Instruction in the World
Mark Bruk: English Pro & FreeEnglish - same application, different environments, 1 is internet & advertising, 1 is non-internet w/no advertising, 1 is free, 1 is retail product.
QUESTIONS:
Q - any other languages??
A - are developing components for English currently - next will localize website & application - FreeEnglish is in constant development, will freeze development in June and this will be EnglishPro version 7.0.
Q- any reviews by ESL associations??
A - yes, governments, academians, etc. - got thumbs up from many of the aforementioned groups - FreeEnglish.com has been reviewed by counselors and educators, fully enjoy it.
Q - any plans for China??
A - initial plans for shrink-wrap - seek exclusive distributors on a country by country basis - 32 main countries picked - 20 are in negotiations - re: China, multiple interested parties, expect to make a trip to China within 6 weeks.
Q - Re: float & shares outstanding??
A - check eduverse.com for updated figures
Q - Revenue for 1998
A - only 30 - 35 days revenue base, about 100k in revenue for that time period
Q - Brokerage Houses in on this call??
A - Don't know.
Q - Projected 1999 figures?
A - 1 million from retail market, NOT including internet revenues
Q - Current status w/US school system??
A - EnglishPro is available in a multi-user format for schools, governments, corporations, etc. - 1 company initiative is to gift product to the entire school system in the US - have been in contact with Dept. of Education, Dept. of Bilingual Education, etc. - they recommended 5 things to do to prepare product - changes have been made and just delivered for their review - will gift product to the entire US School System shortly.
Q - How many hits, etc. from FreeEnglish.com??
A - Jan 1 launch - did 1 day spam email campaign in Taiwan & China - approximate 1% conversion rate - 460 people in Taiwan, 50 in France - last week a new version of FreeEnglish.com - download down to 700k from 3.5 MB, will continue to shrink, nice multimedia introduction now - FreeEnglish has 1,500 registered users currently - will work with foreign ISPs (Middle East, Europe, etc), corporations (ESL requirements), governments (developing nations school systems), UN & World Bank (major initiatives for education). - last 2 months no advertising has occurred - within 2 to 4 weeks massive advertising campaign will begin, email, newsgroups, etc. - also working with Chinese portal, Sweden, Europe, etc. - North American market is primarily Dept of Education initiative - primary market is outside of North America.
Q - Any business with major internet companies, Amazon, AOL??
A - YES, obviously there is an attraction from the major portals - in discussions with multiple large web portals - a small pilot project has begun with a well known internet portal, will lead to arrangement.
Q - name change?
A - not in immediate plans - like Eduverse - means Educate the Universe
Q - Evove??
A - 100% Java programming language - some components are in FreeEnglish currently - eventually will allow products to work in all major OS's - Windows 98, 95, Linux, Unix, WebTv, etc.
Q - What stores to market software in the US?
A - Bookstores, big success so far - currently available in US College bookstores in all 50 states for ESL students - VIRGIN Megastores, part of Canadian test market, commitment to carry products in stores in US - others, but can't say right now until finalized.
Q - When/how to get of the BB??
A - Mark Bruk's full time job, 1st to get fully reporting ASAP, 2nd get additional financing - 2 options, 5 mm private placement, or 20mm funding allowing listing on the NASDAQ Small Caps - money to be used to continue high growth and market recognition of products, TV, Radio, Internet advertising, etc.
Q - And discussions to advertise on WebTV, or arrangement with Microsoft for WebTV market in China??
A - currently WebTV doesn't support the Java requirements of FreeEnlish.com, eventually will, as far as Microsoft that is a development which needs time to materialize, still looking at 6 to 9 months away.
Q - I'm a school superintendent, like what I am hearing, what is the marketing to US schools??
A - EnglishPro, multi-user version, Version 7.0, will be gifted to US School System soon - you should have access for free as soon as finalized with Dept of Education, etc.
By: mona
Reply To #357 by IFLY_Trader Thursday, 11 Mar 1999 at 11:17 PM EST
Post # of 362
My compliments to our fellow board members who took such good notes during the conference call!
I also filled 4 pages with sketchy notes, and have reviewed them, and compared them with what has already been posted, and I think it's been pretty well covered here! I want to add my delight and excitement to this board. I was feeling extremely good about this company before the conf. call, and now, I feel like we are all very lucky to have crossed paths; especially at this stage of the process. It's admittedly true that Eduverse is in its infancy, but with all the irons they have in the fire, and with the team they've coordinated, not to mention a best selling educational product, which also has the word 'internet' in it ~~~~ well, I'm very satisfied ( and very happy!!)
I really liked learning that their corporate name
"EDUVERSE" came from the concept: "Educate the Universe" !
I wish all the current shareholders and would-be shareholders could have been there; it was very upbeat, quick, jam-packed with information, positive, and left me in a very good mood!
As far as what the share price is going to do tomorrow, or next week, or next month, I'm not nearly as anxious about that anymore, because I think that there is a tremendous arsenal of energy and action propelling this company forward. English is my second language, and I know first-hand that learning another language is so empowering to people, especially if it is the spoken language of your domicile country. I think any company involved in bringing education to the "masses" in today's world of no-limits, no walls, and communication technology growing faster than the infrastructure can handle is doing the right thing at the right time. Was I impressesd? Am I jazzed? Si Senor!!! GO EDUV !!
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