Executive Summary
 Product | Features | Market
Tech Info | Sites | The Company
Centre Of the Web, Inc.
 311 Science Park Rd.
State College, PA
16801
814-235-9592
Email

The Product:
The first of its kind, leading the way to TV/Internet convergence, WebBarkerTM is a flexible, Web-enabled system which replaces traditional videotext in all applications.

News, weather, sports and other information is automatically gathered from Internet sources and presented for easy editing, formatting and insertion into the WebBarkerTM Play List for broadcast or cablecast.

Also, a WebSite displaying all (or selected parts) of the cablecast or TV broadcast content is automatically generated.


Features & Benefits:
 When compared with current systems in operation, WebBarker's features and benefits put it into a class above all the older systems. Cost savings and ease of use bring it right to the top of the heap all by themselves. When you add all the other things it can do, WebBarker outshines them all.

  • Ease Of Use: Designed to be used by computer neophytes, WebBarkerTM automatically gathers news, sports, weather and other information from Internet sources. Other information (local sports, advertising, etc.) is entered manually by authorized personnel using any Internet connection and a Web browser. This can be done via the Internet from anywhere in the world.

  • Reduced Operational Costs: Being totally Web-based, all data entry, editing, formatting and queuing (and other functions) can be done from any location that has Internet access and a Web browser (currently requires MSIE).

    • Remote automatic updating of distant "head ends" eliminates long-distance fax or other phone charges by leveraging local Internet connections.

    • Reduced Production Time & Increased Accuracy: Also eliminated is the need to re-key information since data is automatically gathered from Internet sources and presented to the editor in electronic format. This increases accuracy and cuts production time. For multiple head-ends with overlapping data, no data is copied or rekeyed. Cut and Paste of data from other Windows applications is, naturally, also available.

  • Expanded Capabilities: Being a Web-based system, WebBarkerTM brings to the market enhanced capabilities previously unavailable in this medium. Anything that can be displayed on a Web page can be displayed on the cablecast or TV broadcast. This includes the use of different fonts, colors, background colors, graphics, animated graphics and even video content if desired. Custom software/hardware control interfaces to VCR, tuner, DVD and other video devices will also be available.

  • Flexible Display Formatting Options: Program Director has total control over all aspects of the display including transitioning, font faces & weights, font & background colors/patterns, page formatting and sizes and number of display onscreen display areas.

  • On-the-fly Changes, Reformatting & Re-sequencing: Any item (news, weather, sports, ads) can be instantly inserted into the queue for broadcast. Changes made to existing items in the queue will be immediately reflected in the broadcast.

  • Flexible Display Timing: Onscreen display time can be independently set for any item.

  • Enhanced Advertising Revenue & Abilities: Ads appearing on the TV also appear on the WebSite, thereby expanding coverage and giving the ability to charge premium rates. Ads for display on WebBarkerTM systems may be graphics, animated graphics or straight text.

  • Audio Simulcast on the Web: The WebSite version can include Real AudioTM streams which can contain the regular audio programming (for example, if the client is a radio station).

The Market:
Any application currently using videotext to display "public" information on a TV screen will be enhanced. These can be either public or private network broadcasts:

    Applications:
  • Community Information Channels on TV
  • Hotel Information Systems
  • Trade Show / Convention Center / Seminar Information Systems
  • Large Public Festivals
  • University or Corporate Intranets
  • Law Enforcement
  • Messaging Systems

Training:
Anyone who currently operates a videotext system and is also familiar with Web browsers (specifically, MS Internet Explorer) can easily learn to operate WebBarkerTM within a few hours. The WebBarker Editor presents to the user, a series of Web forms which are filled out and submitted in "the usual" fashion. Onsite installation, training and phone support are available.

Technical Information:
 Components Of A WebBarker System:
    WebBarker Display Unit
    • software package creates the FOR BROADCAST display (NTSC) requires Internet access via ISP dialup or direct LAN connection.
    WebBarker Server
    • customized software to retrieve News, Sports, Stock Quotes and other information from Internet sources (requires Internet connectivity with fixed IP address).
    WebBarker Editor
    • software resides on the WebBarker Server and can be accessed from any workstation using Microsoft Internet Explorer 4.0 for purposes of creating output pages. Pages are previewed in the editor before publishing. Also, a WebBarker Display Unit may be used to preview the pages before they are distributed.

Current Beta Site Customers:
 Clicking on the links below will give you a LIVE view of items currently appearing on these cable TV channels. However, one must bear in mind that the appearance of these displays is very different in a Web browser window. The Display Units are calibrated to optimize the displays for TV.

  • 95.3/3WZ Radio, State College, PA
    Our first LIVE beta site was turned on in February, 1997 on TCI cable channel 4 delivering community information to Centre County, PA. When it went live, the intention was to make it look as much like the old Texscan system as possible so viewers would not notice much of a difference. (They do watch, and they do call and complain when something is different.) Since that time WebBarker has been performing reliably and the look of the channel has slowly evolved as more of the enhanced capabilities have been phased in.

  • C-NET, State College, PA
    Centre County's local government public access channel has been WebBarker enabled since mid 1998.

  • Penn State University Office of Telecommunications<
    On trial at Penn State University, WebBarker is being used in the Office of Telecommunications building on campus to display meeting times and locations on TV screens within the building.

  • Coleman Folding Trailers
    Designed as a method of displaying new product information for the 2000 model year roll out of Coleman Folding Trailers at their annual dealers conference in Las Vegas, WebBarker also displayed the conference schedule during the event. If management is sold on the concept, the display of product information will be shown next to the product in the showrooms of Coleman Folding Trailer dealerships across the US and Canada.

About Centre Of the Web, Inc.
Incorporated in June of 1997, Centre Of the Web was founded by 8 individuals who believe that the Internet is becoming the center of global communications and commerce. We began working together in the summer of 1995. Our individual skills range from graphic design to network management to database programming to telecommunications hardware and software. We have HTML wizards, UNIX gurus, Windows NT experts; electrical, mechanical, video and software engineers. There are more than 300 man-years of relevant experience in the company. For more information, See http://centreweb.com/

For more information about WebBarker, please view the following pages:

To schedule a live WebBarker demo or to contact us for more information, please send email, or call 814-235-9592.