TAP.tv Announces 500th System Sold
Chicago (February 8, 2010) TAP.tv, located in Burr Ridge, today announced that its partner in the bar and pub market, AMI Entertainment, received orders for the 500th TAP.tv system for bars/pubs. TAP.tv is now installed in venues in 21 of the 50 states plus the District of Columbia. It is estimated that the audience reached by TAP.tv is nearly 2 million viewers per week. At its current rate of install, TAP.tv's audience will double again next quarter.
"2010 is the breakout year for TAP.tv; this is the first of many significant sales milestones to come," said John Malec, TAP.tv CEO. "The dramatic growth in orders confirms our belief that TAP's formula of compelling content, state-of the art technology and venue-friendly ad creation tools are winning hearts and minds in the out-of-home television market."
AMI Entertainment Network Inc. is a global provider of on-location digital entertainment, from touchscreen games, and jukeboxes to streaming news, music, and video programming. With its signature Megatouch and Rowe brands, plus its strategic partnership with TAP.tv, AMI provides content-rich entertainment solutions to bars, restaurants, and commercial venues in over 30 countries worldwide. Expanding its digital portfolio to touchscreen PCs and mobile devices, AMI is at the forefront of touchscreen entertainment for any venue or platform.
Privately-held TAP.tv, with headquarters in suburban Chicago, builds and runs private TV networks for commercial business applications by replacing traditional TV infrastructure with an IP network and sophisticated proprietary on-location hardware and software. These networks may be completely customized by vertical market and specific business.
TAP is a one-stop shop, providing the full range of services from content licensing; to IP network software and maintenance; to on-site hardware; to a free, yet powerful, on-line full video ad creation and management tool kit. TAP.tv provides everything required to place compelling content in front of a business's patrons, with the business's own ads showcased in the context of real TV programming. TAP.tv is real TV, able to be coordinated with network, cable or satellite TV; and able to run on existing TV screens - just like any other TV network.
TAP.tv retains specified third party advertising rights on its networks, and sells advertising across its "network of networks" to national, regional and local advertisers. Unlike most forms of TV advertising, TAP.tv's advertising audience may be selected venue-by-venue, on the fly - making it the first completely targetable TV medium.
Contact Suzy Suker for more information: (630) 321-9600.
TAP.tv, Inc.
16W 361 S. Frontage Rd., Suite 128
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
TAP.tv Partners With Dohm Media for Ad Sales
Chicago (January 20, 2010) TAP.tv, located in Burr Ridge, today announced that it is the Dohm Media Group will represent TAP.tv and sell advertising on TAP's rapidly growing out-of-home television network . The agreement covers ten major media markets including New York, Chicago, Los Angeles and Boston.
Dohm Media Group, based in Indianapolis, will leverage its extensive field sales organization to promote TAP.tv's targeted digital television offering to key local and regional advertisers in TAP.tv's biggest media markets. Dohm's ad sales force currently represents print and on-line vehicles. TAP.tv will be its exclusive television property.
Privately-held TAP.tv, with headquarters in suburban Chicago, builds and runs private TV networks for commercial business applications by replacing traditional TV infrastructure with an IP network and sophisticated proprietary on-location hardware and software. These networks may be completely customized by vertical market and specific business.
TAP is a one-stop shop, providing the full range of services from content licensing; to IP network software and maintenance; to on-site hardware; to a free, yet powerful, on-line full video ad creation and management tool kit. TAP.tv provides everything required to place compelling content in front of a business's patrons, with the business's own ads showcased in the context of real TV programming. TAP.tv is real TV, able to be coordinated with network, cable or satellite TV; and able to run on existing TV screens - just like any other TV network.
TAP.tv retains specified third party advertising rights on its networks, and sells advertising across its "network of networks" to national, regional and local advertisers. Unlike most forms of TV advertising, TAP.tv's advertising audience may be selected venue-by-venue, on the fly - making it the first completely targetable TV medium.
Contact Suzy Suker for more information: (630) 321-9600.
TAP.tv, Inc.
16W 361 S. Frontage Rd., Suite 128
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
TAP.tv Sells First International License
Chicago (December 28, 2009) TAP.tv, located in Burr Ridge, today announced that it has signed a definitive Agreement licensing its private TV network technology for installation in commercial venues in the Toronto, Canada TV market. The license, involving both an up-front fee to TAP.tv and ongoing revenue sharing, begins in 2010.
The licensee, Maple Leaf Media, is a new digital media company focused on selling and delivering advertising across digital networks in Canada. Toronto is their first market of focus. Maple Leaf Media is funded by the Chicago=based private equity firm, Cardinal Growth.
Privately-held TAP.tv, with headquarters in suburban Chicago, builds and runs private TV networks for commercial business applications by replacing traditional TV infrastructure with an IP network and sophisticated proprietary on-location hardware and software. These networks may be completely customized by vertical market and specific business.
TAP is a one-stop shop, providing the full range of services from content licensing; to IP network software and maintenance; to on-site hardware; to a free, yet powerful, on-line full video ad creation and management tool kit. TAP.tv provides everything required to place compelling content in front of a business's patrons, with the business's own ads showcased in the context of real TV programming. TAP.tv is real TV, able to be coordinated with network, cable or satellite TV; and able to run on existing TV screens - just like any other TV network.
TAP.tv retains specified third party advertising rights on its networks, and sells advertising across its "network of networks" to national, regional and local advertisers. Unlike most forms of TV advertising, TAP.tv's advertising audience may be selected venue-by-venue, on the fly - making it the first completely targetable TV medium.
Contact Suzy Suker for more information: (630) 321-9600.
TAP.tv, Inc.
16W 361 S. Frontage Rd., Suite 128
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
TAP.tv Announces Its Chairman, CEO
Elected to Chicago Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame
Chicago (January 29, 2009) TAP.tv, located in Burr Ridge, today announced that its founder and CEO, John Malec, was honored as a 2009 inductee into the Chicago Entrepreneurial Hall of Fame. This prestigious award is administered by the University of Illinois, Chicago. Past winners include John W. Baird, of Baird & Warner; Robert Galvin, Motorola; Michael Krasny, CDW; Stuart Paddock, Paddock Publications; and Gordon Segal, Crate & Barrel.
Mr. Malec was honored for founding TAP.tv, where he currently serves as Chairman and CEO; and for past entrepreneurial achievements that include co-founding Information Resources, Inc.; the NPD Group; and Malec Holdings II (a land development company.
Mr. Malec is also a past winner of the Illinois High Tech Entrepreneur of the Year award, and the Parlin Award administered by The Wharton School and signifying "Marketer of the Year."
Privately-held TAP.tv builds custom television networks for commercial establishments using a hybrid TV/Internet technology. TAP.tv combines patent-applied for technology, licensed program content, and web-based tools to facilitate businesses easily managing their video resources and placing their own professional quality advertising on their own TV screens. This technology allows TAP.tv to customize and personalize content for each client.
Across its network, TAP.tv retains specified third party ad rights and narrowcasts advertising; dynamically targeting screens ad-by-ad, on the fly, to group viewers across precise characteristics such as type of business or neighborhood location.
Contact Suzy Suker for more information. (630) 321-9600
TAP.tv, Inc.
16W 361 S. Frontage Rd., Suite 128
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
TAP.tv Announces Initiative in Medical/Dental Verticals
Chicago (January 27, 2009) TAP.tv, located in Burr Ridge, today announced that it has begun an initiative to make TAP.tv the standard for waiting and treatment room TV in medical and dental practices across the U.S.
Two recently negotiated strategic relationships will assist the Company in achieving its goal. The first alliance is with Swarm Interactive, a firm offering the medical industry approximately 450 video animations of medical procedures for patient educational purposes. The entire Swarm library has been licensed to TAP.tv. Each participating doctor is able to select animated procedures that apply to his or her practice. These animations will both be used to supplement waiting room content as short educational pieces; and be available in treatment rooms "on demand" to increase practice productivity and lessen liability.
The second alliance is with Gray Pilgrim, a professional services firm specializing in medical and dental practices. Robert Gray, CEO, will both directly recruit practices for the Company; and recruit other professional services firms to build a national network of such firms to sell the Company's services to medical and dental practices.
As part of these new alliances, in January TAP.tv installed its network in two initial "demo" locations in Pennsylvania. One is a cosmetic surgeon; the second a dentist. These locations will be used as showcases for the region. The Company also operates at multiple offices of an orthopaedic practice in Chicago.
Privately-held TAP.tv builds custom television networks for commercial establishments using a hybrid TV/Internet technology. TAP.tv combines patent-applied for technology, licensed program content, and web-based tools to facilitate businesses easily managing their video resources and placing their own professional quality advertising on their own TV screens. This technology allows TAP.tv to customize and personalize content for each client.
Across its network, TAP.tv retains specified third party ad rights and narrowcasts advertising; dynamically targeting screens ad-by-ad, on the fly, to group viewers across precise characteristics such as type of business or neighborhood location.
Contact Suzy Suker for more information. (630) 321-9600
TAP.tv, Inc.
16W 361 S. Frontage Rd., Suite 128
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
TAP.tv Announces $4.5 Million Harbour Group Investment;
Joint Venture with Rowe International (now AMI Entertainment)
Chicago (August 26, 2008) TAP.tv,located in Burr Ridge, today announced that it signed a definitive agreement with the Harbour Group's wholly-owned company Rowe International Industries, creating a joint initiative to market to the bar & restaurant industries. The Harbour Group is a St. Louis-based private equity firm.
Under the brand names of Rowe, Merit Megatouch and AMI Entertainment, Harbour Group's coin-operated entertainment products, with over 125,000 systems deployed, are industry leaders in bars and restaurants.
Under the Agreement, Harbour Group's affiliates made a $2.5 million direct equity investment in TAP.tv; and committed to use their existing sales and distribution network to roll-out TAP.tv's TV network technology throughout the United States. Further, to insure rapid deployment, Harbour has funded an additional $2.0 million to purchase all hardware required for the first 1,000 venues at no cost to the venue.
Under the joint initiative, Harbour's affiliates will be responsible for venue sales, installation and service aspects of the network. Harbour's affiliates will also arrange manufacturing of the required electronic components at reduced costs.
TAP.tv will run the network. TAP.tv's content and technology will be utilized in every installation; and TAP.tv will be further responsible ad creation and scheduling software; and all ad sales. The parties will share ad revenue.
The parties further intend to incorporate Merit/Rowe's existing games and jukeboxes into TAP.tv's in-bar network configuration to enable powerful new customer-controlled TV screen applications. These new applications will make use of TAP.tv's patent applied for Pilot control system and electronic switching capabilities. With Merit's existing coin and credit card-operated devices, the venture will gain a means of charging patrons for some TAP.tv premium services.
Privately-held TAP.tv builds custom television networks for commercial establishments using a hybrid TV/Internet technology. TAP.tv combines patent-applied for technology, licensed program content, and web-based tools to facilitate businesses easily managing their video resources and placing their own professional quality advertising on their own TV screens. This technology allows TAP.tv to customize and personalize content for each client; and, under this Initiative, will include jukebox and game content.
Across its network, TAP.tv retains specified third party ad rights and narrowcasts advertising; dynamically targeting screens ad-by-ad, on the fly, to group viewers across precise characteristics such as type of business or neighborhood location.
Contact Suzy Suker for more information. (630) 321-9600
TAP.tv, Inc.
16W 361 S. Frontage Rd., Suite 128
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
TAP.tv CLOSES ON INITIAL $2.1 MILLION PORTION
OF SECOND ROUND OF FUNDING.
Chicago (December 15, 2007) TAP.tv announced that it has closed on an initial $2.1 million of second round funding. Investors include exisitng shareholders and new accredited private investors. Round Two will continue until a total of $5 million is raised.
Contact Suzy Suker for more information. (630) 321-9600
TAP.tv, Inc.
16W 361 S. Frontage Rd., Suite 128
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
TAP.tv to be installed at all American Chartered Bank locations
Chicago (October 18, 2007) TAP.tv, located in Burr Ridge, today announced that, following a successful 45 day test at bank headquarters, TAP.tv will be introduced into bank lobbies in all 13 American Chartered branch locations.
With assets of $2.5 billion, American Chartered Bank is the largest privately-owned bank in Illinois. American Chartered is a full-service commercial and retail bank, serving privately owned small and medium-sized businesses and individual customers throughout the Chicagoland area, and growing at a compound 20%+ per year annual rate for the past five years.
Using a hybrid TV/Internet technology, TAP builds private television networks for commercial establishments, combining program content and web-based tools allowing businesses to easily put their own professional quality advertising on their own TV screens. For this application, TAP.tv will provide a fully-automated 24/7 headline news service along with a variety of video programming. TAP's proprietary technology places the functionality of an expensive Cable TV head-end . . . inexpensively at the level of each establishment. This 'patent applied for' technology allows TAP to show content customized for each client.
Across its entire "network of private networks," TAP.tv can narrowcast advertising; dynamically targeting screens ad-by-ad, on the fly, to group of viewers across precise characteristics such as type of business or neighborhood location.
Contact Suzy Suker for more information. (630) 321-9600
TAP.tv, Inc.
16W 361 S. Frontage Rd., Suite 128
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
TAP.tv to be installed at Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush
Chicago (September 26, 2007) TAP.tv, located in Burr Ridge, today announced penetration of a new business segment with its expansion into medical waiting rooms via an agreement to provide services to Midwest Orthopaedics at Rush (MOR). Midwest Ortho provides medical services to the Chicago Bulls and Chicago White Sox. The MOR practice is ranked number 8 nationally by U.S. News & World Report in their annual survey on medical practices. MOR has 36 doctors and treats patients in five separate Chicago-area locations. Recently Chicago Magazine ranked MOR as the top orthopaedic practice in Chicago.
Using a hybrid TV/Internet technology, TAP builds private television networks for commercial establishments, combining program content and web-based tools allowing businesses to easily put their own professional quality advertising on their own TV screens. For this application, TAP.tv will provide a fully-automated 24/7 headline news service along with a variety of video programming.
TAP's proprietary technology places the functionality of an expensive Cable TV head-end... inexpensively at the level of each establishment. This 'patent applied for' technology allows TAP to show content customized for each client. Across its network, TAP.tv can also narrowcast advertising; dynamically targeting screens ad-by-ad, on the fly, to group of viewers across precise characteristics such as type of business or neighborhood location.
Medical practices now join the growing list of TAP.tv venues, which already include fast food restaurants; private clubs; sports bars & pubs; bank branch offices; and dental practices. TAP expects to offer its networks beyond Chicago early in 2008.
Contact Suzy Suker for more information. (630) 321-9600
TAP.tv, Inc.
16W 361 S. Frontage Rd., Suite 128
Burr Ridge, IL 60527
TV programming lets you have it your way
TAP.tv offers customized viewing options that can be controlled by patrons or shop owners.
By Jon Van | Tribune staff reporter
Sitting in a crowded Lakeview tavern, Ed Johnson and his son, Quinn, stare at a TV, watching race car drivers crash, water skiers lose their balance and bicycle daredevils land on their rear ends instead of on their wheels.
Ignoring other screens displaying Cubs August football match, Quinn Johnson taps a few keys on his cell phone and awaits his next selection of extreme sports bloopers to play on one of many screens flickering at the Schoolyard Tavern & Grill.
"It's pretty cool," he said. "You normally don't see and White Sox games and a preseason this anywhere else." His father agrees.
"My wife could care less about sports," he said, "but she might like this."
The new world where television, computers and telephones converge into one interactive mix has arrived at the Schoolyard and a handful of other bars and eateries around Chicago. The company behind the technology, a Burr Ridge-based start-up called Tap.tv, hopes that by the end of next year there will be 1,000 places around Chicago using its service.
"We want to make Chicago the model that proves this works so we can take it nationwide," said John Malec, Tap's co-founder.
Malec, a serial entrepreneur who founded Information Resources Inc. in the 1980s, got the Tap idea while thinking about competitive business challenges facing chain stores that want to offer TV viewing to customers.
"A McDonald's manager doesn't want his customers watching regular TV shows," Malec said, "because they might see Burger King commercials. I asked some guys I know at Argonne [National Laboratory] how hard it would be to make your own TV programming.
"They thought about it and said you could do it for not too much money. But it did take a lot of time writing the software."
Interactive viewing
At the Schoolyard, which is a Tap test site, regular TV channels still arrive via satellite and they are joined by hundreds of hours of programming that Tap has licensed from around the world, much of it never seen on U.S. channels. The Tap content is supplied by a high-speed Internet connection and stored in electronic computer memory in the tavern's basement.
Patrons of the bar are invited to use their cell phones to send text messages to the system to select content of their choice. They also can upload video content to Tap's Web site, which will then be available for viewing in the tavern as well.
"You could upload video of a sports bar's softball team playing a game and show that in the bar later when the game is over," Malec said.
The system also enables bars to provide endless statistics and enable customers to play games in the bar related to major sports events.
Ryan Indovina, who heads the firm that operates Schoolyard and other taverns, said he was seeking some way to get more control over the content displayed on TV screens in his bars.
"We were looking for some way to advertise on our screens and thought of making our own DVDs," Indovina said. "An office manager had heard of Tap.tv, and we contacted them. At first, the technology was too intellectual. I told them we needed something bartenders could use."
Indovina said he is pleased with modifications made by Tap and is happy to have his own ads on his TV screens.
"There are still a few bugs -- we're the guinea pigs -- but we're working through them," he said.
Another Tap tester is a McDonald's at 6720 W. Archer Ave., where the screens inside the store are an extension of a huge animated outdoor sign.
"There's not a lot of planning," said Wayne Adamczyk, director of operations for a group that has a dozen McDonald stores, including the Tap test site. "We're throwing out ideas to see what works."
Kids in the play area can watch themselves on TV or select G-rated programming while screens in the rest of the store display world news or sports clips. They also display McDonald's products.
The bottom line: Adamczyk said that revenue for the store has jumped to $3 million from $2.4 million in the year he's had Tap. He credits the TV technology with some of that gain but said he has done other things at the store that probably also boosted sales.
"People are attracted by movement as opposed to static signs," he said.
The spread of TV screens into more venues is virtually assured given the dropping prices for electronics, Malec said. A few years ago, the set-up at the Schoolyard would have been prohibitively expensive but now Tap uses off-the-shelf hardware that costs less than $2,000 to control the many TV screens in the bar. Tap charges a monthly service fee of $100 to $125.
Tap expects to make most of its money from narrowly focused advertising, Malec said.
The business hosting Tap.tv can run its ads sometimes, and Tap.tv also gets to run ads. If he gets a dozen Lakeview businesses to display Tap.tv, Malec expects that others, such as someone seeking election as alderman or a local dry cleaner, will want TV ads aimed at the local neighborhood.
Social experiment
Tap also seeks to take advantage of rising interest in videos over the Internet, such as the popular YouTube site.
"Most of the Internet video is solitary," he said. "You see something and you e-mail it to a friend to watch, but it's just one or two people watching at a time. With Tap.tv, you can send a video to our Web site and then call it up at the tavern so a dozen of your friends can see it at once. It's more social."
Malec and his colleagues at Tap.tv are exploiting two consumer trends in technology, said Jeff Richards, vice president for digital content services at VeriSign Inc., a California firm that offers a variety of network infrastructure services.
"People like interactive," said Richards. "We know that more people have voted on 'American Idol' than voted for president. And Tap.tv is very interactive. People also like local, and delivering ads that are very local is appealing.
"It's a cool idea," Richards said. "They have a lot of moving parts but conceptually you can see how this is an interesting deal."
This article, with its featured picture, appeared on the front page of the August 24, 2007 Chicago Tribune Business Section.
August 9, 2007 TAP.tv, Inc today introduced its new IPHONE remote control for ordering TAP.tv clips.
The IPHONE remote avoids users having to text message order codes, instead subsituting a simple point and touch application. Users can choose to order xtreme sports, music, or internet videos and play them on TV's in TAP.tv-equipped venues. These TAP.tv applications are branded respectively as TAP X-treme; TAP.Tunes; and livebar.net.
Icons on the bottom of the IPHONE screen select which class of content users want to view. Within each class, there are hundreds of video clips that play under user-control on regular TV screens. Users select location from a menu. Type of sport (or music or category of internet video) is available in a drop-down menu.
This application can be downloaded to an IPHONE at: http://iphone.tap.tv
IPHONE is a registered trademark of Apple. Inc.
July 2, 2007 TAP Pilot introduced to market
As Sports Bars become larger, with even more TV's, it is not uncommon for a venue to face the problem of controlling several dozen TV's at once: just the problem TAP's Pilot was designed to solve.
The first installation of Pilot technology for took place in Moreitti's on Algonquin Road just west of Highway 53, in Schaumburg, IL. It was quickly followed by a second installation at the Schoolyard, at 3258 N Southport Avenue in Chicago.
TAP's Pilot provides its venues with a digital video/audio crossbar switch driven by a touch-screen controller. This switch/controller combination allows any combination of video/audio content to be instantly displayed on any screen. The system also controls cable and satellite tuners.
Normal satellite guides have hundreds of channels, and the operator must find programs of interest and tune them in real time.
The Pilot "finds" all sports programming for a sports bar, allows advance scheduling, keeps track of cable or satellite channel availability, and allows program selection via a simple touch on the screen.
Touching the "layout" tab on the Pilot brings up a visual floor plan for the venue, including TV locations. Programs are placed onto TV's by simple touch and drag operation. Popular configurations may be saved in the "preferences" section, to fully automate most preferred set-ups.
The Pilot serves two important additional functions. It is the mechanism by which TAPmosphere is able to coordinate graphics displays across all TV's at once. And, it serves as an electronic "meter," generating a complete second-by-second record of set tuning across all TV's.
Chicago, IL, April 4, 2007. TAP.tv names new Business Development EVP
The Company's newest senior level employee, Mark Ventling handles new strategic initiatives for TAP.tv™ as Executive Vice President of Business Development. Mark's background includes a Harvard MBA and personal entrepreneurial success. He comes to TAP from Clearvue & SVE. Mark and his partner acquired this K-12 educational media producer and distributor in the early 90's; and grew revenue 600% while achieving very high profitability. He purchased competitors to achieve scale, then focused on organic growth. Mark personally led several major changes in strategic direction; developed a talented management team; and directed creation of the award-winning, leading-edge Internet media-on-demand product, powermediaplus.com. In 2006 Mark sold the company to Discovery Education, A Discovery Channel company.
Mark's prior experience includes executive positions with M&T Bank; and Assistant to the President at The Valley Line Company.
Chicago, IL, February 20, 2007. TAP.tv, located in Burr Ridge, today announced it is introducing a new video sharing service that goes beyond the Internet to let customers play personal videos on TV's in bars.
TAP.tv began rolling out its bar network in Chicago this past summer. To its menu of extreme sports, comedy, fantasy stats, games and news, it now adds personal video content.
John Malec, TAP.tv founder, says:
"Web-based video sharing has become tremendously popular. But, groups of friends would also like to socialize by watching the same video together at the same place and time, interacting beyond their PC's. Our new "Livebar.net" service lets them do exactly this in their favorite bar."
As with other video-sharing sites, users visit a website ( www.livebar.net ) to upload their video and review and share clips. Via a simple text message command in any TAP.tv bar they now can also play their video on TV.
Michael Gonzalez, Manager of the John Barleycorn's chain in Chicago says:
"Every sports bar has the weekly college and pro games. But this new service allows my customers to record and share highlights of their own weekly softball games, try their hand at stand-up comedy, or impress their friends with their stupid human tricks. It personalizes their bar experience, and encourages use of the bar as a meeting place."
With 36 TV's in his bars, there are still plenty of screens showing games and TAP.tv's other content.
In addition to regular broadcast TV, TAP's venues also run TAP X-treme and TAP Tunes, where patrons select clips "on-demand" using text messaging. TAP Time replaces boring half times with local comedy; TAP Sports gives real-time fantasy updates, trivia, bloopers and games. TAP News optimizes Associated Press RSS/XML news and video feeds to create a continuous automated televised headline news service w/out the talking heads.
TAP's venues have been placing their own local content on their screens since last summer. Via TAP's automated ad generation software, venues may easily create and place their own information and full motion video ads on their TV screens. The newest service extends that capability to any patron already creating and sharing video on their PC."
TAP.TV Brings New Video Technology to McDonald's
Burr Ridge, IL (August 17, 2006) -- TAP.TV, an emerging targeted media company, marked its expansion into the quick serve restaurant segment with a multi-media installation with leading McDonald's operator, JDD Investments, Inc.
Using proprietary set-top box technology, TAP TV went live on August 14, 2006 with a multi-screen installation at JDD's signature McDonald's store at 6720 W. Archer Avenue in Chicago. This represents an expansion of the TAP TV business beyond its current roll-out in the sports bar market.
Designed to build patron loyalty and enhance the McDonald's in-store experience, the TAP TV installation leverages the Company's ability to deliver a variety of content to any type of video display...targeted to conform to McDonald's day part communication needs.
Components of this comprehensive installation include:
8 foot, multi-screen "VideoBar". Mounted above the ordering counter, this proprietary configuration delivers multi-media messaging in support of store marketing events, menu suggestions and promotional offers.
On-demand "KidVid" display. Located in the McDonald's Playplace, this 50" display presents a variety of kid-oriented content, activated by patrons via a McDonald's themed touch-panel kiosk.
Playplace-mounted "PartyCam". Activated via the kids' kiosk, this feature allows patrons to "see themselves on TV". This feature will also be used to digitally capture family parties.
Multi-media presentation screens. Multiple 42" plasma screens, mounted throughout the McDonald's dining area, present a variety of day part appropriate promotional material as well as content provided by TAP TV's Content Division. Content includes news, music videos and action sports features which can be selected by patrons via cell phone text messaging.
"Our goal is to create a unique experience in each of our 11 restaurants...the video presentation provided by TAP TV takes our experiential marketing to a new level, said John Dakajos, CEO of JDD. Dakajos added, "We believe that our commitment to an enhanced video experience will pay off in terms of patron satisfaction and loyalty." "We are very excited about the opportunity to deploy our technology at McDonalds...it provides further evidence of the growing interest among multi-unit retailers in creating a more compelling, customized on-premise experience", said Tim Dorgan, TAP.TV President.
Chicago, IL, April 6, 2006. TAP.tv names new President, Chief Operating Officer
TAP.tv™, engaged in rolling out a new hybrid TV/Internet television network for commercial establishments, announced today that Tim Dorgan will join the CompanyApril 28th as President, Chief Operating Officer and member of the Board of Directors.
Mr. Dorgan brings to TAP.tv 30 years of management experience in the integrated marketing services business.
Most recently, he was Chief Executive Officer for J. Brown, a $150MM division of the Grey Global Group focused on bringing innovative promotion and new media solutions to clients such as Kraft, Procter & Gamble, Nokia and Diageo. In this role, Tim was responsible for leading the company's evolution from a retail co-marketing entity to a multi-media promotional marketing agency that is becoming a leader in the emerging space known as "shopper marketing".
Prior to his tenure at J.Brown, Tim also held senior management positions at J.Walter Thompson, Ketchum Communications and Bozell, with responsibility for business units that brought integrated marketing solutions to Kellogg, Campbell's, Sara Lee and ConAgra among others.
Tim also served as founder and President of Peapod Interactive, the marketing services division of America's leading Internet grocer. This division leveraged the unique targeted media and information capabilities of the online shopping experience to create a suite of innovative online marketing service products. Clients served included Anheuser-Busch, Purina, Nestle, Procter & Gamble and Kraft.
He has been a contributing editor to Progressive Grocer and is currently a regular contributor to The Hub, a leading point-of-decision marketing publication.
In his spare time, Tim is an adjunct professor at Northwestern University Medill School of Integrated Marketing Communications where he teaches graduate level courses in Direct Marketing and CRM strategy.
January 31, 2006 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. TAP.tv™ announced successful completion of its first external round of funding. In a transaction that closed today, eighteen separate entities and individuals became TAP.tv shareholders under terms of the Company's private placement. The Company exceeded its minimum investment goal by approximately 60%. When coupled with over 18 months of "sweat equity and capital investment by founders, this provides sufficient funding for TAP.tv to prove its technology and business model throughout the greater Chicago market. The Company intends to raise additional capital in early 2007 to fuel its national roll-out.
December 21, 2005 CHICAGO, ILLINOIS. TAP.tv™ today announced signing of a letter of intent with PECA, Inc., Bensalem, PA, under which PECA will provide electrical engineering services and manufacturing support for TAP.tv's targetable set-top boxes. Under the terms of the Agreement PECA will provide these services in exchange for an equity position in the company.
Ralph Douglass, PECA's President, said, "We are very impressed with TAP.tv's technology and proud to be associated with bringing it to the marketplace. Via our previous association with several of the TAP.tv personnel, we are well aware of their skill as entrepreneurs and eagerly look forward to this new relationship.
John Malec, TAP.tv's President, said: "I have known Ralph Douglass since his work on Information Resources' original BehaviorScan technology. That technology revolutionized the marketing information business. We now look forward to together revolutionizing the television advertising business with TAP.tv.
TAP.tv announces first off-site test
August 22, 2005 CHICAGO, IL. TAP.tv™ announced it completed its first off-site test of its local ad replacement technology at Bristlecone Pines Golf Club, Hartland, WI. This test inlcuded replacement of regular broadcast ads with local TAP.tv-generated ads sync'd to regular ad breaks. The test also included demonstrating one of the Company's interactive ad formats featuring sports trivia, with user response via cell phone sms.
TAP.tv expects to begin its roll-out to Chicago-area bars and restaurants this fall.
TAP.tv delivers targeted ads, in cooperation with braodcast networks and within normal programming, at viewing locations outside the home via a combination of broadcast TV and IPTV. The Company is headquarted at 361 S. Frontage Road, Suite 128, Burr Ridge, IL 60527. Phone (630) 321-9600
TAP.tv hires new Chief Technology Officer
June 7, 2005. TAP.tv™ announced today John Winans has joined the Company as Chief Technology Officer. John couples a master's degree in computer science with a life-time interest in gadgets, controls, embedded systems and entrepreneurial ventures. He will hire, train and coordinate technical staff along with overseeing programming and operating TAP.tv's web services network.
Prior to joining TAP.tv, John was co-founder Rickard & Winans LLC in 2001, where he was master system architect of their market analysis and automated trading systems. The technologies employed include: FIX 4.0 - 4.3 (REDI, GNET, ARCA, ABN Amro/ISI, Track Data), quote feeds (Hyperfeed, REDI, ISLD, ARCA) and related services such as NQDS, NTDS, OATS and ACT. All software was developed for Linux in C, C++, Java, web services, XML, PL/PgSQL and PHP/HTML/Apache. During 1999-2001 he served as Chief Technical Officer for getDAT.com, an Internet start-up, where he was master system architect of a large catalog database-driven Internet shopping web site. Technologies used there included C, SQL, Javascript, web services, XML, PHP/HTML/Apache and Linux. Management responsibilities included hiring and training staff, as well as all aspects of database quality control. Earlier in his career Mr. Winans was co-founder and President of Ganymede Corporation; a firm engaged in Internet site hosting, data collection and customized communication interfaces. He ran Ganymede from l995 until its sale in mid - l999.
John also had a brief stint teaching computer science at Northern Illinois University. His prior experience includes: six years at Argonne National Laboratory as a computer scientist, where he developed software for computer-based control systems for the Advanced Photon Source project; Director of Technology for Market Processing Corporation, where he designed and programmed a system for automated acceptance of market and limit orders using a programmable decision matrix; and three years with AT&T labs in the late 80's as an Information Systems staff member, where his work included selection and installation of early Ethernets, TCP/IP and UNIX protocols throughout AT&T...
Technically brilliant, John is both an unusually adept programmer and competent manager able to earn the respect of the prickliest of technical resources. In his spare time he designs and hand builds miniature electromechanical digital control mechanisms.
