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06/08/11

CNN Article Discusses Electronic Yearbooks

Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook News
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 8:26 pm

Schools are moving more towards digital yearbooks because of increased budgetary pressure. This article brings the subject to light, but does not mention Odyssey Interactive. We have contacted the author regarding this. However the article is as follows:

http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/07/pf/yearbook_online/index.htm

NEW YORK (CNNMoney) — As graduation day arrives, students will say goodbye to their classmates and teachers. And many are departing without a traditional yearbook to preserve those memories.

State budget cuts and the weak economy are causing elementary schools, middle schools, high schools and colleges across the country to either do away with yearbooks or look for more cost-effective publishing options.

Research firm IBISWorld estimates that the traditional yearbook publishing industry has seen sales to schools decline by 4.7% a year over the past few years.

The decline has come as both public and private schools struggling with insufficient funding put their limited resources toward areas like staffing instead publishing yearbooks — many of which go unsold, especially in recent years as disposable incomes have suffered.

“Our country is handing out pink slips to teachers right and left, and if it comes down to teachers versus yearbooks, yearbooks are going to lose,” said Marc Strohlein, principal at consulting firm Agile Business Logic.

This is the first year that Indiana’s Huntington University isn’t offering yearbooks, after budget constraints forced the school to reallocate the $40,000 year it typically spends to publish 750 yearbooks.

“Budgets being what they were and the economy being what it was, forced our hand on this one,” said Ron Coffey, Huntington’s vice president for community development. “But I think given the economic times, the students are understanding of the difficulties that we and other schools are experiencing.”

Students at Mokena Junior High School, in Illinois, won’t be taking home yearbooks either, after the school district lost funding for all extracurricular activities this year.

And Blaine High School in Washington is in the same boat, and likely won’t be handing out yearbooks next year due to a severe lack of funding for the program.

First Published: June 7, 2011: 9:17 AM ET http://money.cnn.com/2011/06/07/pf/yearbook_online/index.htm

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing company specializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

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03/01/10

MyYearbookBuilder General Information (Digital Yearbooks)

Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Digital Yearbook News, Advisors
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:37 am

MyYearbookBuilder General Information (Digital Yearbooks)

MyYearbookBuilder.com is an online, electronic (“eYearbook”) publishing system designed to record, highlight and commemorate the past school year for middle school, high school and/or a college/university. It’s a novel system and a unique method for creating and publishing electronic yearbooks using the Internet as the primary content collection vehicle and a proprietary multi-tiered user account structure. The final product is an eYearbook delivered on CD-ROM or DVD-ROM or USB Drive, which contains self-expression, artistic design, sophisticated technology and rich, interactive experiences.

School Registration (online)

To begin production, the school must first register with Odyssey Interactive at www.MyYearbookBuilder.com. This registration process will enable the school administrators and/or yearbook adviser to open an eYearbook database and also create a private and secure account from where to manage the eYearbook production, which will ultimately be completely converted into an interactive CD-ROM, DVD-ROM or USB Drive at the end of your school year.

To be accepted into our program, a registration must be completed and submitted by an adult (25 years of age or older) and active member of the high school faculty/staff seeking registration. Absolutely NO exceptions will be made to this rule. For students seeking registration, we appreciate your interest in our product and look forward to serving you in the future. However, please contact your high school principal or an appropriate member of the administration staff for registration.

To register your high school, please select the “START A YEARBOOK” button on our splash page or the main navigation page and submit the accompanying application form. This action will initiate the opening of an eYearbook account and database, which needs to be authorized by Odyssey Interactive before it can be populated by the registering school. During this inactive period, an Odyssey Interactive representative will contact the applicant via telephone and/or email for verification, qualification and a free, no-obligation consultation.

In addition to registering online, all applicants will be required to sign a publishing agreement for their respective school.

Account Access

All registered schools receive a school code and password for yearbook access, along with a private admin account user name and password. All students create a user name and password for their own yearbook access and portrait building, which requires a valid email address for identification, registration and tracking purposes.

Student Account
A Student Account is required to build a basic student portrait and is subsequently opened via a registered email address.

First time users must create a student account, once a school is registered and an eYearbook has been opened. This is accomplished by “signing-in” to the eYearbook database via “New User?” access, which requires providing the appropriate school code and school password. Once completed, students submit the accompanying registration form to open an individual student portrait. Returning users can quickly and easily sign in to their eYearbook by selecting the appropriate school code from our drop-down menu (“Returning User” access) and also providing their user name and password.

The student account enables any students to build and customize their own eYearbook portrait, add photographs, audio files and video files, along with creating a social network via the eYearbook “Buddy” system and electronically sign other student eYearbooks. Students can also search the eYearbook and preview the eYearbook in the student account.

While we do offer the ability to “remember” user name and password on a computer, for security purposes, and especially in instances when signing-in to the database on a shared computer, we strongly urge and recommend that users maintain “forget me” sign in access. “Forget me” access will completely sign users and the user’s computer out of the publishing system, so no returning user can go back into the prior student account and add/edit/delete portrait information.

Administrator Account
One Administrator (“Admin”) Account is required, per school, to incorporate non-student portrait, community-related content. Additionally, the admin account possesses global over-write ability and also maintains photo-, video- and audio-screeners, which allow the administrator(s) to individually screen (“approve” or “delete”) all material submitted to the eYearbook, before it’s posted for public viewing.

This account is to be used and managed by the yearbook editor, and also any authorized members of the school yearbook committee.

Computer Compatibility

Odyssey Interactive eYearbooks will be compatible with all current computer systems including:

Desktop/Laptop PC (Windows®)
DesktoplLaptop Mac (Mac OS)

Browser Compatibility

MyYearbookBuilder.com is designed so that eYearbook production will be compatible with all current Internet browsers including:

Internet Explorer
Safari
Firefox
Opera

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

REQUEST INFORMATION

START A YEARBOOK

VIEW A YEARBOOK

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09/01/09

MyYearbookBuilder General Information (Digital Yearbooks)

Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Digital Yearbook News, Advisors
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:38 am

MyYearbookBuilder General Information (Digital Yearbooks)

School Registration (online)

In addition to registering online, all applicants will be required to sign a publishing agreement for their respective school.

Account Access

Student Account
A Student Account is required to build a basic student portrait and is subsequently opened via a registered email address.

This account is to be used and managed by the yearbook editor, and also any authorized members of the school yearbook committee.

Computer Compatibility

Odyssey Interactive eYearbooks will be compatible with all current computer systems including:

Desktop/Laptop PC (Windows®)
DesktoplLaptop Mac (Mac OS)

Browser Compatibility

MyYearbookBuilder.com is designed so that eYearbook production will be compatible with all current Internet browsers including:

Internet Explorer
Safari
Firefox
Opera

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

REQUEST INFORMATION

START A YEARBOOK

VIEW A YEARBOOK

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06/01/09

Digital Yearbook Data Integrity and Network Security

Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Digital Yearbook News, Advisors
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:27 am

Digital Yearbook Data Integrity & Network Security

From managed firewalls and intrusion detection to daily backups, we take appropriate physical, electronic and procedural security measures to protect your production and secure all personal information from unauthorized access and/or disclosure.

Core Infrastructure:

Information Technology
Odyssey Interactive’s data centers offer premier hosting services to our valued clients. To ensure the fastest and most reliable routing of traffic, we utilize multiple connections to major Internet backbone carriers with OC-12 and Gigabit Ethernet connections using the BGP-4 routing protocol.

Additionally, our data centers are built with N+1 redundancy throughout, including multiple HVAC systems and redundant power. Every month, the backup diesel generators are tested to make sure they are in proper functioning order in case of power grid failure. The data center’s physical security is entrusted to 24/7×365 live monitoring, CCTV, and biometric access control system.

Content Delivery Network via Edge Caching
Edge Caching is a group of servers strategically deployed in Odyssey Interactive’s multiple data centers. Together, the servers determine the fastest route to speed your data and accelerate content delivery, giving our clients the high level of service they expect.

Our content delivery network also enhances the user experience in three important ways: Faster load times mean less time spent waiting to upload yearbook content. Distributed content eliminates the impact of heavy traffic or outages in a single area, increasing our Web site availability. Swift data transmission makes audio and video files play more smoothly during online preview.

Managed Backup
Odyssey Interactive’s managed backup solutions protect your critical data, simplify the management of data backup and recovery and also provide consistent, reliable and secure data protection.

Security and Protection:

Intrusion Detection
Protecting your production from outside attack is our highest priority. That’s why our data centers utilize Threat Manager (an Alert Logic solution), an on-demand intrusion detection system (IDS) that blocks network attacks, manages server vulnerabilities and automates IT compliance — securing your confidential data from within.

Firewall Protection
Without disrupting legitimate web traffic and activity, Odyssey Interactive’s managed firewall adds a solid layer of protection between your private information and malicious attempts to access it. Our Cisco firewall analyzes all incoming and outgoing traffic to block suspicious activity inside and out.

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

REQUEST INFORMATION

START A YEARBOOK

VIEW A YEARBOOK

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05/01/09

Digital Yearbook Safety and Security

Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook Management, Digital Yearbook News, Advisors
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:16 am

Digital Yearbook Safety & Security

MyYearbookBuilder.com is NOT a social networking portal available to the general public; rather, it’s a restricted-access, closed community devoted to the online publishing of digital yearbooks for registered clients. We take appropriate physical, electronic and procedural security measures to protect personal information from unauthorized access and/or disclosure.

Safety and Security:

The safety and security of our users are our top priority. As such, we closely monitor all MyYearbookBuilder.com activity on a daily basis. Any and all access violations and/or violations of the terms of use agreement can and will be reported to the proper authorities and may be prosecuted to the fullest extent that the law permits.

Account Access
All registered schools receive a school code and password for yearbook access, along with a private admin account user name and password. All students create a user name and password for their own yearbook access and portrait building, which requires a valid email address for identification, registration and tracking purposes. Users, including the admin user(s), are solely responsible for any and all activities which occur under their account access, whether authorized or not authorized. Users agree to (a) immediately notify Odyssey Interactive of any unauthorized use of a school code or user name or any other breach of security, and (b) ensure that they exit from their account at the end of each session.

Editor Accounts
Another feature of the admin account is the ability to create editor sub-accounts, which enables the administrator to assign yearbook tasks to selected students. Editor accounts distribute the production workload while maintaining a safe and secure environment.

The administrator may assign tasks to individual editors. The editors can then complete the tasks and send work back to the admin for review and/or approval. If changes are necessary, the administrator can resend the submission back to the original editor. Alternatively, the administrator can approve the work for publishing into the eYearbook. Only the administrator can post community-related content to public eYearbook.

Global Overwrite
For security purposes, the administrator also maintains global overwrite ability; the admin account has unrestricted access to all student accounts and may edit and/or delete material as necessary and/or appropriate, even after student portraits have been closed for editing.

Global Dictionary Screener
The global dictionary screener is a system feature that monitors text boxes in the admin and individual student accounts. The feature is a database of restricted words that can NOT be posted to the public eYearbook.

If a student types a restricted word and then attempts to upload the content to the public eYearbook, the action of selecting “Submit” will immediately result in an error message indicating the identification of a word not permitted in the eYearbook; the posting is immediately rejected. To proceed, the inappropriate language must be deleted by the student. Student-users do have the opportunity to go back into their current page and make necessary changes. However, in addition to the student’s on-screen warning, notification is also immediately sent to the admin account, which records the offender and what was attempted to be submitted.

Photograph Screener
Before a student photograph can be posted to the public eYearbook, it must be approved by the administrator via the photograph screener.

The photograph screener is an admin feature that previews all photographs that have been submitted for posting. The administrator can elect to “approve” or “delete” a photograph submitted by a student. Delete completely removes the photograph from the system; all photographs are linked to their submitter in the screener, so the administrator can quickly and easily identify/contact the student that submitted the material. Upon approval by the administrator, the photograph is released from holding and will appear in the submitting student’s eYearbook page.

Multimedia Screener
Before any student audio or video can be posted to the public eYearbook, it must be approved by the administrator via the multimedia screener.

The multimedia screener is an admin feature that previews all audio and video that has been submitted for posting. The administrator can elect to “approve” or “delete” an audio or video file submitted by a student. Delete completely removes the file from the system; all audio and video files are linked to their submitter in the screener, so the administrator can quickly and easily identify/contact the student that submitted the material. Upon approval by the administrator, the audio/video file is released from holding and will appear in the submitting student’s eYearbook page.

Buddies
Before one student can add another student to his/her buddies list, a request must be sent to and approved by the other student. Any recipient of a buddy request may approve, block or reject the request.

Signatures
Before one student can electronically sign another student’s yearbook, a signature request must be submitted to the recipient, and then accepted by that recipient. Any recipient may approve, block or reject another student’s electronic signature.

Report A Concern
“Report A Concern” is a vehicle for students to confidentially report posted material that is inappropriate, offensive or harassing in nature. Through “Report A Concern”, any student can send notification to the administrator and identify an individual that is posting inappropriate, offensive or harassing material. The admin account maintains real-time access to the “Report A Concern” log.

Webmaster
In addition to the many advanced security features found in the admin and student accounts, Odyssey Interactive simultaneously maintains real-time access to the entire production environment. Our team of information technology experts closely monitor and report on all individual account activity on a daily basis.

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

REQUEST INFORMATION

START A YEARBOOK

VIEW A YEARBOOK

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03/01/09

Digital Yearbook Economics

Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook News
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:10 am

Digital Yearbook Economics

Traditional paper yearbooks fight to stay relevant in a growing online social networking world as rising costs and vast limitations compete directly with teenager interest in keeping in touch online, posting photos and messages on Facebook or MySpace for free.

Parents might remember them as an end-of-year staple, but today paper yearbooks jockey for position with other student must-haves like gas, prom tickets and the latest electronic gadgets. Students have a lot of choices and many of them focus on instant gratification. In twenty years, it might be fun to drag out a yearbook and reminisce of times spent with friends in high school, but a video game or cell phone might be more exciting right now.

In addition to battles with short-term rewards, economics are at play with determining the fate of the yearbook. Production costs have been steadily increasing over past years and yearbook programs are being forced to reduce page count/color to cover budget gaps. Additionally, economic conditions and greater uncertainty have forced businesses to abandon the practice of purchasing ads in local school yearbooks, eliminating valuable cost subsidies. The net result is a rise in student purchasing price and a steady decline in yearbook revenue, which inevitably leads to permanent closure.

Yearbook teams continue to do whatever it takes to try to keep the tradition alive and boost fundraising revenue. Many times, this desire might call upon students to purchase early by offering a reduced price or alternatively adding a premium onto late purchasers. However, in the end more and more high schools fall victim to escalating production costs, rising purchase prices and declining interest, which cripple fundraising efforts if not ultimately leading to the end of a time-honored tradition.

Fundraising Fact Check:

At wholesale, electronic yearbooks are about 35% less expensive to manufacture than comparable paper yearbooks, which means more profit for fundraisers. However, in addition to raising more money per order, fundraisers also benefit from the opportunity to sell more yearbooks to more students because of the lower list price.

Depending on price sensitivity and fundraising goals, digital yearbooks can sell for $40 per copy in the beginning of the school year and then cost $60 or more by year’s end – an increasing scale commonly used to maximize fundraising potential. Considering a wholesale price of $25, fundraisers would earn $15 per order at the beginning of the year and $35 per order at year’s end. Furthermore, our standard practice of offering free and unconditional use of the MyYearbookBuilder.com publishing system guarantees zero additional OI expenses during the production phase, which results in maximum fundraising revenue.

Lastly, while most paper yearbook publishers require a final count long before closing, electronic yearbooks can be ordered up until the last day of production without penalty.

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

REQUEST INFORMATION

START A YEARBOOK

VIEW A YEARBOOK

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02/01/09

Digital Yearbook Features & Benefits

Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook News
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:27 am

Digital Yearbook Features and Benefits

All parts of the traditional yearbook have been preserved in our system including eSignatures, and students can also sell advertisements in the form of eYearbook banner ads.

So, the difference is simple…we provide MORE for LESS COST!!!

More color
More pages
More expression

More personalization
More profit from fundraising
More days for collecting content

Key Features of MyYearbookBuilder.com:

An intuitive, unique web-interface for material collection and organization.
No software to install – it’s completely online.
No HTML or advanced programming knowledge required.
A Creative Wizard to guide users through the portrait development process.
An Upload Wizard to assist with adding photos, videos and audio files.
Real-time yearbook preview.
A dedicated, personable support staff.

Benefit of Digital Yearbooks:

Digital Multimedia

Digital Yearbooks may contain hundreds or even thousands of pages, with virtually unlimited color photographs, audio, video and personal profile information.

Self-expression & Personalization

Digital Yearbooks come to life as the entire school becomes involved in the production process, contributing memories, emotion and personality.

School Fundraising

Digital Yearbooks are about 35% less expensive to produce than a comparable paper yearbook, which means more profit for fundraisers.

Yearbook Turnaround

Digital Yearbooks can be delivered within 14 to 21 business days. This means that schools can keep their yearbooks running longer and also be including more memories from the ends of school years like spring athletics and prom.

Yearbook Replacement

Because we maintain a permanent archive, obtaining a replacement or additional copies, at any time, is quick and easy.

Environmentally-friendly

The environment benefits from our no longer using paper as the yearbook distribution medium. CD & DVDs eliminate the needs to recycle hazardous printing solvents, metal printing plates & paper waste at a printing facility, which helps to save trees and the environment.

Classroom Ready

Whether your yearbook program is an extra-curricular activity or a credited journalism class, our publishing system offers a variety of activities and tools that educators require to teach and manage students.

Mobile Device Compatible

Upload photographs, send signature requests and preview your school’s yearbook as it is being built online, all in the palm of your hand. MyYearbookBuilder Mobile runs on all handheld devices and smart phones having mobile web access.

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

REQUEST INFORMATION

START A YEARBOOK

VIEW A YEARBOOK

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12/01/08

Digital Yearbook Production Services

Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook News
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:24 am

Production Services

Odyssey Interactive boasts a tremendous repository of technical skills and intellectual property that’s required for creating unparalleled multimedia solutions.

Production Services:

We possess a state-of-the-art digital production studio and an experienced staff of multimedia developers, who provide our clients with account services throughout the entire creative development and production process.

Our client-focus, proven methodologies and detailed project management ensure that all of our projects will be completed on-time, within your budget and to specification.

Expert Programming Capabilities Include:

.NET
ASP
Ajax
C/C++
Captivate
CMS
CSS
Cold Fusion
Delphi
Drupal
e-Commerce
Flash
Graphic Design
Handheld
JSP
Java

JavaScript
Joomla
LDAP
Links
Logo Design
MS Access
MS SQL
Magento
Marketing
Multimedia
MySQL
Oracle
PHP
Perl/CGI
PostgreSQL
Python

SQL
Script Installation
Search Engine Optim.
Security
Social Networking
Support
System Administration
Translation
Visual Basic
Website Design
Writing
XHTML
XML
mSQL
osCommerce

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

REQUEST INFORMATION

START A YEARBOOK

VIEW A YEARBOOK

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11/01/08

Digital Yearbook Publishing Company

Filed under: Home, Digital Yearbook News
Posted by: Andrew Edwards @ 11:19 am

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C.

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a frontier, multimedia publishing companyspecializing in the development of custom digital solutions for archiving high school audio, video and photographs into interactive electronic yearbooks.

Company Profile:

Odyssey Interactive, L.L.C. is a fast-growing, entrepreneurial organization that is operated by a dedicated team of management experts and experienced multimedia professionals. We are in business to produce cutting-edge eYearbooks, which are delivered directly to our customers on CD- or DVD-ROM and also through the Internet.

Odyssey Interactive will achieve and sustain a national reputation as being the premiere producer of digital eYearbooks for high school; our continuing success as a business will benefit our customers, our families, and the communities in which we operate.

For further information, please contact Mr. John McClane.

About Odyssey Interactive

REQUEST INFORMATION

START A YEARBOOK

VIEW A YEARBOOK

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