TextCaster®

As Rob built the initial version of TC in 2003, he knew how important it would be to make the foundation of TC “permission-based”. This was important since text messages cost money to receive through most wireless carriers. With the advent of the CAN-SPAM Act of 2003, TC absolutely needed to be compliant to protect clients and subscribers. The initial version of TC served three clients: an AMBER Alert program, a university and a high school

By 2004 Rob knew he needed business advice. He contacted Mark Manley, a Missouri SBTDC Consulting Engineer. Mark referred Rob to the Kauffman (Foundation) FastTracTech program. Rob won the business plan competition and a trip to Washington, D.C where he was introduced to legislators and angel finance organizations. Rob has since provided scholarships for several individuals desiring to attend the FastTracTech program.

Mark also conducted patent searches and advised Rob how to protect his intellectual property and file his patent application. In March 2007, patent number 7,197,324 was issued for “permission-based text messaging” by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Mark also counseled Rob to focus his market down into two main targets, education and media. With the guidance received from the Missouri SBTDC, Rob learned to sharpen his business plan and skills and started including solid supporting facts to win the approval of venture capitalists and angel investors who seek promising investment opportunities.

TC has grown steadily since 2004, focusing on serving clients in Education, Media and Public Safety. Domain expertise in television and newspaper media has allowed TC to capture 8% market share of local network television stations in the U.S. and establish relationships with leading newspaper publishers like Gannett and Media General. A unique partnership with several state banking associations stimulated significant growth in K-12 education with local school districts using TC and having it paid for by local community banks.

In late 2006, growth continued in education as TC became a popular choice for colleges and universities as a campus-wide alerting program. Seeing the potential to serve the entertainment industry, while broadening its footprint in public safety and education, TC focused on developing these key vertical markets. TC reached the breakeven position in 2006

In 2007, following the tragedy at Virginia Tech, TC entered into a partnership with Genesys Labs to introduce voice alerting and complement the already popular permission-based text message and email communication channels. This relationship has generated a broader channel sales strategy with Genesys and other software providers serving education, media and public safety. In the 3rd Quarter of 2007, TC, which now has 6 employees, will introduce its new “Communicator” suite that includes support for permission-based Text Message, Email & Voice alerting, while providing clients with a new Mobile Web strategy to host mobile-optimized web pages.