The Big in Japan team is working with Rupert Murdoch’s FX Networks (owned by News Corporation) to build a customized version of Fancast based on the highly popular PodServe podcast system.  Update: For clarification, FX Network is a client of Big in Japan. The system combines a highly scableable ruby on rails application with a VoIP based phone system capable of handling more than 30,000 telephone connections.

This summer we began working with the producers of Nip/Tuck, the Golden Globe winning drama, on their community interaction efforts. The program is cables’ top-rated series with adults 18-49 with more than 2.6 million viewers. The first program consists of two fan generated podcasts. The first is titled the Nip/Tuck Fan Question Podcast. Where viewers can interview each member of the cast or crew. Each week five of the best questions are answered by the appropriate cast or crew member and then the content is posted to the system. The second is titled the Nip/Tuck Fan Comments Podcast. Each week the IVR system will prompt viewers to comment on various topics about the show.

The system consists of a white label version of PodServe using multiple load balanced DELL Poweredge servers to consume and organize recordings generated from Podcall using one or more Dell Poweredge servers running in series to generate dialtone, outbound calls, covert .wav and compress into .mp3 ready for iTunes. The tightly integrated system is known as the Fancast system. The servers are located in our state-of-the-art data center and network operations center. During programming our technicians watch the program on one screen, server and call statistics on another and errors on a thrid.  Starting this week FX will begin to promote the launch of the system using television advertising.

Will it work? According to Arbitron/Edison Media Research more than 27 million Americans have listened to a podcast, half of whom are under 35 years old. Using the Fancast system, Nip/Tuck’s producers can empower their own community of 2.6 million viewers to deliver content via iTunes to more than 30 million iPod listeners. Converting just 2% of those iTunes users might deilver 600,000 viewers to the program. Additionally, FX has the option of inserting advertising into the consumer generated content as they moderate and process it allowing for additional marketing channels for their advertisers.

The Fancast system, launched in June 2006 and presented that same month at Under the Radar, combines PodServe and Podcall into a single platform allows users to easily create recordings for inclusion within hosted podcasts. Podcall is a multiprotocol PBX on Linux that provides all of the features you would expect from a high-end PBX and more. Podcall supports voice over IP in many protocols, and interoperates with all standards-based telephone equipment. Podcall can serve as a gateway to PodServe for inbound, outbound telephone lins (POTs or IAX) as well as conference bridges. Features include: Automated Attendant, Blacklists, Call Detail Records, Call Forward on Busy, Call Forward on No Answer, Call Forward Variable, Call Monitoring, Call Recording, Call Retrieval, Conference Bridging, Fax Transmit and Receive, Interactive Voice Response, Predictive Dialer, Route by Caller ID, SMS Messaging, Spell / Say, Talk Detection, Text-to-Speech, Graphical Call Manager, Outbound Call Spooling, and TCP/IP Management Interface.

According to INC Magazine, our PodServe solution is best for podcasting.  To be honest, we have not been investing much time in our free tools.  Instead we have focused our attention on the enterprise market for white label versions of the tools.  Our latest project is for a major television studio and their hit series.  PodServe, with Podcall functionality, will allow their cast, crew, directors and writers to interact directly with their viewers.

We need to remember that much of our ‘paying business’ comes as a result of the free tools we launched last year.  I personally will make an effort to keep our free tools.  In the meantime we will take the praise from INC and redouble our efforts.  Nice that we are sitting between two heavy-hitters like Yahoo and Six Apart.  Here is the scoop:

Companies make mistakes all of the time.  For example, Big in Japan printed shirts for this month’s issue of Valleyschwag.  They never got a chance to see the shirts before Thor shipped them and learned from a subscriber that they were see through.  Ouch!  This did not seem to mind the TechSlut, but Mierla was not to impressed.  What if your users were so excited about your service that they took the time to fix your mistakes?
This afternoon I noticed a few new pictures tagged with biggu on flickr bubble up on the SocialMail footer and clicked through.  Turns out Mierla, not deterred by the mashup goofup ‘remixed’ the shirts.  She documented her effort on flickr:

We are huge fans of Valleyschwag. (In fact, I have just checked my mailbox three times this afternoon hoping that they made a rare double trip to my house just to drop off my new t shirts.) This edition of the the schwag-by-mail club includes a Big in Japan shirt we did: summer versions of the Mashup t-shirts we did around the Web 2.0 show last year.  As seen on actual rockstars like Nivi.

Brian is going to do a full post on SocialMail, but I thought I would mention that it was turned on last week. For those of you who use various Big in Japan tools, you will note that SocialMail is the first example of our new login and footer design (no more sidebar). All of the tools will adopt these two SocialMail features. Otherwise check it out…