As the horrifying events of the Virginia Tech shooting unfolded last year, most traditional media outlets were left in the dark, unable to access the campus or learn what was going on.
One student, however, using only a video camera, computer and Internet connection, logged onto Ustream.tv and began broadcasting from within the besieged campus.
“Traditional press couldn’t get on, yet there was a story unfolding,” said Ustream co-founder John Ham. The student’s broadcast became an important source of information — it was used on CNN that evening — and the value of Ustream became more widely understood.
Formed in 2006 by two West Point graduates, the Mountain View company is dedicated to making Web casting — which involves “live streaming video,” i.e. broadcasting live footage over the Internet — accessible to everyone.
Two years later, founders Ham and Brad Hunstable seem to have met their goal: According to the company, the site has 10 million viewers watching more than 360,000 broadcasters.
A few weeks ago the company moved from its San Antonio Center location to a small, sunny office on Castro Street. And before the furniture was even unpacked, they took on their biggest job yet: “From the Frontlines” (see accompanying story, this page).
Ham said he and Hunstable “hit it off right away” after meeting at West Point. “And we always wanted to start a company together” he added. (The two were later joined by Gyula Feher.)
Later, while serving in the military overseas, Ham saw the need for an online broadcast medium. Noticing how circumstances made keeping in touch with family members difficult, he wondered if there wasn’t a better way to stay connected. The Internet seemed to offer a solution.
“Time is limited,” he explained. “If I have 10 minutes, do I call my dad or my mom or my friend in Ohio?”
Today, Ustream isn’t only for military personnel. It’s been utilized by politicians like John Kerry and celebrities like Tori Amos, but mostly by ordinary citizens.
Ham emphasized the platform’s interactive aspects, which allow real-time polling and live chatting between broadcasters and viewers.
Though Ustream will continue to aim big with its subjects (the company is the official live video streaming provider for the upcoming Republican National Convention), Ham says they hope to make a quiet home here in Mountain View.
“We love Mountain View,” he said. “It’s a beautiful place. I think it’s a good mix of the city and the Peninsula. It’s quiet, it’s rural, it’s serene, it’s the heart of technology.”
E-mail Kelsey Mesher at kmesher@mv-voice.com
