CrowdOptic Introduces Next-Generation of Crowd Behavioral Analytics Technology

SAN FRANCISCO, Sept. 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- CrowdOptic, a maker of crowd-driven mobile solutions for the enterprise, today announced the release of CrowdOptic Analytics, an advanced, behind-the-scenes tool used by live event producers for monitoring their spectators' event viewing and photo-taking activities during live events. CrowdOptic Analytics analyzes and responds to real-time shifts in crowd focus and momentum in order to optimize the in-venue experience for fans, sponsors and event organizers. 

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CrowdOptic Analytics was developed by a team which brings together Silicon Valley data industry and sports and entertainment industry veterans, including former Oracle executives and a former San Francisco 49er.  CrowdOptic Analytics is in its pilot stage of integration with several world-leading companies in the category of live entertainment.

This summer CrowdOptic partnered with the 2011 Bank of the West Classic, the IMG-owned WTA Premier tennis event in Palo Alto, to debut an augmented reality mobile application which allowed fans to receive dynamic player and tournament related content on their mobile devices in real time. "CrowdOptic and its augmented reality application allowed us to engage our guests in a fun and innovative way," said Sam Henderson, Director of Media and Public Relations, IMG/Bank of the West Classic. "The application allowed us to expand the reach of our tournament messaging while also improving the guest experience at the event."

The CrowdOptic platform features a one-of-a-kind technology which senses where crowds are focusing from moment to moment, by tracking the precise paths of spectators' phones as they view and take photos and video of the live action.  CrowdOptic monitors, in real time, the GPS location and compass headings on each of the hundreds, or often thousands, of mobile phones in a crowd (using GPS to locate the phones and compass headings to determine the direction the phones are pointing) and finds the point where two bearings, taken from two different locations, intersect. This process, known as triangulation, gives the exact location where phones are pointing, and pinpoints where the action is. CrowdOptic identifies clusters of fans in the crowd looking at the same spot at any given moment, even when the action is constantly moving, such as during a sporting event, when fans are taking photos of the athletes.  

Key features of the CrowdOptic platform include:

• Real-time Analytics - CrowdOptic monitors crowd viewing, photo and video taking behavior in real time and recognizes clusters of phones in the crowd that are focused on the same attraction
• Real-time Alerts - Using advanced algorithms, CrowdOptic alerts the enterprise in real-time to shifts in fan focus and momentum, as well as anomalous activity in the crowd
• Sampling- By applying algorithms to statistically relevant samples of a small number of phones, CrowdOptic can extrapolate an accurate, real-time picture of crowd behavior
• Augmented Reality - CrowdOptic knows where all the mobile phones in the crowd are looking as they aim their phones; It can not only transmit this insight to the enterprise, but can also display relevant content on the phones according to the action each fan is watching, all in real time.  Only CrowdOptic has the ability to overlay a live camera image of an object or person in motion, such as an athlete participating in a sporting event, with dynamic content in real time.  CrowdOptic's augmented reality display becomes part of the photograph and can be tracked when the fans share their photos online with their social networks.
• Stand-alone System – The CrowdOptic solution can be implemented without any integration by the enterprise.

About CrowdOptic

CrowdOptic helps event companies monitor and harness the electronic buzz in the crowd. With our unique proprietary technology, we monitor and track what crowds are looking at and what they're photographing and sharing during a live event, all in real time. We allow event organizers to display information on the fans' mobile phones depending on what the fans are looking at. And we alert the enterprise instantly to shifts in crowd focus and momentum.  CrowdOptic is a privately-held, venture-backed company based in San Francisco.  For more information, visit www.crowdoptic.com.

SOURCE CrowdOptic