Pitching The Pitch

TouchCast co-founder and CEO Edo Segal says the company's new Pitch smart video platform is "version one of a revolution."

The third product from five-year-old TouchCast, Pitch is similar to PowerPoint but allows for a wide array of live video options. Segal said the company is counting on the channel to push the platform into customer environments where Microsoft Office365 and traditional storage hardware are being sold.

"The way for us to succeed as a company is going to be driven largely by the channel, and really packaging our offering so that it's lucrative for channel partners," Segal said.

Pitch allows users to make slide presentations but adds a video component that allows presenters to appear in presentations, even appearing behind virtual podiums in front of virtual audiences or in lavishly appointed offices.

Segal sees Pitch as "a revolution in the way people communicate" and said the product's recent launch is well-timed. Enterprises are increasingly looking for ways to incorporate video into their internal and external communication strategies, and the company includes several large customers, including Accenture, Unilever and Pfizer, among its early adopters.

What follows is an edited excerpt of Segal's conversation with CRN.