Visix

Visix, Inc. is a software development firm for visual communication applications, commonly referred to as digital signage. They are based in Norcross, Georgia, and have U.S. field offices in Boston, Philadelphia, Knoxville and Denver.
The company sells digital signage software, room and event scheduling solutions, and applications for targeted messaging to desktops and portable devices. Each product can work independently or can be integrated into scalable deployments, from single displays to large networks.
History
Device Control: Hardware and Firmware
The company was originally founded as Tech Electronics, Inc. (TEi) in 1980 by Ed Matthews. Its first product was a programmable video controller designed by Dick Hayes, literally hard-wired on Hayes’ desk in an aluminum enclosure and sold to Grady Hospital in Atlanta. This controller allowed automated controlled playback on VCRs that then sent their signals to televisions in patients’ rooms. Hospital staff could place videotapes into VCRs and decide on the order and timing of broadcasts and the controller would then turn the first VCR on, play that tape, then turn on the next VCR, play that tape, and so on.
Having found a niche market, Ed Matthews and Dick Hayes began building similar devices and selling them to area hospitals. Small, local cable TV providers became interested and soon the product expanded to include corporate and campus television applications. They continued to produce and develop a range of small black box products, such as a video signal detector, developing both the hardware and the firmware, throughout the next two decades.
The company’s next big product premiered in 1989, named Tech Commander. Originally developed for training at Alfa Insurance in Atlanta, this computer classroom control system routed an instructor’s green screen to individual PC monitors on students’ desks. This product was quite successful, and soon TEi’s client list included the Oracle Corporation, who used Tech Commander at training centers around the U.S.
In the early 1990s, TEi expanded their line of products to include a complete line of AV duplication products. Their main product was called Dubmaster, a videotape duplication device that allowed copying of up to 100 videotapes at a time.
In 1997, Tech Commander was replaced by a more elaborate version, called Insight. This controlled not only video and monitors, but also keyboards and mouse devices, and included audio streams and the capability to conduct quizzes, etc. The user interface was married with early touchscreen displays from AMX LLC and Crestron Electronics.
All of these products continued to be produced until 2005.
Digital Signage and AxisTV
In 1994, TEi developed a media retrieval product called Educator, designed mainly for the K-12 environment. This product ran on Windows 3.1x and was intended to replace the rolling media carts schools used to have - consolidating and centralizing control over VCRs and Videodisc players.
In 2000, the company entered into a partnership with another company to develop AxisTV - their first digital signage product. In its early stages, AxisTV was very basic, with text overlays for standard, pre-loaded backgrounds; and simple file folder and content management. In 2001, TEi bought the sole source code rights from their partner and began developing improvements. The original code was scrapped at the end of 2001 and AxisTV Version 5.0 was launched.
Version 5.0 was a brand new version, much more robust with multiple aspect ratios, control windows, etc. In late 2005, after four years of continuous development, a major rewrite was released, Version 6.0, which added features like interactivity and Macromedia Flash support.
The current version of AxisTV is 7.0, which includes a broader range of options. These include web-based content creation and management; displaying multiple windows; customizable layout templates; content creation and scheduling tools; the ability to create announcement and news tickers, and add audio to messages; importing of PowerPoint with transitions and Flash charting and interactivity , as well as custom graphics, backgrounds and wallpapers; incorporating MPEG-1 and MPEG-2, AVI, WMV and Flash video files; including live video feeds and streaming media; extracting and synchronizing scheduling data from scheduling applications; web capture; and adding data feeds, such as RSS and SQL. Version 7.0 runs on the Windows XP platform.
The Shift to Software
After AxisTV Version 5.0 had been on the market for some time, Ed Matthews realized that the company was bleeding money and that newer technologies had outpaced their legacy products. Ed’s son, Sean Matthews, came on as President of TEi in June 2004. The following year, the company began discontinuing all products except AxisTV transforming into a dedicated software development firm.
To emphasize the shift in focus, the company’s name was changed to Visix in November 2006..
The company’s driving idea was to expand the concept of digital signage so that anything with a screen could become a display for messaging. This included, not only LCD and plasma screens, but also laptop and desktop PC screens, PDAs and BlackBerrys, smartphones, iPods and other mp3 players, and even newer cell phones.
Visix Today
Visix, Inc. designs, develops and supports a suite of software applications that allow users to create, import and manage visual communications from anywhere using a Web browser-based interface, and to deliver those messages to multiple endpoints.
The company aims to provide everything needed for comprehensive communications - including the software they develop, hardware to run that software, and distribution accessories. They also provide multi-tier service and support options to help their customers manage and maintain their visual communications.
Visix currently offers the following software applications:
* AxisTV Digital Signage Software
* Four Content Publishers: Desktop Messenger, Screen Saver Publisher, RSS Publisher, Text Messenger
* MeetingMinder Room Signs
Nominations and Awards
2011
* Best Interactive Digital Signage Product: Visix Wayfinding - Gary Kayye’s online newsletter rAVe Publications
2010
* Inc. Magazine 5000: Visix, ranked no. 2,749
2009
* Best Digital Signage Product: AxisTV - Gary Kayye’s online newsletter rAVe Publications
* Inc. Magazine 5000: Visix, ranked no. 2,221
* Inc. magazine Top 100 Inc. 500/5000 Companies, Visix ranked No. 94 in Atlanta-Sandy Springs-Marietta, Georgia
2008
* Inc. Magazine 5000: Visix, ranked no. 2,798
* DIGI Award in Education Application, Excellence in Technology: The Whitlock Group (in partnership with Visix), for their deployment of AxisTV at Virginia Commonwealth University
* Best Business Turnaround, Finalist: Visix - American Business Awards (the “Stevies”)
2007
* Inc. Magazine 5000: Visix, ranked no. 2,763
* Inc. Magazine Southeast 500 Companies: Visix, ranked no. 493 <ref name=inc5000/>
References and notes

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