As we’ve discussed previously, TV is on the verge of being revolutionised thanks to Internet connected TVs and apps that make viewing a lot more social. The latest startup to enter this emerging space is ScreenReach and its product is more than a little exciting.
How it works
Imagine you’re watching a gameshow on TV. You want to play along so you pick up your phone, load up the ScreenReach app and enter that show’s unique ID number which was displayed at the start of the show. Suddenly the app is transformed into a branded experience for the show allowing you you answer questions and interact directly with . You end up being the winner of the show and a voucher for your prize is sent directly to the app.
Then a TV talent show starts. You enter its ScreenReach code into your app and suddenly your phone becomes a voting panel complete with contestants’ names and photos.
Huge potential
That’s just a taster of what ScreenReach can do. Created in the UK by a team led by Paul Rawlings, ScreenReach is a “blank canvas” platform designed to allow interactivity with any kind of screen anywhere. It doesn’t need to be TV-based. It could work in a bar where playing a TV-based game run by the bar owner could lead to drinks promotions being sent to your phone to redeem immediately, for example.
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What’s more, ScreenReach doesn’t need to be controlled via a mobile app. While the company has developed iPhone and Android apps, it can also be controlled via SMS or voice commands. This is one impressively flexible platform. Because it has a rewards system built in, Rawlings hopes it will grab the attention of everyone from content producers to retailers.
ScreenReach is based on Rawlings’ earlier service Vooices (which we raved about last year). In the year since, he has developed this voice control system into a far more advanced platform. With help from UK-based startup incubator The Difference Engine, the service has developed into a commercial enterprise with eight staff and a chairman in the form of Tom Maxfield, founder of well-known accounting software company Sage.
The company’s first commission is for the Royal Armouries museum in Leeds, UK and is due to launch on 17 July. Further down the line, a contract with a national radio broadcaster is lined up, among other as-yet undisclosed projects.
By combining interactive TV with redeemable offers, ScreenReach is taking two of the most important emerging technology trends and combining them into something undeniably exciting. We can’t wait to see how this startup moves forward.
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