Video Professor
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1987[1] |
| Headquarters | 12055 W. 2nd PlaceLakewood, Colorado, U.S.A. |
| Industry | Education |
| Products | Learn Microsoft Office Tutorials, Learn Microsoft Windows, Learn Online Travel, Learn Quicken, Learn QuickBooks etc. |
| Employees | Around 100 recent layoffs [1] |
| Website | www.videoprofessor.com |
Video Professor, Inc. is a U.S. company that develops, manufacturers and offers tutorials for a variety of computer-related subjects, such as learning to use Microsoft Word, Microsoft Windows, and eBay. The company was founded in 1986 by John W. Scherer and is located in Lakewood, Colorado. It is known in the U.S. for its ubiquitous commercials and infomercials on late night television.
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[edit] Company founding and marketing
The company is an outgrowth of Data Link Research Services (DLRS), a seller of PC clones founded in Colorado in 1987 by John W. Scherer. In 1987, DLRS produced its first VHS tutorial primarily for its own customers, Introduction to DOS. Scherer says that he quickly realized that the tutorials were more profitable than the PC clones, and in 1988 the company switched to focusing solely on the tutorials, and changed its name to Video Professor.[2][3]
The company is perhaps best known in the U.S. for its frequent late-night commercials and infomercials, most of which feature Scherer. The company's first infomercial was aired in 1991, and since then all but one of the commercials and infomercials have been produced by an in-house production team. The production values of the commercials are intentionally kept minimal.[2]
The company started with VHS lessons, but began offering its lessons on CD-ROM in 1996, and online in 2003.[4] Lesson sets are primarily sold through TV offers and online.
[edit] Business model
For CD-ROM lessons, Video Professor uses a continuity sales model[5], similar to the model for mail order book clubs. The subscription is started when a customer orders a tutorial on a subject of their choosing. This tutorial is often free except for shipping and handling. The customer then periodically receives other tutorials on subjects chosen by Video Professor automatically, until the subscription is cancelled. The cost ranges from $60-$189 per tutorial.
For online lessons, the same lessons are provided to the customer through streaming media. These lessons are billed on a per-month basis; access to all lessons is available for a monthly subscription fee of approximately $30.
The company has been criticized[2] for its CD-ROM sales and advertising practice. Some complaints center on an alleged lack of clarity regarding the nature of the continuity sales model and the "free" CD-ROM. Others are based on the lack of choice the customer has in subsequent offerings. The company says that such complaints are rare, and promptly resolved.
[edit] Video Professor lawsuit
In September 2007, the company filed a lawsuit against 100 anonymous posters of critical reviews, stating their belief that the negative reviews were the result of a competitor's efforts to damage Video Professor's reputation.[6] [7] Most of the negative reviewers were critical of Video Professor's practice of automatically charging customers' credit cards $189.95 per month for additional lessons after a "one free disk" offer, complaining either that they were not informed or had difficulty canceling the charges.[8]
The legal action launched by the company was criticized by the consumer advocacy group, Public Citizen.[9] As part of their action, Video Professor requested and received the IP addresses of registered Wikipedia users from the Wikimedia Foundation Inc, the parent company of Wikipedia, who posted what Video Professor claimed was defamatory information about their business. They approached Internet provider Comcast with a subpoena for the user identity of the IP addresses; however, Comcast refused, stating they only relinquish that information under court order, not subpoena.[8]
In late December 2007, Video Professor Inc. withdrew its lawsuit against John Does 1 through 100 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado.[10][11]
[edit] Awards/Public Service
On May 18, 2009 Video Professor CEO and Founder, John W. Scherer received an award from the United States Postal Service for a new packaging system for shipping the company’s CD-ROM lessons.
Video Professor is also a member of the Small Business Administration’s Wall of Fame. The Secretary of the Army recently recognized Video Professor with its “Team Spirit” award for the company’s continued support of the military at home and abroad.
John Scherer is a member of the United States Navy’s “Leaders to Sea” program most recently spending time aboard the Aircraft Carrier USS Nimitz May 12-13, 2009.
Video Professor is an active member of the Better Business Bureau.
The company donates hundreds of lessons to non-profit organizations in the United States and around the world that include computer literacy as part of their programs. These include the Native American Chamber of Commerce for its Achievement Centers on reservations around the United States and Global Outreach which builds schools in Tanzania, Africa.
[edit] References
- ^ a b http://www.videoprofessor.com/aboutvideoprofessor/presscenter/presskit/presskit.html
- ^ a b c Roberts, Michael (20 April, 2006). "Prof Positive". Westword (a Denver alternative weekly). http://www.westword.com/2006-04-20/news/prof-positive. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
- ^ "Historical Timeline". Video Professor website. http://www.videoprofessor.com/aboutvideoprofessor/companyinformation/companyhistory.html. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
- ^ Berry-Helmlinger, Lyn (24 November, 2003). "Tutorial company predicting big growth after online move". The Denver Business Journal. http://denver.bizjournals.com/denver/stories/2003/11/24/story6.html. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
- ^ "Terms of use". Video Professor website. http://www.videoprofessor.com/termsofuse.html. Retrieved on 2007-09-08.
- ^ "Video Professor wants the book thrown at anonymous critics". newspaper business column. Denver Post. 2007-09-23. http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_6966387. Retrieved on 2007-10-02.
- ^ "Setting It Straight (In September 2007 Archive)". Company Blog. Video Professor. http://videoprofessor.blogspot.com/. Retrieved on 2007-10-12.
- ^ a b Enoch, Joseph S. Video Professor Drops Subpoena, Goes After Wikipedia Users; ConsumerAffairs.com; 2007-12-19; Retrieved on 2007-12-23
- ^ "‘Video Professor’ Has No Legal Basis for Unmasking Identities of Anonymous Web Critics". press release. Public Citizen consumer advocacy group. http://www.citizen.org/pressroom/release.cfm?ID=2522. Retrieved on 2007-10-01.
- ^ 12/27/2007 Press release, Public Citizen. Accessed February 19, 2008
- ^ "I smell a nice filet, Vid Prof". newspaper business column. Denver Post. 2007-12-27. http://www.denverpost.com/search/ci_7824421. Retrieved on 2008-03-07.
