news release

(New York) - Cell phone projects at the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) and New-York Historical Society showed that it is not just Acoustiguide’s proprietary handheld players that can deliver high quality audio tours. Cellular tours can reach out to new audiences, and this winter Acoustiguide launched two exciting new projects.

MoMA led the way in the month of January with nine minutes of interpretation on its

Doug Aitken: Sleepwalkers exhibition --- a series of videos by artist, Doug Aitken, projected on the museum's exterior walls each evening after sundown. This free display of public art called for professional audio that could be readily available to passers-by whether they be tourists, New Yorkers, art aficionados, or sidewalk gapers. Acoustiguide set up a free phone line to which users could dial-in to hear from the exhibition curators and artist. A voice mail feature, allowing listeners to leave feedback on what may be equated to an audio bulletin board, encouraged users to leave comments. At the end of the show, the comments were collected on an audio CD and given to project partners. The telephony system's real-time data reports documented nearly 3,400 calls in a 30-day period and suggested that the average listener accessed 2/3 of available interpretation.

An example of visitor feedback includes a listener returning home from the MoMA event in a taxi, "I think this is phenomenal. It really does play off of the city’s sounds-- just standing here looking at it hearing the cabs honking, the people chattering all around me.”

In February, the New-York Historical Society launched a cell phone tour for its A New Light on Tiffany exhibition. Simultaneously available on Acoustiguide 2000 wands and on the Society's website, the museum endeavored to maximize its Acoustiguide audio investment by broadcasting the content on as many platforms as possible. To date, the tour has received 950 calls.

Acoustiguide’s telephony system, in conjunction with Guide by Cell, provides a hosted, web-based service allowing for the real-time recording, playback, and administration of audio messages. It also includes a feedback system to capture visitor comments and statistics.

Ted Vasquez, Acoustiguide's CEO, observes, "Whether helping clients solve distribution challenges in outdoor spaces, meet tight budgets, or increase outreach by expanding broadcast platforms, Acoustiguide cell phone tours are becoming one of our increasingly popular platforms."

Cell phone programs round out Acoustiguide's expanding technology and new media options including proprietary MP3 players, web-based downloadable sound files, iTune selections, and screen-based multi-media tours.

This June, expect to hear two new Acoustiguide cell phone tours at the opening of the recently expanded Mississippi Museum of Art. Dial-in at 408-794-2812 to have a listen.