Canadian Armed Forces Go Mobile with Kelowna-based VeriCorder’s iPhone App, Voddio

March 20, 2012

Canadian Armed Forces Public Affairs officers have decided to utilize technology crafted by Kelowna-based VeriCorder. Founded by Gary Symons, a journalist with 25 years of experience as a field journalist working in newspapers, radio, and television, VeriCorder will enable the officers to trade in their cumbersome television cameras for iPhones thanks to Voddio, a mobile app developed by the Okanagan startup.

Members of the Defence Public Affairs Learning Centre will be trained to record and edit broadcast-quality items through the Voddio iPhone app. Meanwhile, back at home base, military personnel will be able to track officers in the field with a management system.

“Our government was pleased to support the cutting edge work VeriCorder has been doing here in the Okanagan Valley,” stated Kelowna-Lake Country MP Ron Cannan. “The federal government has invested directly in VeriCorder through our IRAP program, and also through the Canadian Media Fund.

“Now, it’s clear we are seeing this investment is bearing fruit. Our military is deploying a communications system that is the most advanced in the world today. We are seeing new, high-paid jobs in the Okanagan Valley, and an impressive new player rising in the world of online video.”

“The system we built, and the skills we teach, are based on a lot of real world experience in newspapers, radio and television, but applied to the online world,” says Gary. “There is one thing we do better than anyone else; we allow people to produce quality journalism in the field, and publish it fast. And obviously, we are thrilled to have such an endorsement from the professionals in the Canadian military, who have one of the most difficult field reporting jobs anyone could imagine.”

Gary founded VeriCorder in 2008, but this year decided to step down from his role as CEO. Handing those reigns to Jason Neale, a serial entrepreneur perhaps most famous for the fast-growing OmniGlove, Gary assumed the roles of CTO and president.