5 questions with SlideRocket's Chuck Dietrich

I had the chance to chat with Chuck Dietrich, CEO of SlideRocket, a company which saw nearly 35,000 installations of its platform within days of the initial release in 2010. Through the year the company saw 400% quarter-to-quarter growth.

Kristina: "What is happening in the business world to push so many people online?"

Chuck: "Working in the cloud gives professionals the flexibility to work from any location and the power to tap information and applications that move business forward. However, some of the critical business tools are not keeping up. PowerPoint is a case-in-point where people are frustrated with using a 25 year-old technology that was never intended to be used online or shared online with others. It is an antiquated software that doesn't support collaboration, video, rich media, etc. SlideRocket is reinventing this critical business application [giving] professionals the ability to connect and interact with audiences in-person, online or through a mobile device as well as delivering the analytics to understand how presentations are being viewed."

Kristina: "Is there a cap to how much can be done via mobile?"

Chuck: "As far as the push towards cloud-based work goes, We are just seeing the tip of the iceberg. People have and will continue to adopt a mobile lifestyle that allows them to work from any location. For SlideRocket, this is a trend that is set to skyrocket as mobile and tablet devices are a perfect form factor for storytelling and pitching ideas. Currently, there are approximately 750 million presentation users in the world and we are just getting started."

Kristina: "According to several experts, virtual conferences/events are really going to see a spike this year. How will these tools change the way communication is done?"

Chuck: "We believe that content is a living, breathing entity that was made to be distributed and shared. People can create compelling presentations anytime, anywhere and share them with ease. The entire world is moving online and content, such as presentations, should evolve to become web-based for easier and more efficient access"

Kristina: "What types of content work best in this environment?"

Chuck: "People are now bombarded with thousands of messages a day, leaving them immune and unmoved. The SlideRocket platform allows for content, specifically presentations, to become a two-way, interactive conversation rather than static one-way lecture. Audio and video integration capabilities capture audience attention and provide a source of personalization for content."

Kristina: "Is there a shelf-life for online presentations?"

Chuck: "Unfortunately, most presentations do currently have a shelf life, and this is a symptom resulting from 'files' and 'versions.' With SlideRocket, content is live and always up-to-date so that innovative ideas can evolve in real-time."

Tags: Chuck Dietrich, online content, online presentations, SlideRocket, virtual events, virtual presentations