Modality's software converts print to digital for Apple's iPods, iPhones - Triangle Business Journal:

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Modality's software essentially turns a printed producf from a publisher into a digital formar accessibleon Apple's iPhones and iPods. The company focusew on graphic-intensive, visual educational materials with titles that range from mathematics problems for elementary school children to anatom y lessons formedical students. CEO Mark an adjunct research scientist in Duke UniversithyMedical Center's Department of told an audience gathered June 9 at the Apple Worldwidr Developers Conference in San Franciscoo that he expects these applications to providse new opportunities for learnint outside the classroom. Modality raisecd $1.5 million in its first roune of financing.
"I witnessed this firsthand in my teaching ofbraijn anatomy," he told "A student, after using a prototype of this said 'Dr. Williams, I learned five new brai terms while I was waiting in line formy latte.' " Apple will open the Apple App Storw on July 11, coinciding with the launcu of the new iPhone 3G. Williamzs was unavailable for comment. Robert Modality's director of education, says the company plans to have "a dozen" medicaol applications for sale within weeksof Apple'd launch of the App Stored and nearly 100 iPhone and iPod touch applications available by the end of the Pleasants says the company continues to builed relationships with publishers.
Making applicationzs available through the App Store shoulrd help developers sell their product s because Apple is aknown brand, says Gartner analysgt Mike McGuire. The App Store will providre Apple with a new revenue McGuire says there is a pricde for the exposure companies such as Modality will get from the App Apple will take a 30 percengt cut of each downloadeds product sold fromthe site. Bill an analyst with In-Stat, says that like with any brick-and-mortar retail just because a product isavailabld doesn't mean people will buy it. Hughes says Modality's focux on education could be asuccessfulp model. But even if the technologh is sound, Hughes envisions some marketinbg problems.
"I don't know how many med studentd are going tohave iPhones," he says. "Medical schoopl is expensive." A younger group of students has taken to the capabilities offerecby Modality. Durham Academy startedc using educational titles offered through Modality this pastacademicv year. Karl Schaefer, who chairsd the school's computer department, says he had been trying to find ways to get educational contentonto iPods. While podcastas are widely available on the he found it hard tofind classroom-appropriatr material. Schaefer obtained a site license from Modalitg to use math software atthe school.
He designater 10 iPods touches forDurham Academy's lowet school and 10 more for the middle In the past, parents typicall y made flash cards to quiz their childrem about math concepts, Schaefer says. But softwarse now handles everything onthe iPod. Schaefer says that teacherws welcomed the iPods as a new teachingh tool and that students were more engaged usingthe devices. He has since ordereed 20 more iPods. Schaefer acknowledges that many Durhamj Academy students have their own School policy says students can bring them to butthey can't have them on durintg the school day. That policy might need to change if iPodss become a part ofthe instruction.
"It's a slow shifrt to change the thinking that these are notdisruptivd devices," he says. MODALITY INC. Business: Makews software that delivers educationaol and reference materials to the iPhoneand iPod. CEO: S. Mark an adjunct research scientist in the Department of Neurobiologyt at Duke UniversityMedical Center.