FRIENDS INTRODUCING A CLOUD READER TO REDUCE THE HASSLE OF COSTLY TEXTBOOKS
With many universities starting classes over the next few weeks, thousands of students across the country are packing up the family van or hopping on a plane and heading back to school to begin another semester of college. Greg Fenton and Timothy Haitaian (graduates of Miami University and Arizona State University, respectively) started a company that works to help eliminate a problem which practically all college students run into as they return for each semester: overpriced textbooks. Founded by Greg and Tim back in 2010, Virdocs Software delivers a flexible digital document platform that benefits publishers, college bookstores, and of course, students who are looking for better and easier ways to avoid the high prices of academic textbooks (which have jumped 82% in the past decade, according to usatoday.com).
Virdocs Software, a Chicago based startup operating out of their River North office, serves as the parent company behind redshelf.com. The site provides a simple and cost-effective digital platform enabling content creators (academic book publishers) to securely distribute their materials while avoiding device limitation for consumers (college students). Like most digital e-readers on the market, students can highlight sections, take notes, or bookmark pages. However, as a cloud based reader that converts all content to HTML5 software, redshelf.com provides unique value to students by giving them access to content on their account anytime, anywhere, and on any WiFi enabled device. While some digital content providers limit access because of software, browser, or download requirements, RedShelf eliminates this hassle by providing the flexibility and mobility today’s college students require. Not to mention the superior pricing options redshelf.com offers for cash strapped college students always looking for ways to save a few bucks here and there.
Virdocs Software, a Chicago based startup operating out of their River North office, serves as the parent company behind redshelf.com. The site provides a simple and cost-effective digital platform enabling content creators (academic book publishers) to securely distribute their materials while avoiding device limitation for consumers (college students). Like most digital e-readers on the market, students can highlight sections, take notes, or bookmark pages. However, as a cloud based reader that converts all content to HTML5 software, redshelf.com provides unique value to students by giving them access to content on their account anytime, anywhere, and on any WiFi enabled device. While some digital content providers limit access because of software, browser, or download requirements, RedShelf eliminates this hassle by providing the flexibility and mobility today’s college students require. Not to mention the superior pricing options redshelf.com offers for cash strapped college students always looking for ways to save a few bucks here and there.
Additionally, publishers love the site not only for its advantageous royalty program, but also for the control they have over the printing, distribution, and pricing rights of their material. With redshelf.com, a publisher of an organic chemistry textbook can instantly upload it’s material onto the site while also maintaining total control of the digital distribution strategy of its content. Additionally, schools and university bookstores have been eager to sign up for the customized and branded platform redshelf.com creates for them, allowing them to quickly update material onto the site and push out material quickly and cheaply to its students.
With RedShelf gaining more and more popularity, Virdocs Software has taken off over the past year thanks to the determination of Tim and Greg, but the journey from high school friends to startup execs was far from conventional for the two entrepreneurs. Seeing an opportunity to make their lives and their classmates' lives a bit easier while in college, the two struck a deal with a professor at MSU to organize a digital document distribution of the professor's course pack. The idea continued to grow as Tim and Greg kept in touch throughout college. Eventually, they began working with local copy shops to print lab manuals or course packets, which would be distributed to students in the form of secure PDFs. One thing lead to another and Tim and Greg decided to make running and growing Virdocs Software a full time job just a couple years after graduating.
With RedShelf gaining more and more popularity, Virdocs Software has taken off over the past year thanks to the determination of Tim and Greg, but the journey from high school friends to startup execs was far from conventional for the two entrepreneurs. Seeing an opportunity to make their lives and their classmates' lives a bit easier while in college, the two struck a deal with a professor at MSU to organize a digital document distribution of the professor's course pack. The idea continued to grow as Tim and Greg kept in touch throughout college. Eventually, they began working with local copy shops to print lab manuals or course packets, which would be distributed to students in the form of secure PDFs. One thing lead to another and Tim and Greg decided to make running and growing Virdocs Software a full time job just a couple years after graduating.
Their commitment to Virdocs, both financially and physically, has been unwavering. In the early stages, the two were bootstrapping the company themselves while also driving long nights to nearby colleges pitching their service to any office that would listen, only to return to a tiny three bedroom apartment in Chicago they shared with their first two Virdocs employees. Eventually, they walked into enough bookstores and cold-called enough publishers to grow Virdocs form a dream of two to a team of 10 employees (7 full time, 3 part time). Additionally, Virdocs Software and RedShelf work directly with 50+ college bookstores and is being utilized by over 200 campus' through strategic partnerships. While growing the business, Tim and Greg naturally took on roles within the company that played to their relative strengths. While Greg focuses on technology and sales, Tim takes care of business operations and employee management. The way Tim sees it, “It’s Greg’s job to keep his foot on the gas pedal, and my job to keep the wheels on the whole time.”
Virdocs Software works out of Chicago - a city known for its community of up and coming tech startups – and its founders couldn’t be happier with their location. “In terms of talent and people, Chicago has been amazing for us,” Greg explains. While they recognize the difficulty of finding large scale investments in Chicago compared to companies popping up out west in Silicon Valley, the duo remain undaunted and insist Chicago’s talent pool will be a huge catalyst for their success in the future. “First things first is finding the right people; the money will come second,” said Fenton. The two friends and founders agree that the ability to grind it out since day one of founding Virdocs has contributed greatly to the company’s growth. The fall semester is just starting for many students, but midterms will be here before they know it. Just don’t be too surprised if you find a college student near you cramming for that last minute econ exam with the help Virdocs Software and redshelf.com
Check out the video below for a better explanation of RedShelf's Cloud Reader
Virdocs Software works out of Chicago - a city known for its community of up and coming tech startups – and its founders couldn’t be happier with their location. “In terms of talent and people, Chicago has been amazing for us,” Greg explains. While they recognize the difficulty of finding large scale investments in Chicago compared to companies popping up out west in Silicon Valley, the duo remain undaunted and insist Chicago’s talent pool will be a huge catalyst for their success in the future. “First things first is finding the right people; the money will come second,” said Fenton. The two friends and founders agree that the ability to grind it out since day one of founding Virdocs has contributed greatly to the company’s growth. The fall semester is just starting for many students, but midterms will be here before they know it. Just don’t be too surprised if you find a college student near you cramming for that last minute econ exam with the help Virdocs Software and redshelf.com
Check out the video below for a better explanation of RedShelf's Cloud Reader
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