Gregory W. Harper  President and Founder

Greg Harper

Gregory W. Harper is President of Harpervision Associates.,  a firm dedicated to assisting businesses develop and implement new visual and aural communication technologies. He is also co- founder of Gadgetoff  a unique annual event which gathers leading technologist and innovators in an exclusive gathering dedicated to innovative technologies.   Mr. Harper is a recognized futurist who is currently focusing on the next generation of ultra high definition telepresence, distance learning, digital distribution of media, home control/media servers, wireless personal information devices, mobile phones, digital signage, 3D TV and rich media. Through Harpervision, Mr. Harper serves as Senior Strategic Adviser to the Chairman of Trans World Entertainment (TWE), the largest mall-based retailer of music and video in the United States.

For TWE, Mr. Harper has been a key player in the development of  their digital media strategy including developing systems and strategies for digital media downloading.  Mr. Harper was instrumental in the development and deployment of the Listening and Viewing System (LVS) that allows shoppers in FYE stores to sample both audio and video content as well as purchase and download tracks.  As designer of software systems ranging from distance learning systems to digital media production systems, Mr. Harper has been awarded twelve U.S. patents in the area of interactive digital video, and has six other patents currently pending.  Mr. Harper has been a long time adviser to leading Wall Street investment banks, helping them deploy worldwide rich media systems as well as providing research information on cutting edge technologies.  Mr. Harper is an adviser to various private equity funds, helping them evaluate potential investments as well as implement technology strategies for some of their portfolio companies.  Mr. Harper serves on the board of the Institute of Audio Research , IAR, and on the advisory board of Mix and Burn LLC.  He is a frequent presenter at industry conferences and a guest speaker at academic and business organizations. Mr. Harper can be seen demonstrating the latest consumer technology products on ABC News.com and Panasonics’ LIHD site, as well as on Sheezoom.com.

Mr. Harper has had a long and successful career not only in technology but also in television production.  Mr. Harper has served as president of MyPublisher, the leading publisher of custom photo books.  In August, 2000, Mr. Harper sold Next Venue, a company he co-founded, to IBeam Broadcasting.  Next Venue, a leader in the streaming media industry, was a spin-off of CNBC Dow Jones Business Video, a joint venture of NBC, Dow Jones and Microsoft.  Prior to the spin-off, Mr. Harper served as Chief Technologist to the NBC/Microsoft joint venture and was responsible for designing its innovative rich media website.  Mr. Harper’s prior endeavors include: Executive Vice President  of NBC Onsite, a pioneering in-store advertising system;  President of Technology for ACTV, a leader in interactive television; President and Founder of Com/Tech Communication Technologies, Inc., a video production and technology firm, which he sold in 1995;  extensive work as a producer of television shows, both in the US and abroad; development and deployment of technology in such areas as interactive cable, data broadcasting, and judicial video arraignment systems;  US representative to various ITU standards committees (CCITT and CCIR) as well as various EIA and ISO committees focusing on data broadcasting;  active involvement in the creation of the US NABTS teletext standard; assistance in the development of the world’s first interactive cable TV system, Warner’s Qube System; work for various television networks and stations including WGBY TV, Springfield, CBS (news division and technology), PBS (technology and program production), France Telecom – TDF (President of its US subsidiary, Antiope and Telematics) and NBC (long range planning and data broadcasting).  Mr. Harper is a graduate of Amherst College.