THANKS TO THE Internet, people can watch sports, news, concerts and now funerals as they happen.

Dale Moses has created DistantLink, a mobile video conferencing and telecommunications company that allows people who cannot travel to funerals to be there live via the web.

"A number of months back, my wife’s mother passed away, and my mother-in-law’s sister wasn’t able to travel due to health issues but would’ve been able to be near a computer. That’s how it started," he said Friday.

Mr. Moses, a computer programmer and self-proclaimed web monkey, started the company just over two months ago.

He sees the funeral industry as an untapped market for his product.

According to Statistics Canada, 242,863 people died in Canada between July 1, 2007, and June 30, 2008. That’s about 665 people per day.

"It’s a huge market; it’s a $2.5-billion industry," Moses said. "I’m federally incorporated to do this all over Canada. My goal is to make this standard practice in every funeral home."

A video kiosk is set up in funeral homes during visitation and funeral services. A 42-inch screen connects people that can’t be there in person.

"It’s a full, live, two-way video. If someone walks up to the kiosk, sees Uncle Joe on the screen, they can chat with him and he can chat with them," Mr. Moses said.

If users don’t have a webcam but have a microphone, their voice will come through.

On the funeral home side, communication is done without the use of microphones or headsets.

Mr. Moses sends an email invitation to people who want to be part of the service from their computer. The person clicks on the link, enters a password and is connected immediately.

The kiosk can serve up to 100 remote connections at one time.

Mr. Moses had his first booking last week.

"It went fantastic, at the visitation there was four people from the Toronto area that came in live, and the next day the service, the deceased’s granddaughter was able to read the eulogy from away to the congregation. The minister was amazed by the whole thing."

Dignity Memorial, which operates A.L. Mattatall, Cruickshank’s and J. A. Snow funeral homes, has agreed to offer the service across Halifax Regional Municipality immediately.

"When he first presented it to me, I was a bit sceptical at first, but it does work, he’s the first person around as far as we know that can do this," Graham Murphy, the area general manager for Dignity Memorial, said Friday.

"From our staff, they think it’s absolutely phenomenal. We’ll offer it to our families when they come in, and they can decide if it’s right for them."

Mr. Moses is currently looking for people to purchase franchises from him. They’ll get a funeral home territory in which to take their kiosk and Mr. Moses will be available to give technical support around the clock.

Funeral homes will have the option to buy the equipment, and that’s where he said he wants to make it standard practice.

The cost is incorporated into the funeral bill if the family wants the service.

Mr. Moses said the cost, while not set in stone, will be in the range of $500, depending on the length of time of the video, the number of sessions or days that are covered.

He supervises the video, which he said he can do from another room, building or city.

"Of course you always have the odd family member that may cause a commotion, I can click on the mouse and they’re gone and can’t get back in."

When asked about possible background noises, such as a random phone ringing, he answers with a laugh, "we can mute. I’m sure it’ll be a learning curve."

( ccopp@herald.ca)