PowerCom

PowerCom is an ARS (Audience Response System) or GRS (Group Response System) software for Microsoft PowerPoint.

PowerCom Software integrates with PowerPoint without using stand alone software. PowerCom allows users to create polls and quizzes within their own PowerPoint presentation. During the presentation, the audience can then input their responses using keypads. The results of the polling are collected and can be displayed during or immediately after the presentation. PowerCom can analyze, combine, and transfer all collected data into Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

History

Audience response systems have been keeping up with modern technology. Today’s audience response systems run on the same computer used by people every day, wireless technology, infrared and radio frequency, faster processors, cheap storage memory, and widely available personnel computers. In comparison to today’s audience response systems, there has been an improvement from the oversized systems of the 1960s. Like some other computer technology, audience response systems originated in the military. Audience response systems were used in the Air Force for training purposes like to question the recruits. Unknowingly, audience response systems started to appear in universities such as Cornell and Stanford. The professors wanted to find out if the systems were effective and whether they would improve a student’s learning experience significantly. The technology then extended out to the community: higher education, secondary education, businesses, and conferences.

Hardware

PowerCom ARS uses Reply System hardware. The hardware allows the audience to interact and allows the presenter to collect audience feedback. There are three components that make up an audience response system: keypads, the base station, and the computer used to run the presentation software.

Keypads

Of all the ARS elements, the keypads are what the audience uses and most connect with. The keypads can input data and receive data from the presenter. Some keypads feature a number pad and some alpha buttons. Keypads can differ widely in appearance. Other keypads have a text screen which allows the user to text answers directly to the base stations just - like a cell phone.

Base Station

The base station is responsible for the transfer of information from the keypad to the computer. Many of the base stations can vary widely in how they look. The size of it is not as important as the location because receiving a strong signal depends on location.. There are infrared base stations and radio frequency base stations. An infrared base station will operate like a TV remote control which means that it will need a direct line of sight from the device and the base station. In contrast, a radio frequency base station doesn’t need to be in a direct line of sight from the device. This gives you more freedom, allowing operation from different floors and rooms.

oftware

Audience Response System SoftwareThere are two main types of audience response software: stand alone software and presentation software add-ins (e.g. Microsoft PowerPoint). Audience response software lets the presenter collect participant data, display graphical polling results, and export the data to be used in reports and analysis.Stand alone software works like any other type of software. Data collection and presentations are done through this. Their presentation modules usually have high quality graphics which are suitable for high-end audio-visual productions. Audience response professionals usually choose the standalone applications.Add-in software has to be installed into other presentation software like PowerPoint or Apple Keynote. It modifies the presentation software by adding ARS capabilities. Add-in software uses the capabilities of a program while adding its support of an ARS system.The software you choose is usually dependent upon the type of hardware you purchase and vice versa. Many hardware systems require you to use that company software with their systems because some of the software from other companies will not work on their systems. Until the ARS industry standardizes, this proprietary problem will continue to exist; however some systems do allow you to use different software titles because of similarities in the hardware.When making a purchase, be sure to ask which software titles will be compatible with your hardware system. Also, find out if you can update your software at a later date for free or for a licensing fee.

PowerCom Software

* Com port selection and auto detect available Com ports with help instruction [http://www.powercomars.com/download/features.pdf]
* Change channel function
* Keypad range setting
* PowerPoint slide question design
* Four step poller wizard
* Automatically capture question via PowerPoint title text box
* Allows users to enter question summaries
* Demographic question to accommodate data analysis
* Force "Start polling right after slide shown" as default option, modifiable only via Windows registry
* Hide result display option
* Numerical, Alphabetical, Yes/No, True/False graphic formats
* Allows user to change result polling data path location
* Result data analysis reporting tools
* Display summary result to audience and keeps detail voting record for speaker
* Voting result stored as XML file for easy system interface
* Resizable and repositionable poll display graphic with transparent effect

Applications

* Focus Groups
* Education & Training
* Corporate Meetings
* CME and Medical Symposiums
* Elections and Shareholder Meetings
* Trade Shows
* Seminars/Speeches
* ARS for Market Research

References