PowerCom
PowerCom is a division of Dynamic Services International Incorporation. It is based in New York city with satellite offices in other countries. It serves more than 80 countries worldwide. The audience response systems they offer are all made in the United States. It offers the latest ARS (Audience Response System) or GRS (Group Response System) combined with the add-in software for Microsoft PowerPoint. They also have the specialty program for large events and Moment to Moment software.
PowerCom is among the leading brand name for Audience Response System (ARS) or Group Response System (GPS) software that is made even powerful by its compatibility with Microsoft PowerPoint.
PowerCom is widely used for presentations, meetings, symposiums, lectures, trade shows, elections and all other events/activities that are stimulated by audience participation and cooperation. PowerCom is very easy to use and fully integrated with PowerPoint.
PowerCom provides ARS technology worldwide.
The System
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 personal computers.
PowerCom provides customized features and functions to suit your every needs.
The 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. With its patented FHSS RF technology, you will never lose a single vote.
PowerCom has customized features for specific industry needs and requirements. From the keypads to its Specialty Systems, PowerCom offers ARS how you want it, when you want it!
The Keypads
- Entry Level
- PowerCom Mini - a simple audience response keypad with 5 buttons for 5 answer choices, 2 years hardware warranty and up to 2 years of battery life. It goes into a deep sleep mode after a few seconds of inactivity.
- Powercom PC3 - a compact audience response keypad with an LCD screen for easy confirmation of inputs, 2 years hardware warranty. The battery life lasts for 250 hours of boot time or 6 months standby time. It also depends on the brand of the battery.
- PowerCom RF1 - a simple, practical keypad with 14 elastomeric buttons offering up to 30 answer choices, 2 years hardware warranty and up to 2 years of battery life. It goes into a deep sleep mode after a few seconds of inactivity.
- Advanced Level
- Powercom RF2 - a 3 line LCD screen texting capable keypad. The best feature is the offline and online self paced polling. You use AA batteries for this keypad.
- Specialty Keypad
- Ativa - a QWERTY colored touchscreen texting capable keypad, rechargeable for longer battery life and 1 year warranty on the hardware.
The 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 is 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.
The Software
Audience Response System Software There 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.
The PowerCom Software Features
- Com port selection and auto detect available Com ports with help instruction[1]
- 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
- Slide comparison
- SMS pop up screen
- Impromptu which lets you put question slides on the fly
- Winners screen
- Roster and Team to assign points to correct answers
- Global change to change settings for all slides easily
The Applications
- Focus groups
- Education & training
- Corporate meetings
- CME and medical symposiums
- Elections and Shareholder meetings
- Interactive trade Shows
- Seminars/Speeches
- Field survey
- SMS texting
- Live auction
- Self paced polling
- Moment-to-moment
- ARS for market research
- Other shared/group events
- Town hall meetings
- business meetings
- Continuing Medical Education or Medical Symposium
- Interactive game shows
- Multi-site and broadcast meetings
- Internal meetings
- Shareholders meetings