Real-time data reporting to a live audience using DataPoint and crowdbeamer
Real-time data reporting second to none
DataPoint is a smart PowerPoint plugin that lets speakers present data from any source in a visual format – in real time. Crowdbeamer is an awesome presentation system that streams any visual content in real time to all smartphones, tablets, and laptops within reach. When using DataPoint with crowdbeamer, speakers can readily share up-to-date graphs and charts with a live audience.
In this article, we’ll
- explain what DataPoint is, and how it works,
- describe how crowdbeamer works,
- highlight the benefits of using DataPoint with crowdbeamer,
- illustrate several real-time data reporting scenarios enabled by DataPoint and crowdbeamer,
- summarize why both products provide unmatched data reporting capabilities when used together.
What DataPoint is, and how it works
Powerful visual content is a vital element of every data reporting presentation, provided the reports are based on the latest available data. That’s exactly what DataPoint is made for.
DataPoint is a PowerPoint plugin that automates data reporting presentations, updating the information each time the presentation is opened. Thanks to DataPoint, data reporting presentations needn’t be an endless collection of boring tables or spreadsheets. That’s because DataPoint leaves the numbers in the background and presents them as compelling infographics, graphs or charts.
DataPoint can make real-time connections to virtually any external data source such as a database, XML file, RSS feed, Facebook info, news, weather, Google Calendar, Google Sheets, JSON, oData, Microsoft SharePoint, OLE DB, and ODBC. By linking PowerPoint text boxes, tables, charts, or gauges to any such data source, the related information can be visualized and updated in real time inside PowerPoint. Using DataPoint, it becomes possible to create dynamic data reporting presentations that do not require any manual maintenance.
If you want to see for yourself how DataPoint works, watch the software demonstration below.
DataPoint is marketed by PresentationPoint, a Belgian company developing products that fully integrate with Microsoft PowerPoint. While PresentationPoint was founded in 1998 to develop data reporting solutions that power airport information systems worldwide, PresentationPoint products are currently used in many other markets as well. These include event organization, education, government administration, finance, consultancy, and manufacturing.
How crowdbeamer works
Crowdbeamer is a plug-and-present system that lets speakers reach out to a live audience, wherever they want. Crowdbeamer streams any visual content in real time to all smartphones, tablets, and laptops connected to its private WiFi network.
Crowdbeamer is a plug-and-present screen sharing solution. It consists of a device for the presenter and a free app for the audience.
Anybody in the audience using the free crowdbeamer app on a laptop, tablet or smartphone, gets a clear view of the presentation. A broad set of handy app features make it straightforward to build personalized handouts, as everybody in the audience can capture what they see, complete it with notes and share with others.
The benefits of using DataPoint with crowdbeamer
While DataPoint is used to keep PowerPoint graphs and charts up-to-date in an automated way, crowdbeamer shares those graphs and charts in real time with everybody present. Using the free crowdbeamer app, everybody can view the current graphs and charts from a personal device close at hand. If more detail is needed, the app can be used to zoom in on individual graphs and charts.
All of this is possible without sharing any of the underlying data. Even if DataPoint maintains a real-time connection to the external data source, crowdbeamer only shares a visualization of the data – not the data itself. That’s why any speaker can safely share these dynamic data visualizations with everybody in the audience, enabling all to take real-time snapshots and add these snapshots to their personal presentation handouts.
Using DataPoint with crowdbeamer provides unmatched capabilities for real-time data reporting to a live audience, and delivers unique benefits to both speakers and their audience:
- there’s no need for speakers to spend time beforehand or afterward uploading or emailing potentially out-of-date PDF handouts of their presentation,
- everybody in the audience can leave the meeting with up-to-date handouts based on the most recent available data,
- all of this can be achieved without ever exposing the data itself.
Scenarios enabled by DataPoint and crowdbeamer
Sharing project performance during team meetings
KPI dashboards providing easy access to real-time project performance data are crucial to monitor if a project is on track or needs a reallocation of resources. Connecting DataPoint to Microsoft Project or an online project management tool makes it possible to feed up-to-date project data into an easy-to-read KPI dashboard inside a PowerPoint presentation.
Each time the presentation opens, PowerPoint will automatically update the graphs, charts, and gauges that report on project costs, budget, workload, progress, risks, and issues. That makes it straightforward to share the current project performance during team meetings. And by using crowdbeamer, everybody on the team can leave the meeting with a snapshot of where the project stands. None of that demands any special preparation nor does it require any reporting afterward, keeping everybody focused on the project itself.
Organizing polls among seminar participants
DataPoint can connect in real time to virtually any external data source, including databases underlying website Content Management Systems. That opens many exciting opportunities, such as polling participants before or during a seminar. If participants are provided with the proper credentials to access polls that are privately hosted on a website, DataPoint can pick up the poll results in real time. DataPoint will then display the latest poll results inside a PowerPoint presentation – even as votes are coming in during the seminar.
Using crowdbeamer, all poll results can be shared in real time with all seminar participants. Even better, everybody can take snapshots right away. There’s no other way to provide participants with seminar handouts that include an up-to-date copy of all presentations – including the poll results.
Sharing pricing information with prospects
Using DataPoint and crowdbeamer provides some incredible opportunities during meetings with prospective customers, either in a showroom or at their home.
With DataPoint running inside PowerPoint, pricing information can be presented using beautiful infographics, graphs or charts that hide the underlying data tables. However complex those underlying data tables may be, DataPoint automatically keeps the commercial presentation up to date whenever any parameter changes. That makes DataPoint a very convenient solution for selling tailor-made products or complex products such as insurance policies or investment funds.
Thanks to crowdbeamer, customers can view everything directly on their tablet or smartphone. There is no longer any need to turn the presentation laptop to let them watch the commercial presentation, and customers can instantly store up-to-date presentation screenshots on their device of choice.
Why DataPoint and crowdbeamer provide unmatched data reporting capabilities when used together
While DataPoint connects PowerPoint graphs and charts to virtually any external data source and keeps them automatically synced, crowdbeamer excels at sharing those graphs and charts with everybody present. That makes both solutions the perfect fit for organizations that want to boost the effectiveness and reliability of real-time data reporting during meetings.
When used together, DataPoint and crowdbeamer provide real-time data reporting capabilities that are second to none. In particular,
- there is no effort required to keep data reports up to date,
- there is no need to spend time beforehand preparing potentially outdated reports,
- everybody can create up-to-date reporting handouts during any meeting,
- and all of this can be achieved without ever exposing any data source.