This is a 3 page paper comparing and contrasting two presentation softwares, Microsoft Powerpoint and Prezi. This three page paper creates a scenario in which Prezi is presented as the preferable presentation software. The decision is made based on the fact that Prezi offers more creative features, has a better graphical user interface, and has mobile communications applications that will be good for clients.
Prezzi
In a graphic design company that depends on creative pitches to clients, the best presentation software is an indispensible tool. Any workplace that requires snazzy presentations to lure or retain clients or land contracts will want to have powerful presentation software at its disposal. Microsoft Powerpoint and PREZI are two of the best presentation software applications on the market. They both offer something of value to the end user.
A company like ours, which already uses Microsoft Powerpoint, might want to take this fact into consideration. There are certainly benefits to sticking with the same software family, as it will avoid the problems and costs associated with training in the new software system Moreover, Microsoft Powerpoint is the most common application used for making presentations. This means that its file formats will be shareable with clients who want them. The pervasiveness of Microsoft PowerPoint also means that the software is cheaper, more of our clients and employees are already familiar with it, and there will be less of a need for specialized support services.
However, I would like to recommend a change to PREZI. The change is not without its risks, but PREZI offers our organization much that Microsoft Powerpoint can no longer give us. It is in my opinion that switching to PREZI will pay off in the future, because our presentations will be more dynamic. Our sales staff will be able to grab the attention of clients with a PREZI presentation in ways that a PowerPoint presentation cannot do.
Also, PREZI has specific software features that Microsoft PowerPoint does not have. In this way, using PREZI will have a greater impact on all of our departments and not just on content development and sales departments. PREZI allows our company to conduct virtual meetings in a media-rich environment, so we can share important data with clients and them with us. PREZI offers users the ability to interface seamlessly with mobile devices including smartphones and iPads. The graphical user interface on PREZI mobile applications make them attractive for the novice user, which is great for when we would like our clients in remote locations to interact with us related to a presentation we have created. While Powerpoint also offers the ability to communicate, share, and network via the Microsoft platform, I believe the PREZI way of doing things is more user-friendly and aesthetically pleasing. The Powerpoint equivalents of PREZI communication and mobility applications feel clunky in comparison; and our employees frequently report glitches. It is likely that our clients have reported or experienced communications and sharing problems, which could turn some valuable clients away. Clients need to rely on problem-free software that integrates well with their needs, which is why I am suggesting a shift away from Powerpoint.
PREZI feels like the presentation software for the next generation. Our company is young enough, and our staff talented enough, to understand that PREZI feels more like the future of presentations than Microsoft Powerpoint. Powerpoint is great for high school science project presentations, but not for the sophisticated types of material we are creating in our office.
The initial training in the use of PREZI should be quick. As Bird (2012) points out, 80% of the people using the software will only need to use as much as 20% of the features. This is actually as true for Powerpoint, our existing software, as it will be for Prezi. There will be a contingent of users who will enjoy using the software so much that they teach themselves the remaining 80% of the application for powerful use. I believe that our creative department, which depends on the robustness of their presentations to meet their productivity and sales quotas, will appreciate the features that PREZI has to offer because the software might give them an edge over their competition. Our sales department will appreciate PREZI for similar reasons. Overall, PREZI has the potential to increase productivity throughout the workplace. As we land more contracts because of improved presentations, every department will reap the benefits.
To illustrate my case, I would like to draw attention to a presentation that our design team is currently working on, which they will present to Sony Pictures. The potential to land a contract with Sony has our staff working day and night on their pitch. One of our staff members used PREZI with his former employer and brought his Macbook Pro-to the office. When the team started to play with PREZI, they were captivated by what it could do, and abandoned their previous Powerpoint presentation. One of the design team said, "Where has this been all my life? Microsoft wants me to create graphs and pie charts. PREZZI wants me to create!"
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