PowerPoint Alternative Prezi Introduces Analytics, Collaboration

Prezi, a visual presentation platform and alternative to PowerPoint, today announced the launch of Prezi Business, a version tailored especially for corporate use.

But don’t let the tool’s “corporate” focus throw you. The platform can benefit small businesses too, the company says, though some small businesses may find it pricey.

Prezi Business combines group collaboration capabilities with detailed analytics, live remote presentations and integration with Slack, the popular messaging system.

The company developed Prezi Business based on its observation of how the platform was being used — not only as a presentation tool but also as a virtual canvas where teams and work groups could develop ideas together, collaboratively.

“Prezi Business is the company’s response to a rapidly growing need: tools that enable openness and teamwork over hierarchy and silos, as well as the modern customer’s desire for conversations rather than one-way experiences,” the release says.

PowerPoint Alternative for Business

Not Your Father’s Presentation Tool

When you use the new Prezi presentation software, it doesn’t take long to realize that it isn’t your father’s presentation platform — a linear series of bullet-point-filled slides.

Instead, users can zoom, pan and center in on a portion of the canvas in a way that aligns more with how humans think. Its visual orientation makes presentations (the company refers to them as “prezis”) easier to remember and more persuasive.

In a phone interview with Small Business Trends, Peter Arvai, Prezi CEO and co-founder, explained the platform this way:

“Prezi Business allows teams to engage more deeply in conversations, arranging ideas on a large canvas. Think of it as a map where users can go freely and dynamically into an idea as the conversation develops. You’re not limited to the very strict linear way of sharing ideas as in PowerPoint.”

Prezi Business Features

Prezi Business contains the same components as Prezi’s current platform, but includes some new features, such as:

Advanced Collaboration

Teams can collaborate in real-time and talk to each other directly, regardless of location, eliminating the need for version control. The new Prezi presentation software is cloud-based, so users can sort, select and link presentations together from a centralized location, not unlike the way Google Drive works.

Real-time Analytics

An analytics component provides feedback that lets sales and marketing departments know how viewers interact with “prezis” to assist them in tailoring presentations to fit customer needs better.

Real-time usage data acts almost like a CRM platform in that it helps sales professionals determine the best time to follow up with prospects or learn which topics resonated with their audience.

Integration with Slack

Prezi users can now receive Slack notifications when someone comments on, shares, edits or views a presentation.

Remote HD Presenting

Prezi Business users get a password-protected virtual meeting room where they can host remote presentations in much the same manner as Go To Meeting or WebEx.

Unlike the other two, however, Prezi doesn’t require the download of screen sharing software, and meetings can appear in HD, to prevent pixelation or delays. The platform also works on any device — desktop or mobile.

Customer Comments About Prezi

Corporate clients are singing Prezi’s praises:

“We use Prezi quite strategically and extensively from the top down, and we have won more business in the last five months than the previous five months using Prezi,” said David Ahrens, chief marketing officer at UBIC, a provider litigation and discovery software for law firms.

“Prezi Business is light years beyond PowerPoint,” said Jason Haskell, middle enterprise account manager at a large security and compliance company. “With Prezi Business, we can easily create presentations for our clients that are more engaging and memorable — helping us to better tell our story and win new business.”

Can Smaller Companies Use Prezi Business?

Prezi Business sounds like a good fit for enterprise organizations and corporate clients, but can small businesses make use of its many features? The answer is, likely, yes, with one possible exception: cost.

The benefits are certainly there:

• The new, more modern Prezi presentation software is more visually engaging than PowerPoint;

• The addition of analytics can help sales and marketing teams better understand what appeals to customers and what doesn’t;

• The ability to collaborate and interact on presentations makes it convenient for smaller companies with employees in remote locations, particularly for those already using Slack;

• The remote presentation feature is also something small businesses should welcome, especially since Prezi does not require the use of client-side software.

The only question has to do with price. Unlike the core product, which users can purchase for less than $5 per month, Prezi Business is sold on a per-seat license. The more people who use it, the more costly it becomes. Business owners would need to contact Prezi sales to get a firm estimate.

Prezi is a new generation of presentation software for a new generation of employees who favor collaboration and conversation over one-way communication. And it’s growing in popularity.

According to Arvai, Prezi’s 75 million global users have built more than 260 million “prezis,” with a total viewership of over 1.6 billion.

Prezi Business is available worldwide, starting today. To learn more, visit the Prezi Business website or click here to see a list of Prezi customers and presentations.

This article, "PowerPoint Alternative Prezi Introduces Analytics, Collaboration" was first published on Small Business Trends