Product eliminates response card

By Don Shilling

The company’s system can now be accessed through cell phones and computers.

YOUNGSTOWN — The area’s fastest-growing technology company aims to continue surging now that its audience response system is easier to use.

Turning Technologies introduced on Thursday the next generation of its product, which allows people to participate in polls without having to buy a response card.

ResponseWare Web can be accessed through cell phones, computers or other devices that are connected to the Internet.

“This is critical to us,” said Tony DeAscentis, company marketing director. “We have to continue to show innovation.”

Turning Technologies’ response system has become so popular the company has been expanding rapidly to keep up with demand. The company moved into a new building on West Federal Street in April and now employs 147, up from 105 a year ago.

Until now, people would use a small response card to punch in answers to questions presented by a teacher or corporate trainer. Responses are totaled immediately and incorporated into Microsoft PowerPoint presentations.

The new system allows users to punch in a single response or offer fill-in-the-blank or essay responses using the keyboard on their phone or computer.

DeAscentis said the new product eliminates the need to buy response cards because answers can be filed using any Web-enabled device. Response cards still can be used, however.

The product is important because there is a huge push by colleges to offer students technology they can use without having to buy additional hardware, DeAscentis said.

The system can be used without having to download software or make adjustments to firewalls inside a computer. Users link into the system through the Turning Technologies Web site. They punch in a code given by the instructor and are logged in, in a matter of seconds, DeAscentis said.

Turning Technologies also announced that AT&T has certified the system and will be offering it as it sells technology products to colleges.

DeAscentis said colleges will be the biggest users of the new system at first, but it also will be sold to corporations and local school districts. Some schools are providing mobile devices or laptops to younger students, so this system would allow them to use the polling offered by Turning Technologies, DeAscentis said.

shilling@vindy.com