What is "powermeeting"

Powermeeting is a web-based synchronous groupware which allows users to conduct group activities in a well-coordinated group process. It integrates text and voice instant messaging and task-specific computational support to facilitate the group work. Groupware or collaborative software is aimed to assist the work of the members in the group in order to achieve a common goal. Powermeeting was developed by Dr. Weigang Wang from Manchester Business School. Since it is a web-based application, no installation is required. The only prerequisite for using such application is the common skill to use a Web browser. Several groupware gadgets have been included in the system, each of which serves as a tool for a specific collaborative activity. For more details about its theoretical and technical frameworks underlying the design of the system, you can visit its web site at http://www.PowerMeeting.co.uk/?utm_source=wiki&utm_medium=s&utm_campaign=h. A trial version of the system can also be accessed from the web site. A meeting process in PowerMeeting consists of a sequence of agenda items. Each agenda item is an instantiated groupware tool for its corresponding group activity. Powermeeting allows participants to join in a cooperative session as either a Session Chair or a guest/registered participant (See the figure below). Session chair has the right to create a new session, switch the session among pre-meeting, in-meeting, and post-meeting modes, and control the meeting process in the in-meeting mode. Yet as an un-registered guest or a registered participant, one can follow the meeting process (i.e. to go through each agenda item) led by the session chair (in the in-meeting mode). In the pre- or post-meeting mode, the navigation in the process structure is not coupled; participants can work on the same or different agenda items.