Any Questions? Raise Your Ehand

For immediate release

Any Questions? Raise Your Ehand

CHRISTCHURCH, 15 March 2010 –

Forget the fear of raising your hand to ask a question in public, Christchurch company Texsys have released eHand, an audience response system which allows people to submit their question during a speech, lecture or similar, via text message, without speaking aloud.

Using their mobile phone, the audience can type a text message and send it directly to the speaker, who can view the messages via a private display in real-time. All messages are filtered for inappropriate content, meaning the speaker is accurately able to field quality questions from the audience, selecting those he/she would like to answer.

Designed to increase flailing engagement and interaction within New Zealand audiences, the system was launched on Friday at the New Zealand Rural General Practice conference and used by Minister of Health, Hon. Tony Ryall, during his keynote speech at the event. New Zealand Rural General Practice Network chairman, Kirsty Murrell-McMillan, said that Mr. Ryall “was able to interact with the audience and get a good feel for what the audience wanted to know.”

Director of Texsys, Adam Hutchinson says, “I often hear from overseas lecturers and speakers here in New Zealand how unresponsive we are as an audience. It’s not that we’re not interested; it’s just that we seem reluctant to step out of our comfort zone, feeling embarrassed to ask. More often than not, those who ask the questions are the ones who achieve results, while many others have the burning desire to ask a question but are afraid to.”

The eHand system, with patent pending, is set to revolutionise the audience participation in New Zealand, and has been welcomed by operators around the country. General Manager of Mobile Surgical Services, Mark Eager, is positive about eHand. “It’s a great way to listen to the audience. This system allows people to submit their questions anonymously and get straight to the point, contributing to an increase in audience participation, which can lead to a rise in productive outcomes for both audiences and business.”

The eHand system ensures that as a nation, we are able to manage our fear of embarrassment, while maintaining productivity through a higher participation rate. One audience member at Friday’s Rural General Practice conference stated, “it was a buzz being able to ask a question while seated, the person next door not knowing I’d asked, then having it acknowledged by Mr. Ryall. I would have never asked it otherwise.”

“We are very excited about the fact there are a number of companies and learning institutes around the country, where eHand could be very effective. We believe this product has a wide application, so the opportunity to increase interaction with audiences throughout New Zealand could be great,” says Hutchinson.

About Texsys

Texsys is a Christchurch based company producing digital interactive communication systems. Based at the Powerhouse Incubator, the company provides innovative customer feedback and reporting solutions to District Heath Boards, restaurants, libraries and other service orientated industries, and focuses on supplying custom made applications that are easier for the customer to use, benefiting the business through real-time analysis, reporting and insights. eHand is an audience response system developed by Texsys to increase interaction and engagement with audiences.

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