GENESYS-PRIZM now available
GENESYS Sampling Systems introduces GENESYS-PRIZM, which makes it possible to develop telephone samples pre-coded with Claritas' PRIZM Cluster System. Whether RDD or listed household, GENESYS can provide samples pre-coded with PRIZM clusters, select samples using PRIZM-defined targets, PRIZM-code survey results, or code historical survey data-bases and customer files.
Service provides one-stop research project coordination
Chicago-based Fieldwork Inc. now offers anew service, 1-800-TO-FIELD. Fieldwork will set up, coordinate and monitor a qualitative study, including: scheduling studies at any Fieldwork facility or in cities without Fieldwork facilities; developing screeners with complete instructions; recruiting updates and daily reports; arranging client accommodations and travel directions.
VCAN offers videoconferencing
The Video Conferencing Alliance Network (VCAN), an alliance of 12 independently owned research firms, presents GroupNet, an interactive video conferencing service. Through GroupNet, clients in metro areas across the U.S. can view focus groups without leaving town and without investing in video equipment.
New portable scanner from NCS
National Computer Systems Inc., Minneapolis, has unveiled the OpScan 4 Scanner. The device is a quiet, full-featured, portable scanner that uses optical mark recognition technology, weighs 17 pounds and is contained in a slim-line chassis. The OpScan 4 compiles data generated by pen or pencil responses on custom or standard forms. The scanner directs data into a stand-alone PC, Macintosh or network system for further manipulation by off-the-shelf or custom applications. Scanning allows increased speed of data capture, virtual elimination of manual key entry and error tracking, decreased data processing costs, and improved accuracy. The OpScan 4 system can process up to 2,000 sheets per hour. The automatic feed hopper holds up to 100 sheets, and 16-level gray-scale discrimination capability differentiates erasures and smudges from valid marks.
Optional features that enhance the operation of the OpScan 4 include: bar code identification; a read head that scans both pen and pencil marks; a dual-side reflective read head that processes both sides of a document in a single pass; and a transport printer that provides appropriate feedback during scanning, with no loss of scanning speed. Ideal applications for the OpScan 4 include payroll processing, pre-employment testing, training and development surveys, customer satisfaction surveys, product and customerregistration forms, and conference evaluation forms.
Computer system monitor debuts
Contemporary Computer Services Inc., Lionville, Pa., has introduced Service Tracker, a system integrity monitor. The software system was designed for early detection of potential peripheral system problems. Service Tracker resides on a PC provided by CCSI and locally connected to a customer's host processor. It analyzes the system's error data on a real-time basis. When specific error conditions occur, or potentially harmful trends develop on a user's tape or DASD devices, Service Tracker triggers an alert to CCSF s Technical Support Center and forwards pertinent data regard the device in question for analysis by CCSI's technical support staff. CCSI can take appropriate action to prevent downtime.
The CCSI Service Tracker is currently designed to support IBM 3380 and 3390 DASD, IBM 3880 and 3990 Storage Controllers, and IBM 3420, 3480 and 3490 Tape Subsystems. Investext adds research reports of Japanese companies on CD-ROM.
The Investext Group, Boston, is offering two investment research products. The first is the Research Bank - Global Edition: investment research reports from the Investext database on CD-ROM. The Research Bank - Global Edition contains research from more than 250 investment banks worldwide. The reports appear in the exact format of the analyst's original, complete with text, charts and graphs. Over 750,000 pages are added to the database each year and new compact disk updates are issued every few days. The database comes with a state-of-the-art workstation that includes multiple CD drives; a high-resolution monitor with full-page viewing; and 16 page-per-minute printing. Windows-based software allows for searching and report retrieval. Three different workstation configurations are offered. There are no online charges or subscription fees, searching and viewing are free, and customers pay only for the pages they print.
Investext is also offering, online through its database, English-language profiles of Japanese companies. Some 3,000 profiles from Teikoku Databank, Japan's largest business credit agency, are now available, and close to 200,000 will be online by the end of 1994. Each report contains background information such as company address and telephone number, number of employees and shareholders, and details about the company's CEO. In addition, the reports offer financial data, including declared income, sales, profits and dividends, in both yen and U.S. dollars.
NFO software designed to streamline data use
NFO Research Inc., Greenwich, Conn., has unveiled a new proprietary software package for marketing researchers. The NFO SmartSystem is designed to save time and effort when analyzing the results of customer surveys. When NFO does a custom survey for a company, the SmartSystem provides the client with a means to access and navigate through tabulated data so the client can focus on the most important findings of the research. The SmartSystem also creates instant state-of-the-art graphic reports to communicate findings. NFO clients' tabular reports are loaded onto their own IBM-compatible PCs. There is no re-entry of data or programming involved. Users are guided by menus, and use their PC mice to select from a variety of options that let them call up and reformat their tabulated data, create summary data tables or produce customized graphs.
MRA conference set for June 8-10 in N.Y.
The Marketing Research Association will hold its annual conference on June 8-10 at the Waldorf-Astoria in New York City. Featured speakers include key research executives and former New York City Mayor Ed Koch, Ward Morehouse III, drama critic for the Christian Science Monitor and Reuters, Wade Downs, vice president of Home Shopping Network. They will address key industry topics including solutions to the problems of America's cities, the information superhighway, new quantitative and qualitative trends in the industry, and ho w to stay competitive in business.
Oxbridge publishes updated directory of newsletters
The 1994 edition of the Oxbridge Directory of Newsletters has been released by Oxbridge Communications Inc., New York. The directory lists over 22,000 newsletters, which are broken down by subject category. The largest listing of North American publications, the '94 edition includes regional, multi-publisher, online, title ASSN and name-change indices. Each listing includes an editorial focus, list rental rates, circulation figures, production, staff and advertising rates. The Oxbridge Directory of Newsletters is anannual 8-1/2-by 11-inch softcover directory, available for $395.
Conceptual Software unleashes Data Muncher
Conceptual Software, Houston, has issued Data Muncher, a new Windows program that retrieves and analyzes information from massive databases. Data Muncher combines a visual table modeling approach with a desktop publishing program's design features so database users can create cross tables to help interpret data, and publish or present reports. The software features pull-down menus and Windows' point and click operations; multiple fields so your table can have as many fields as you need to display and analyze data; nested fields, so you can subdivide the values of any field by any number of other fields (e.g., sales by salesperson, divided by territory, divided by product); value mapping so you can replace abbreviations with strings ("Product 1234" with "White Paint," for example); numerical data, and date and time data can be sorted in any manner and grouped into any number of ranges; and "drill down" (zoom) so you can see individual records. The program requires Windows 3.1, and system files occupy 2 MB on the disk. Data Muncher is available for $295.