OpenSlides

What is OpenSlides?

OpenSlides is a content management and presentation system specifically designed to meet the needs of conferences, meetings, and general assemblies. Unlike traditional presentation software such as PowerPoint or Google Slides, OpenSlides focuses on managing live meeting elements like agendas, motions, candidates, and also displaying slides and videos. It provides a unified interface for administrators and participants, facilitating the logistical workflow management of both large and small meetings. OpenSlides is developed as open-source software, meaning anyone can use, modify, and distribute it freely, with a community of developers continuously improving and updating it. The system typically runs on a local or cloud server and is accessed via a web browser, making it flexible and accessible across multiple devices.

Tangible Benefits of OpenSlides

• Integrated Meeting Management: OpenSlides enables comprehensive management of all aspects of a meeting, from the agenda to speeches and motions, through to voting and results. This feature reduces the need for multiple tools and ensures a smooth and efficient workflow. Users can add agenda items, assign speakers, and track time allocated for each item, ensuring precise organization for long and complex conferences.
• Flexible Presentation Capabilities: Despite its focus on meeting management, OpenSlides also offers robust content presentation capabilities. Users can easily upload PDF documents, display videos, and manage slides. It features a customizable display interface that allows full control over what is shown to the audience, with the option to display additional information only to administrators. This flexibility makes it suitable for a wide range of presentation requirements.
• Voting and Election Support: OpenSlides is a powerful tool for managing voting and election processes within meetings. It supports various types of voting (secret, public, multi-choice) and allows organizers to quickly set up votes and display results in real-time. This feature is crucial for organizations requiring transparency and accuracy in collective decision-making, such as general assemblies or board meetings.
• Collaboration and Customization: As open-source software, OpenSlides encourages collaboration and allows organizations to customize the system to suit their specific needs. Developers can modify the source code, add new features, or integrate it with other systems. This level of flexibility is not available in proprietary commercial solutions and allows for the creation of highly tailored solutions that meet the unique requirements of each organization.

How a Freelancer/Entrepreneur Can Practically Benefit to Increase Productivity or Income

Imagine you are an independent consultant specializing in organizing large-scale events or managing complex projects that require frequent meetings with multiple stakeholders. By using OpenSlides, you can significantly add value for your clients. Instead of relying on fragmented tools for agenda management, slide presentations, and decision tracking, you can set up an integrated OpenSlides system for your clients. You can customize it to match their brand identity and unique requirements, and then train their teams on how to use it. This not only saves them time and effort but also ensures that all meetings are conducted with high efficiency and transparency. You can charge fees for the setup, customization, maintenance, and technical support of the system. For example, you could offer a conference organizing company to set up and customize OpenSlides for their upcoming annual conference, including training their team on managing sessions and votes. This enhances your reputation as an expert capable of delivering advanced technical solutions and increases your income through specialized consulting and implementation services. It also opens doors to larger, more complex projects that require innovative event management solutions.

Smart Usage Tip

To maximize the benefits of OpenSlides, integrate it with visual communication tools like Zoom or Google Meet. Use OpenSlides to manage agendas, votes, and documents, while using the visual communication platform for audio and video interaction. You can share your OpenSlides screen with participants via the screen-sharing feature of the visual communication tool, providing a comprehensive and efficient meeting experience, especially for hybrid or remote meetings.

Links

• Official link