Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) about BoardEffect®
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How will my board learn how to use BoardEffect
Basic training for administrators and an orientation session for your full board is included in the price for BoardEffect. The training sessions are provided remotely via webinar.
In addition, BoardEffect can provide on-site, hands-on training at a reasonable cost. For more details on BoardEffect's training services, visit the Services section of this website.
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My board is not very tech-savvy. Is BoardEffect still appropriate?
BoardEffect is designed to be very user-friendly. You do not need to have any special technical knowledge to use BoardEffect. The layout, navigation, and user interface have been fully tested and refined with novice users in mind.
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What hardware and software are required to run BoardEffect
There is no special hardware required to run BoardEffect. Any computer connected to the Internet will do. There is no software to install to run BoardEffect since it uses your existing web browser. BoardEffect runs on all recent versions of Internet browsers, such as Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Safari, Google Chrome, and Opera.
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Can board members save scheduled events from the BoardEffect calendar to their personal calendar software?
Yes, BoardEffect synchronizes with most calendar software that uses "icalendar" files, including MS Outlook®.
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How long does it take from the time we sign up to launch BoardEffect?
Your BoardEffect is setup within 48 hours of your request or purchase. We will then setup a convenient time to conduct the training session for your administrators.
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What is the document storage limit?
Documents of all types can be stored in your resources/elibrary. PowerPoint files, spreadsheets, word-processing documents, PDF's, audio and video files. BoardEffect offers you unlimited storage space as part of your basic annual fee -- there are no additional fees for storage space.
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Does BoardEffect offer an iPad App?
Yes, BoardEffect's free iPad App is available through the Apple App Store exclusively for the iPad. The App allows directors to automatically download and annotate their meeting packets for upcoming board and committee meetings, and bring the device with them to the meeting instead of a paper packet.
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Can board members mark-up and annotate their copy of the meeting packet?
Yes - board members can review and annotate their meeting packets through BoardEffect in two ways:
- On a computer (PC, Mac, and Linux compatible), using BoardEffect's integrated annotation feature, board members can add "sticky notes," highlight text, draw circles and arrows, and underline/strike-through words or phrases.
- On an iPad, using BoardEffect's free integrated iPad App, board members can add "sticky notes," bookmarks, highlight text, draw, underline, and strike-through words or phrases.
The meeting materials, with all the notes that board members create, are available both online and off-line.
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Can board members review their meeting materials off-line?
Yes - board members can read their meeting packets offline either by downloading the packet as a secured PDF (available for use on any computer or mobile device), or through the integrated BoardEffect iPad App.
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Does BoardEffect support any other languages besides English?
Yes - in addition to English, BoardEffect is available in Chinese (Mandarin), Finnish, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Korean, Portuguese, Spanish, and Swedish, and supports all character sets for use in interactive features such as the Discussion Forums.
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How can I be sure that my BoardEffect portal is secure?
The BoardEffect system is hosted only at SAS-70 Type II and Safe Harbour Certified managed hosting facilities on dedicated, secured network servers. All data is stored encrypted and is protected with SSL encryption during any file transfers. Each portal is protected at the user level with unique login and password protocol set to meet each organization’s needs. At the system level, documents and meeting books inside BoardEffect can be password protected and users can be given specific access to various parts of the portal. The settings on each portal can also be tailored to meet your security requirements, such as:
- Two-factor authentication option (e.g., password plus security questions)
- Automatic log-out after a set period of inactivity
- Automatic lock-out after a certian number of bad password attempts
- Designating the portal as "view only" to restrict downloads of meeting materials from the portal, restricting users to viewing meeting packets only when they are online (through the web-based portal) and/or offline on an iPad through the integrated BoardEffect iPad App.
For more details about BoardEffect, please read “How We Ensure BoardEffect Security Is Secure”.
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Where is BoardEffect hosted, and where is my data being stored?
BoardEffect provides hosting facilities across the globe to accommodate your local privacy and security regulations.
Options for hosting include data centers within the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, and Hong Kong.
BoardEffect also recognizes that some organizations have unique project requirements, certain company policies, or the general need to host certain data in-house. In those cases BoardEffect can provide the option of a custom on-premise installation.
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How easy is it to create board books in BoardEffect?
Uploading documents in BoardEffect is an easy process. You simply add files from your local computer to Meeting Books, Resource Library, Committee Files, etc. All document types are accepted, including documents created in software such as Microsoft Office, Adobe, OpenOffice, WordPerfect, etc.
In creating Meeting Books, you have the ability to create templates that provide a consistent structure and flow for the Agenda of a Meeting. Templates can be completely customized to match the content of your typical meeting packets.
Only administrators can view, create, edit, or delete templates. Multiple templates can be created to fit the needs of different types of meeting – regular board meetings, committee meetings, etc. When you create a Meeting Book and pull in a Template, you can adapt the template for one specific meeting without affecting the original Template. You also can edit a template at any time to alter the template permanently.