When it comes to features, security and reliability AwardForce does not stack up to OpenWater.
What does AwardForce have to offer?
AwardForce boasts an attractive interface, but upon closer inspection you’ll see many limitations.
First, many of AwardForce’s features, listed below, require extra fees. This is confusing after an agreement is signed. No one likes surprise bills!
Second, AwardForce’s interface is fine if you operate a single award program. However, most organizations offer multiple programs (awards, grants, scholarships, fellowships etc.). Multi-program support is standard with OpenWater. With OpenWater’s dashboard you can view all your programs at once.
AwardForce’s limitations may seem an acceptable trade-off for pretty design. However, there are serious consequences.
Data Protection, Security, and Compliance
AwardForce is not compliant with many critical data protection and security standards. AwardForce requires major upgrades to become certified in each of these areas. This could take years of development and disruption for AwardForce clients.
Missing standards include:
- PCI Compliance (Payment Card Industry Data Security Standard)
- Section 508 Compliance (Online access for people with disabilities)
- HIPPA Compliance (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act)
- GDPR Compliance (General Data Protection Regulation)
OpenWater is fully compliant with each of these standards. Moreover, the majority of client work takes place in a protected data environment in metro Washington, D.C., one of the most secure locations on the planet. OpenWater clients may choose to store data in the country of their choice.
Advanced Marketing Capabilities
Every application and review program requires marketing. The OpenWater platform offers many advanced marketing features — standard — that AwardForce does not offer at all.
With OpenWater, you enjoy:
- Website Builder (Create a professional site for each program you manage)
- Website Templates (Customize designs to your needs)
- Personalize, Schedule, and Track Emails (Crucial to successful marketing)
- Birds Eye View of Activities (See exactly what is needed in real time)
Learn about more marketing capabilities using OpenWater’s support team. Every OpenWater client works with a full support team. A guaranteed response time built into all agreements. OpenWater’s average response time is under 20 minutes.
Advanced Applicant Features
AwardForce has limited features for applicants and judges.
OpenWater understands you have multiple audiences. Applicants, finalists, judges, and winners each require different things. Easily configure our platform to communicate with each audience.
OpenWater’s standard configurations include:
- Limited Public Voting (by category, vote, or vote frequency)
- Public Voting (Daily leaderboard)
- Automatic Fraud Detection (Voting integrity)
- Option to Combine Public/Private Judging Results
Entry / Application Submission
Judging / Evaluation / Assessment
Marketing / Promotion
Management
Customer Support
Security, Privacy, Integration, & Compliance
Final Analysis
AwardForce is attractive-looking software suitable for low-volume use. AwardForce is not suitable for growth-oriented organizations. AwardForce presents three primary concerns: questionable data ownership, flawed data security, and limited data compliance. Moreover, the software’s features are confused by three pricing and service tiers.
OpenWater is a robust platform. There is no confusion about data ownership, use, or compliance. OpenWater offers multiple, configurable features suitable for growing organizations. All features and services are included. OpenWater is the system of choice.
You Can Count on OpenWater
98.7% Customer Satisfaction
6/7 Global Continents with OpenWater clients (all but Antarctica!)
3,474+ Programs Managed on OpenWater
3,324,698+ Applications Processed
99.9%+ System Uptime
35 Employees