QSR NVivo 8 new features include include the following:

• NVivo sports an Office 2007-like interface.
• Import, sort and analyze virtually any piece of information in any language, including videos, interview recordings, documents, digital photos, etc.
• NVivo 8 works with transcripts or without them and has the capability to work directly with audio and video files.
• Built-in media players allow you to watch/listen to multimedia without leaving the program.
• You can now merge separate projects together but still keep track of who did what including project notes.
• NVivo 8 lets you share files and findings (including multimedia) with folks who don’t have NVivo.
• You can now compare the analysis done by different individuals and teams and get a report of what percentage is the same.
• NVivo 8 has chart making ability (including 3D charts)
• This version adds something called “coding stripes” that “reflect research factors such as gender, age or income and watch them evolve over time.”
• New web-based, animated tutorial system.

This isn’t a review — all I’ve done so far is watch the animated demo of the software (which is very lovely and educational). But if you’re looking for a flexible tool you can use to manage all of the data you collect from your qualitative research projects, NVivo 8 might be worth looking into.

QSR offers NVivo 8 for a variety of different prices, depending on who you are and how many copies you buy. A full academic license is available for $595 with $119 annual maintenance. Upgrade from version NVivo 7 to NVivo 8 cost $210. A student edition is available for $240. Meanwhile, a commercial NVivo license costs $2,085 with $417 a year maintenance.

• Nvivo 8 Free Trial Download
• NVivo 8 Product Information
• New Features List
• Review of NVivo 7 at the Learning Curve

Highlights of nQual Rich Focus (according to Tim’s review) include the fact that it is extremely easy to use; it’s easy to present a wide variety of stimulus material; it offers a variety of innovative research techniques and it provides a transcript immediately following the session. Negatives of package include the fact that all participants must use Window-based systems (Internet Explorer, to be specific); it is not yet completely self-service and it only supports real-time groups.

nQual is a London-based company — which implies London-based servers, which may or may not mean latency in the connection (I’m not sure why there would be, but it’s worth thinking about ). The cost of a single group is around $900 although volume discounts are available.

• Read Tim Macer’s review of nQual Rich Focus
• nQual Rich Focus web site

Next, a live Zoomerang moderator conducts your focus group online using their own proprietary focus group/chat software. You can watch the focus group as it proceeds from your own computer. Note that the Zoomerang Online Focus interface is fairly interactive and allows participants to write, type and draw on a white board that everyone can see and further allows them to participate in exercises devised by the moderator.

Shortly after the focus groups are over, Zoomerang sends you a final report with recommendations and conclusions, as well as a transcript of all chat discussions, recording of online comments and full audio feedback.

Pricing for Zoomerang Focus Groups is as follows: one group costs $5900 plus incentive ($240 – $800). If you want to use members from Zoomerang’s panel, the cost is around $1200. For two sets of focus groups, the price drops to $11k + incentive ($240-$800) + optional Zoomerang panel ($1.6k).

MarketTools is certainly not the first company to offer online focus groups — other companies include e-Focusgroups, iTracks, GMI, and others.

Susan also offers some perspective of how she prices research and how much you should spend.

Read the full story and view the chart at Customer Experience Crossroads.