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http://www.swivel.com/ References [1] IPSN'07 Overview. Data sharing and Interoperability on the world-wide Sensor Web. http://research.microsoft.com/ [2] Features page 2010 from: http://www.swivel.com/ [3] Cuff, D et al. 2008 Urban Sensing: Out of the Woods. Communications of the ACM. Vol 51, No 3.Retrieved on 3/4/2010 from: http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.slv.vic.gov.au/ehost/

Swivel Co-founders Dmitry Dimov and Brian Mulloy describe their company as "YouTube for Data." The Swivel site allows users to upload any data and display it visually to other users. Users can upload any type of data for rating, commenting and bookmarking by other users. Graphs of the data can also be used and embedded into other websites. (Arrington, 2006) Any data on Swivel can be compared to any other data regardless of whether or not there is any correlation. Arrington (2006) remarks that it is possible to compare data as diverse as "gas prices to presidential approval ratings or UFO sightings to iPod sales". Not all data is made public though. Swivel provides a free service for public data but also offers a premium service whereby, for a fee, data can be stored privately, still allowing the owner to compare their private data to public data sets. (Arrington, 2006) In comparison to Swivel, similar data sharing capabilities are offered by IBM's Many Eyes http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/. Many Eyes allows users to create more complex graphs such as network illustrations, which depict nodes and connections as well as treemaps that present data as groups of nested rectangles. (Butler, 2007) Brent Edwards, director of the Starkey Hearing Research Center in Berkeley, California, points out that journals could move science forward much more effectively by using the Internet to share information. He says "I'm often frustrated by my inability to analyse in a different way data that are printed in peer-reviewed publications, when I'm interested in looking at a relationship that the authors didn't think of". If journals and research organisations linked the raw data behind their papers to collaborative software tools such as Swivel and Many Eyes, he argues, "it would have considerable value to the scientific community as a whole". (Butler, 2007)

References Arrington, M. (2006, December 5). Swivel Aims To Become The Internet Archive For Data . TechCrunch . Retrieved April 7, 2010, from http://techcrunch.com/2006/12/05/swivel-to-launch-this-week-communitize-your-data/ Butler, D. (2007). Data sharing: the next generation. Nature, 446, 10-11. Many Eyes. (n.d.). Many Eyes. Retrieved April 7, 2010, from http://manyeyes.alphaworks.ibm.com/manyeyes/

Google Docs is a free application provided by Google in which team members can collaborate online for free. Google Docs offers the ability to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations online. Google Docs offers you the ability to share your documents with whoever you choose and has different settings depending on your needs. You can set the file to either be viewed by other people and or edited as well. One of the advantages of an application such as Google docs is that you have no need to download or upload data. Online storage also reduces the risk of loss of data due to computer crashes. Google Docs offers a number of export options and formats which you can save your files in. Google.com states that they offer "DOC, XLS, CSV, ODS, ODT, PDF, RTF and HTML formats." Online collaboration can take place in real time so that employees can automatically follow the changes and or contribute. Murray, 2010, Describes Web 2 applications such as Google Docs as "Web 2.0 technologies can be modified, remixed, adapted, and displayed in a multitude of variations, allowing for highly customizable workflows to be developed with little effort." Dekeyser and Watson state that "We found the interface to be very usable, effective, and efficient. In addition, setting up collaboration with colleagues proved to be exceedingly simple. We suggest that Google Docs is an excellent platform for ad hoc collaboration on document creation." Overall Google docs is an excellent option for a free collaboration tool that will allow you to operate anywhere. Google is currently improving Google Docs with new features such as being able to upload any file and language translation. Google States that "We're still working to make Google Docs a better place, and we're listening closely to your suggestions".

Commentary on specific collaborator features of Google Docs Google Docs is a great document editor and word processor alternative to Microsoft Word which makes collaboration on a document easy. Before the introduction of Google Docs, you were required to send documents around via email, hover over your colleagues back or ensure that only one of you were editing the document at a time and still require a method to ensure the document is going in the direction desired. Then Google Docs introduced the ability to have more than one person edit a single online document in much the same way as a wiki. You would edit, save, refresh, see and take into account your partners' edits who would then repeat the same process. Recently Google Docs has adopted a feature from another Google product, Wave, something that had been present in the Docs spreadsheet application for a while but absent from Google Docs Document, Presentation and Drawing. Google Docs introduced real time collaborative editing (Rochelle, 2010). Real time collaborative editing allows two or more people to work on a single document simultaneously and instantly see the changes each other is making (Rochelle, 2010). To aid this Google Docs integrates a chat feature (Rochelle, 2010) and comments. Chat allows real time communication outside the document but in the same window maintaining focus. Comments allow commentary on specific parts of a document to be made. Useful when you want to suggest a change but are not entirely sure or you dislike the change your colleague has just made. Unlike chat, the contents of comments stay put between edits, allowing notes be to left for when another person is editing the document.

Google Docs also integrates version tracking for documents allowing you to see which changes were made by who and when (Ross, 2009). The ability also exists to revert to previous revisions of a document (Google, 2010) in case you make a mistake or a decision does not pan out. These revisions are created during auto-save and when you specifically save (automatic on exit of a document). Google. (2010). Tools: Revision history. Retrieved April 21, 2010, from Google Docs Help: http://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=92199 Gralla, P. (2010, April 22). Google Docs better; ready to take on Office? Retrieved April 22, 2010, from BusinessWeek: http://www.businessweek.com/idg/2010-04-22/google-docs-better-ready-to-take-on-office-.html Rochelle, J. (2010, April 12). A new Google Docs. Retrieved April 20, 2010, from Google Docs Blog: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-google-docs.html Ross, G. (2009, August 10). Google Docs Review. Retrieved April 20, 2010, from Notebook Review: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5281&review=google+docs+review

ActiveCollab is a server side project management tool, which allows for collaborative work between the team, clients and contractors [1]. The software is suitable for use by a group of three or more people. Travis King describes the learning curve as fairly simple, with short descriptions on what each element does and it has a straightforward set-up system for users [2]. Main features: · Project milestones · Discussions · File sharing · Joint calendars · Time tracking · Forums Other features: · Export calendars to Outlook, iCal, or Google Calendar. · Can work from Blackberry, iPhone, or other XHTML enabled mobile device. · Client login to milestones and discussions. · Available through your own server - PHP5.0 or higher · Outright purchase, no ongoing monthly fees · Customise look · Multi-lingual Multiple projects can be created and run concurrently, and with the project milestone application, tasks within each milestone can be set in place for completion before moving on to the next milestone. Management and invoicing are seamless when sharing data, creating time logs and tasks, which are all located under the one application. Billing and payments are tracked through the time reports. This data can also be used to refine and analyse each project. The evolution of files can be tracked through time log categorising. Clients, teams and contractors can all contribute to the files without losing any relevant information, thus assisting in the streamlining of sharing, commenting and organising. Email integration also allows for notification to all collaborators regarding new projects and tasks, or upgrades on file versions. Plugins and extensions are easily integrated and customisation of the interface is simple with full source code being made available for complete customisation. This is significant for security reasons alone.

activeCollab is a project management & collaboration tool that can be set up on a client's server, and accessed from the local network [1]. activeCollab written in PHP, is a complete suite of applications providing invoicing, mail, file sharing, drag and drop task management, time tracking and the ability to set customised roles and permissions for users [1]. activeCollab's wide range of applications are extendible and customisable with import and export functions for updates and reports [1]. 'The Web Squeeze' gives activeCollab a score of 4.5 out of 5 and says, 'It is a true lifesaver to a busy designer who needs a good management tool.' [3]. activeCollab started life as a free open source project but in 2006 it re-emerged as a fee based product [3]. Corporate and small business licences are attractively priced [1]. Similar products include Basecamp [4], Teambox [5] and Projectmanager.com [6]. Basecamp offers the same application functionality for the high-end of the market with their own server and storage solution at substantially higher fees [4]. Teambox is an open source product built with Ruby on Rails but it does not appear to have an active nor a strong support base [5]. Projectmanager.com has an attractive dashboard interface and like Basecamp its online provisioning & storage is reflected in their higher subscription fees [6]. 'The Web Squeeze' review and the '5thirtyone' review recommend the activeCollab as a relevant, useful project management & collaboration tool for providing good value to clients who can install their product on a reliable server [2][7]. ------------- see References below

References [1] A51 d.o.o. (n.d.). 'activeCollab - Project Management and Collaboration Tool'. Retrieved April 5, 2010 from http://www.activecollab.com/ [2] Haug, J. (2008). 'ActiveCollab Review'. The Web Squeeze. Retrieved April 5, 2010 from http://www.thewebsqueeze.com/product-and-software-reviews/activecollab-review.html [3] A51 d.o.o. (2008). 'About A51'. Retrieved April 5, 2010 from http://www.a51dev.com/about [4] 37signals. (2010). 'Project management, collaboration, and task software: Basecamp'. Retrieved April 6, 2010 from http://basecamphq.com/ [5] Teambox. (n.d.). 'Teambox | Project collaboration'. Retrieved April 6, 2010 from http://www.teambox.com/ [6] Project Manager Online Ltd. (2010). 'Project Management Software Online: Project Manager.com'. Retrieved April 6, 2010 from http://projectmanager.com/ [7] Punsalan, D. (20060. 'activeCollab project management'. 5ThirtyOne. Retrieved April 6, 2010 from http://5thirtyone.com/archives/467

Virtual servers, Cloud computing and Software-as-a-service,(SaaS), are all pioneering new innovative value-adding utilities. Gmail, Hotmail, YouTube, are a few SaaS tools already known to most people, but now the Internet is exploding with collaborative services and applications. With peer pressure from Google's Google docs and other web-based software developers, giant software companies like Microsoft, Adobe, SAP etc are all launching into web-based applications. [1] Microsoft's (Light) Office app will be available for free with Office 2010.[2] Even hardware technology are pointing to "slim-down" operating systems like netbooks that have little data storage capabilities, no moving parts and only connects and rely on the internet [1] CRM, Customer Relations Management and ERP; Enterprise Resource Planning are the most popular applications that companies are taking up as web-collaborative applications. ***Now Engineering design are available in the cloud. SolidWorks CEO, Jeff Ray says the one prevailing advantage to all customers is cost. [4]

[1] Patrick Stafford 2009 How cloud computing could change your business and save you thousands. Retrieved on 4/4/2010 from:http://www.smartcompany.com.au/ [2] Lia Timson 2010 Word, Excel, Powerpoint-free on the web. Retrieved 4/4/2010 from: http://www.watoday.com.au/technology/ [3]SolidWorks website. Retrieved on 4/4/2010 from: http://www.solidworks.com/sw/products/free-cad-software-downloads.htm [4] Johnson, A. 2010. CAD moves to the clouds. Retrieved on 4/4/2010 from:http://www.manmonthly.com.au/Article/CAD-moves-to-the-clouds/514146.aspx

SolidWorks offers improved collaboration between CAD team members as they can share designs with one another and external partners. Another important feature is the SolidWorks User Group Network (SWUGN) [1]. The SolidWorks User Group Network is arrange geographically and offers users a valuable resource, the ability to network with local peers and partners helping businesses become more productive. It also connects global users, assisting them with improved understanding of SolidWorks features and SolidWorks related products. Users are able to network with peers to share experiences and technical queries and methodologies. [1] SolidWorks User Network Group, available from: http://www.swugn.org/swugn/benefits.htm

Officemedium is an online collaborative package for business which offers centralized collaboration, client integration, security, organization and social platforming. One of the features of Officemedium is the client integration which allows the business to create user accounts for their clients which allows them to access only the information meant for them. The software is simplistic and centralised. According to Officemedium their product is "Unlike most business software, our application is easy to use and stripped of over-complicated, unnecessary clutter." Officemedium uses a concept of Clients, Employee and Super User which allows differing levels of access and integration. Whereas there are many business applications that are similar, ReadWriteStart which is a resource guide for first time businesses, describes officemedium as "Topping their list is Officemedium, a service we profiled last fall which provides a wide variety of collaborative features wrapped up in an elegantly designed interface." Business Pundit lists the advantage of Officemedium as follows: "Features: * Client integration * Contact information management * Task management * Event coordination * Personal and group calendars * File sharing and storage * Resource and document management * Shared blogging * Real-time chat * Private messaging * Status updates * User profiles * Polling * Searching and tagging * Email updates and notifications Continued...............

OfficeMedium is a "web-based intranet and social collaboration software" (McCue, 2010) allowing businesses to bring together their daily business and communication needs in one central location. OfficeMedium is targeted towards small and medium businesses, (About, n.d.) providing an application that is simple and easy to use. Since OfficeMedium provides a working environment online, it is accessible remotely (OfficeMedium, n.d.) and takes away the need for servers, installation and upgrade of software and data backups. (About, n.d.) The software provides "file sharing and storage, event and task management, contact and company information storage". (About, n.d.) In doing this, it places all data in a central location, avoiding dilemmas of misplaced data from unorganised methods of communication such as email, phone or instant message. These forms of communication can sometimes make it difficult to monitor and locate data on a particular project. Progress of all projects and anything related can be viewed through a simple dashboard which offers real-time collaboration. (OfficeMedium, n.d.) Some features include "task and event management, personal and group calendars, contact management, to file sharing and storage". (McCue, 2010) Managers, staff and clients can access and input information in these areas, depending on their user level. OfficeMedium allows three levels of users. (McCue, 2010) These levels determine the amount of access a user has. They are: Client: Allows least access. Can allow client to view and give feedback to documents. Employee: Greater access than client. Able to view a greater amount of data and can input content. Superuser: Has full access. Is able to see and manage all areas

Reference: About. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2010, from http://www.officemedium.com/about McCue, T. (2010). Small Business Collaboration Software: Office Medium. Retrieved April 17, 2010, from http://smallbiztrends.com/2010/04/small-business-collaboration-software-office-medium.html OfficeMedium. (n.d.). Retrieved April 17, 2010, from http://www.officemedium.com/

Collaber is a virtual office that holds user information secure on a dedicated server, working on both Intranets and Extranets. The multi-platform (such as Windows, Linux and Mac) project management software allows for communication and sharing of data in a password-protected online environment. Educational institutions can benefit by creating virtual classrooms with file sharing and live interaction utilising the attractive graphics. First-time users immediately gain an understanding of available features by viewing the short video tutorials available on every feature, further enhancing the overall perception of ease of use. A demo page is also available to work through the complete process of engaging online collaboration with Collaber [1]. Collaber' features will soon include online account management for mobiles [1]. Editors are context sensitive with wizards improving file and picture sharing. Discussions and Chat tools features a time line and instant messaging with attachments. A review by Business Hacks [4] points out the value of the quantity of services Collaber offers its users and also mention the quality of interactive visuals used to enhance the user' experience of the software. Features include [1]: * Searchable contacts with changeable status and profile * Instant messaging with file and picture sharing * Drag and drop functionality to share files and folders * Task management tools to assign tasks to members and track progress * Application tool designer * Discussions, Wiki's and polls

A review by PR-inside.com [3] of Collaber' features view the highlights as: * Web version with unified account * Multi calendar with similar functionality to Google App's Calendar * Improved HTML editor * Keyboard short cuts * Advanced alerts and support * Compatibility with web applications, especially attractive to application store developers * New filters enabling items found by tags, date, members, status and more References: [1] Collaber (2007). Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://www.collaber.com [2] SoftSea (n.d.). 'Online Project Management'. Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://www.softsea.com/review/Collaber.html [3] PR-inside (2007). 'Web based multi-platform collaboration software released'. Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://www.pr-inside.com/print1414291.htm [4] BNet insight (2009). 'Collaborate in an online share workspace with Collaber'. Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://blogs.bnet.com/businesstips/?p=3648

Central Desktop is a SaaS (Software-as-a-Service) social technology tool that allows global online collaboration between multiple users within organisations. The flexibility of Software-as-a-Service or SaaS for short, is that it allows organisations to rent the use of developed software, without the costs involved in maintaining licensing and continual upgrading to the latest product [5]. Central Desktop offers low cost, scalable SaaS solutions, advanced enterprise security, support, secure online meetings, centralised IT and staff resources and Salesforce.com integration. In 2009, Central Desktop announced Zoho Projects as online spreadsheet partner [2]. Central Desktop offers a range of plans to cater for different industries, with a 30-free trial option. Plans are available as the Workgroup edition, the Enterprise edition and the Community edition. Central Desktop offers risk free, Upgrade Anytime and Cancel Anytime options and no cancellation fees. The upgraded 2.0 version announced in February of 2010, offers wizards, templates with drop-down menus and an online file viewer that is compatible with Microsoft Office, Adobe PDF and Photoshop, JPEG and TIF [3]. YouTube [4] offers an overview of the database features available through Central Desktop. According to Central Desktop it "is a Web-based collaboration software solution that allows users to securely organize, share and communicate from a single online location. With no software or hardware to install, organizations using Central Desktop can increase revenue, maximize productivity and improve project management. Central Desktop offers a full suite of collaboration tools, including wikis, document sharing, Web conferencing, task management and shared calendars. Central Desktop also features a fully integrated micro-blogging tool that allows users to post their status and syndicate their updates out to other social networks like Twitter and Facebook" [1].

Customers of Central Desktop include the Humane Society of the U.S., CBS, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Avid Technology, Omniture, InterContinental Hotel Group and the University of Wisconsin-Madison [1]. Central Desktop has received a range of awards and recognition from industry peers since it's founding in 2005. The latest awards received are the 2010 Hot Technology Companies and the 2010 Hot 90 Award - Southern California [1]. References: [1] CentralDesktop (2010). Retrieved April 09, 2010 from http://www.centraldesktop.com/about-press [2] CrunchBase (2010). Retrieved April 09, 2010 from http://www.crunchbase.com/company/central-desktop [3] PcWorld (2010). Retrieved April 09, 2010 from http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/189948/central_desktops_20_upgrade_focuses_on_user_interface.html [4] CentralDesktop overview (2007). Retrieved April 10, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MG_ajNsJvqU&feature=related [5] What is SaaS (n.d.). Retrieved April 09, 2010 from http://www.whatissaas.net/

With 275,000+ customers……"Central Desktop is a heavy-hitter in the online collaboration arena. It's used by companies such as Sony, Adobe, J.D. Power and Associates and Greenpeace…" [1] Benefits of central desktop are: * Does not require you to download any software. It is 100% web based. * Data can be exported from CentralDesktop ®. * Three types of workspace options for teams, the company at large, and external customers. * Avoids the need of using multiple passwords, usernames, and products to share information and collaborate with teams. * 5 different levels of security and protection. * Strong support from customer base that is over 200,000 strong and received a number of awards touting the software. " [2] "Central desktop offers real-time collaboration for your team members. With the web meetings and audio conferencing features you can also collaborate with customers or partners by voice, sharing screens or remote presentation. Central Desktop also integrates with Skype (with voice supported), Yahoo, MSN Messenger, AIM, ICQ and Jabber, centralizing all your communication".[1] "Their next moves include upgrading mobile device support, and providing an enhanced API, as well as increasing the ability to customize for verticals. Recent research has indicated that collaboration will be one of the major growth uses of mobile devices so this is timely. Central Desktop also plans to set up a marketplace where customers can share templates. [3] References: [1] The Mobility Guy http://www.themobilityguy.com/2009/06/27/mini-review-online-collaboration-with-central-desktop/ [accessed April 14, 2010]. [2] Business Services Insider, http://www.businessservicesinsider.com/Web-Conference-Calling-Services/Central-Desktop-Review.html [accessed April 14, 2010]. [3] Appopedia, http://www.theappgap.com/reviews?product=Central+Desktop [accessed April 14, 2010].

A low-cost standards-based online video collaboration client, the Radvision Scopia Desktop, provides a 'real-time', seamless, High Definition, audio-video conferencing and data collaboration solution. [2] [4] Radivision's core technology includes multipoint control units (enabling more than 2 sites), gateways (enabling connection of legacy ISDN videoconferencing systems) and gatekeepers (used to manage video calling on the network) and supports both Windows and Mac platforms. This technology provides the ability to integrate with third-party desktop and room-based conferencing systems meeting the demands of high-performance videoconferencing systems with the standard PC and Internet connection. [1] Participants seamlessly connect with other employees, tele-workers, suppliers or clients (using their existing webcam and headset eliminating the need to invest in additional software/hardware) simply by downloading the application for free by clicking on a link contained in a meeting invitation. Conferences are easily scheduled through Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes and the application is both Microsoft and Mac compatible. Meetings can include connections to any standards-based telephone, videoconferencing or telepresence system as well as 3G mobile device allowing for simultaneous audio, video, data and chat. [1] The Scopia Desktop collaboration tool offers: [1] * High Definition viewing of participants as well as content * clear high-quality audio with no delay or distortion * high-quality image maintained even though regardless of internet connection speed * the ability for both in-house/external participants to connect through a built-in firewall traversal feature * meeting mediation * digital recording of the audio, video and data for web streaming The Scopia solution has been adopted by commercial, government and academic sectors looking for a robust, easy-to-use and cost-effective solution to their conferencing collaboration n

SCOPIA's high definition, video conferencing and collaboration facilities enable multiple users to connect in virtual meeting rooms simultaneously, with optimised capacity for up to 48 HD video participants, 72 SD participants and 96 audio participants. Features include data collaboration and presentation sharing, with encryption protocols for secure conferencing, password protection with multiple user access levels (administrator, operator and user), multi-lingual support and meeting scheduling via Microsoft Outlook or Lotus Notes [4]. With minimal setup time required and easy plug and play, SCOPIA offers service providers and business enterprise virtual communication solutions that are reliable and cost-effective. SCOPIA offers highly scalable configurations from 4 slots to 18 slots, with unmatched flexibility across a range of HD and SD rooms systems, desktops and 3G mobile video [3]. The Israeli video network infrastructure provider Radvision, announced at the beginning of 2010 full integration between its SCOPIA conferencing platform and IBM Lotus Sametime 8.5. According to Roberto Giamagli, Radvision's General Manager for networking business, "SCOPIA delivers to Sametime the functionality and connectivity to existing video conferencing deployments that many administrators consider mandatory" [2]. TelBitConsulting.com demonstrates this highly efficient video conferencing facility via YouTube, utilising the data transferring, text chat and audio features in a virtual meeting between various users [1].

References: [1] YouTube review by TelBitConsulting.com (2008). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Li7nCZ0Q6qw [2] iStockAnalyst (2010). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.istockanalyst.com/article/viewiStockNews/articleid/3794865 [3] Rapid (2005). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.rapid.co.uk/scopia_conferencing_platforms.html [4] Sony (n.d.). Retrieved April 15, 2010 from http://pro.sony-asia.com/product/scopia+72b

LinkedIn is an interconnected network of experienced professionals and attracts and retains regular visitors from around the world [1], you can find, be introduced to, and collaborate with qualified professionals that can assist you to accomplish your goals. Successful organizations recognize the immense value of integrating their client-facing operations and internally-focused, department-centric views are discarded in favor of processes toward information-sharing, collaborate on projects, gather data, share and solve problems. [2] This type of collaborative profile networking results in greater business opportunities and generates insights from talents and knowledge from outside the organization. This, in turn allows organisations to recruit from the best talent. LinkedIn Groups [3] offer communities of professionals based on common interest, experience, affiliation, and goals. Stay in touch with organizations, schools, and companies that you are and were a part of, network with professionals with similar interests and goals, and collaborate in a professional community online.

...continued from post above.... Why does LinkedIn work so well for individuals? Network theorists such as Mark Granovetter and Albert-Laszlo Barabasi believe that professionals tend to network outside their usual group of friends when looking for career opportunities and usually belong to more than one network. [5] According to Pamela Rutledge, Ph.D. "this creates a connection that is psychologically more comfortable and conducive to a positive interaction. Call it transitive trust. The reciprocity and shared community of online networks builds a sense of camaraderie and trust between members and provides an element of emotional support". [5]

References: [1] Butow, E. & Taylor, K. (2008). 'How to succeed in business using LinedIn'. Amacom. Retrieved from URL: http://www.amacombooks.org/book.cfm?isbn=9780814410745&page=ReviewQuotes [2] 'Why LinkedIn? My Top Ten Reasons'. Powerful CMS. Retrieved from URL: http://www.powerfulcms.com/blog/0912/why-linkedin-my-top-ten-reasons [3] Burrus, D. (2010). 'Create Social Media Guidelines To Reach Your Customer'. Agency Sales, 40(3), 40-41,43-44. Retrieved from ABI/INFORM Global. (Document ID: 1991048841) URL: http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/pqdweb?did=1991048841&sid=8&Fmt=6&clientId=22212&RQT=309&VName=PQD [4] 'LinkedIn Corporation; LinkedIn Expands Mobile Offerings With Global Release of Application for BlackBerry'. (2010, April). Computer Weekly News,238. Retrieved from ProQuest Computing. (Document ID: 2003639421) from URL: http://proquest.umi.com.dbgw.lis.curtin.edu.au/pqdweb?index=1&did=2003639421&SrchMode=2&sid=2&Fmt=3&VInst=PROD&VType=PQD&RQT=309&VName=PQD&TS=1271143698&clientId=22212 [5] Rutledge, P. Ph.D (2009). 'Why LinkedIn Works'. Positively Media: How we connect and thrive through emerging technologies. Psychology Today. Retrieved from URL: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/positively-media/200903/why-linkedin-works-the-strength-weak-ties

HyperOffice is an online collaboration suite that is designed for the small to medium sized business. The catchphrase is "collaboration made simple" and one of the advantages of HyperOffice is that it is entirely web based, meaning that no major IT infrastructure or expertise is needed to utilise it in your business [1]. Features of the Collaboration Suite include business email service (web based), online calendar, task manager, online document management, online contact management, custom online portal, intranet/extranet publishing, plus a range of supporting tools such as online database management, polls, discussion boards and a project management tool [2]. The service is mobile device supported and can also synchronise with Outlook, to leverage existing communication applications. It is both Windows and Mac compatible. HyperOffice staff have 10 years experience providing online collaboration [3] and a wide range of clients are presented for reference, which builds credibility in the product [4]. It has also been met with favourable criticism by a number of reviewers [5] [6] [7]. A free 30 day trial if available, after which pricing depends on extended product features and the number of users e.g. Collaboration Suite for 100 users is $6239.90 per year and includes 12.5GB online document storage hosting [8]. This is an affordable solution for small and medium sized businesses that do not have the expertise or budget to implement larger enterprise communications and collaboration tools.

HyperOffice is a software as service company offering hosted intranet solutions. The services offers various business oriented tools allowing information, and communication throughout an organisation. Employees can use the service to collaborate on projects and there are many customisation options (HyperOffice, 2010). HyperOffice has many features. These include the desktop which reports on things that may be of interest. It is essentially a dashboard. User-specific features include a calendar (personal and organisation wide). Documents manager, contacts, tasks, bookmarks, notes and reminders. HyperOffice also has features for groups within a company that may be used by teams or setup for specific projects. The document manager in particular has inbuilt version control where all copies of a file are saved as edited versions of the file is uploaded and this allows changes that go in the wrong direction to be rolled back to prior versions. Many of the same features available for personal use are available for groups along with the addition of forums, and voting. Specific to collaboration, HyperOffice can facilitate online meetings and collaborative management of databases. The database feature in particular is very similar to Microsoft Access in functionality in that it allows not only for tables and user permissions but also customs input methods in the way of forms and custom views to show data in the manner which suites it most (HyperOffice, 2010).

HyperOffice Review. (2008, July 2). Retrieved April 20, 2010, from Online Document Management: Review Online Document Collaboration & Document Sharing: http://www.onlinedocumentsharingreviews.com/blog/10-hyperoffice-review HyperOffice. (2010). Boost Team Productivity Total Productivity. Retrieved April 20, 2010, from HyperOffice: http://www.hyperoffice.com/collaboration-suite/

Online collaboration requires unique group dynamic solutions, the lack of physical presence and asynchronous communication involved can create chains of emails and long lists of data that require constant analysis. The MindMeister software works like a digital whiteboard that can be manipulated by multiple users and instantly updated to reflect changes.[1] Mind mapping allows individuals to communicate to the overall objectives of the group, in a non delegate manner. Mind mapping is a very powerful methodology for structuring your own ideas but also within workshops it can be a strong tool for both learners and trainers. [2] diagrammatically communicating words, ideas and images into group visual thinking. The software has a creative and simple graphical user interface can create a hierarchical structure that can be linked and rearranged around a central theme, intuitively arranging the brainstormed concepts and ideas into groupings and assists targeting and distinguishing goals and objectives. The non-linear format allows for the creative progression of ideas with a simple history timeline to keep project teams updated on latest changes to the map, changes can be sorted by individual contributions to see how a team reached an idea and the ability to link and share ideas in real-time facilitates multi-user planning, brainstorming and project management sessions, removing obstacles of geography and time. The iPhone applications and browser extensions incorporate this creative software into standard business practice and the open source software is REST-based API allowing for simple integration into other applications and the 256 bit data encryption means that data is secure.

References: [1] MindMeister available from http://www.mindmeister.com/ [2] Top 100 Tools, Centre for Learning & Performance Technologies available from: http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/Top100Tools/mindmeister.html/ [3] Programmable Web available from http://www.programmableweb.com/api/mindmeister/

Mind maps are useful in the generation of ideas particularly in a group situtation. For a mind map, a main idea is taken and starts in the centre of the page. Key words and images are worked outwards in different directions. All words and ideas have many other ideas and concepts [1]. A Mind Map is "the Swiss Army Knife of the Brain" [3] which helps to improve your learning and thinking skills by prompting the brain with cues to help it work the left and right side of the brain [3]. A mind map helps organise information and rather than completing it on paper an online version such as MindMeister can be used for group collaboration [2]. Mind maps can be created in real time and viewed as changes are made [2]. Mind maps can be used in an organisation to plan meetings, know more about your competition, plan accounts and plan projects [2]. With MindMeister, mind maps can be worked on off-line and synchronised with your account once you are back so you can work anywhere that doesn't have an internet connection [2]. Mind Maps are private by default but can be made public if you choose so that you can share maps with people within your organisation or all over the world. All changes to the maps are recorded in a history so that you can see who did what and when [2]. [1] Creativity Web (2007). Mind Maps. Retrieved 19 April, 2010, from http://members.optusnet.com.au/charles57/Creative/Mindmap/ [2] MeisterLabs (2010). MindMeister. Retrieved 19 April, 2010, from http://www.mindmeister.com/ [3] Buzan (2009). Maxamise the Power of Your Brain. Retrieved 19 April, 2010, from http://www.buzan.com.au/learning/mind_mapping.html

Yammer is the leading real-time communication platform for companies, groups and organisations. It is changing the way that people communicate at work, and making project teams more connected and productive. Yammer is essentially a micro-blogging service like Twitter but it focuses on the enterprise. (Hatton, 2009) A feed is created in one central location as employees answer the question "What are you working on?" - enabling co-workers to debate ideas, post news, ask questions, and share information and links. (Datapaedia, 2010) Yammer makes it easy to securely collaborate with internal and external groups. People within an organisation can use Yammer to collaborate on projects and Yammer Communities can be used to form secure project specific Yammer networks to collaborate with customers and external partners, separate and private from the company's Yammer network. (Yammer, 2010) Each member of an organisation can have a Yammer profile including information such as photo, title, contact info, background and area of expertise. (Ives, 2009) Yammer can be used to ask a question, share news, ideas, and documents within the private network. Unlike email, "following" specific people and joining groups an individual can choose whose messages to receive thereby creating a custom feed. Messages, profiles and tags can all be archived and they are searchable, so new members can get up to speed quickly by tapping into the power of the organisation's collective database of past ideas and solutions. (Yammer, 2010) Yammer integrates with emails, Twitter, Google Talk, Jabber, Google Reader, Firefox. There are apps for Desktop, iPhone, iPod touch, SmartPhone, BlackBerry and SMS integration and several third party applications are available. It also offers a suite of corporate class security features to suit company requirements. All data sent to and from the Yammer website uses Secure Socket Layer (SSL) and all backup data and data in transit is encrypted to maximise prote

"Yammer takes the familiar Twitter messaging system and applies it to internal corporate communications" [1]. Essentially, it is microblogging whereby users can contribute, ask questions and communicate about current projects. Yammer is free to start up and businesses, if they choose, can pay for network administration rights later. Yammer has strong positives as clean and simple collaboration software. Yammer has a presence in Australia with companies like Deloitte offering up their success stories online [2]. Yet, isn't Yammer just another name for Twitter? All over the web, people are comparing Yammer to Twitter. Maybe the weakness in the web-based software is that users are looking for something that is a mix of the two. Corporate and personal - maybe something to consider - a 'Yatter' collaboration tool in the future! David Sacks, the CEO of Yammer, suggests that extras like the Yammer community and security features [3] sets Yammer ahead of Twitter as a microblogging tool. To see Sacks discuss his product on YouTube go to - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpBYo9bw2os.

Present.ly [5] is a similar product to Yammer. Needleman suggests that Present.ly is a better tool for corporate companies; "the biggest wins in Present.ly are at the platform level. Unlike Yammer, you can get Present.ly either as a hosted service, or, if you want, you can install in your business, behind your corporate firewall. And Present.ly supports the Twitter API, so tools that work with Twitter, like Twhirl, should be easily modifiable to work with Present.ly" [4]. Could Present.ly be a 'Yatter' solution? However, where Yammer is free, Present.ly is only free for up to five users and then small costs apply depending on the package selected [4]. Whether a firm uses Yammer, Twitter or Present.ly, it is clear microblogging has entered businesses as a fast, solid and dependable collaboration tool. References/Notes [1] Site Rapture Statistics, http://www.siterapture.com/sitemain.asp?SiteID=2330 [accessed April 9, 2010]. [2] Deloitte Case Study, https://www.yammer.com/about/case_studies [accessed April 9, 2010]. [3] Sacks, David., (2008). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wpBYo9bw2os [accessed April 9, 2010] [4] Needleman, Rafe (2008). Business microblog tool Present.ly is smarter than Yammer, CNet News, published September 17, http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10045150-2.html [accessed April 9, 2010]. [5] Present.ly URL, http://presentlyapp.com/ [accessed April 9, 2010].

Dabbleboard is a Flash-driven (Beyond Google, 2009) "collaborative whiteboard application" (Tour, 2009) which mimics a whiteboard and can be used for business or education purposes. It allows users to easily visualize and collaborate ideas on an online canvas. (Karaoglu, 2010) Users can draw freehand shapes, insert images and input content. With a computer and Internet access, anyone can access Dabbleboard. There is no need to signup, although signing up will allow images to be saved and accessed at a later date. Two different accounts are available when signing up. Free Accounts, which allows a user to draw, share with an unlimited amount of people and save the image as a .PNG file. Pro Accounts, which may suit businesses can cost from $8US to $200US a month, (Pricing, 2009) depending on the businesses needs. Pro account allows the same access as Free Accounts with the extra features of no limit of documents or images created, secure sites using SSL/https encryption, images are downloaded as SVG files offering "greater data portability", (Pricing, 2009) customizable layout with ability to add business logos and program support is also offered. A benefit is its ease of use, allowing users to draw "simple shapes that automatically are detected and transformed into rectangles, circles, diamonds, and triangles, straight and curved lines." (Dabbleboard, 2010) Users can click and start typing without the need to change tools. Its ability to detect simple shapes and text can save time and frustration. (Tour, 2009) Also objects used regularly can be saved and accessed from the library at any time creating greater efficiency. (Lowensohn, 2008) Images can be shared by sending links to emails and chat in Dabbleboard. Images can be shared with invited members or made public so anyone can view and edit them. (Tour, 2009) --Continued Below in Anamaria R comment--

Within an organisation, a whiteboard is ideal for visual brainstorming sessions but with many companies being global it is difficult to get all employees together for such a session [5]. Even in local business it can be difficult to get co-ordinate staff [1]. Dabbleboard is an online application that allows you to draw as naturally as you would on a real whiteboard [1]. A whiteboard makes it easier to visualise ideas and the collaborative nature of the internet makes it easier for others to comment and offer feedback. [1]. With the online whiteboard users can draw freehand diagrams and sketches and write notes plus their is a library with ready made objects for piecing together pictures, charts, designs or maps [3]. All shapes and objects can be resized, moved or copied and the whiteboard is compatible with most illustration programs[4]. Users can watch changes being made to the whiteboard in real time or be notified of changes by email [1][3]. All changes made to the whiteboard can be saved for later use and users can come back and add to it or comment at a time convenient for them [1]. Currently Dabbleboard is working on a new product called AlmostMeet which will be an online service for collaborative group meetings. It is currently in the beta stages and will have many web conferencing features available for remote group meetings [2]. [1] Dabbleboard Inc (20100. Dabbleboard. Retrieved 19 April, 2010, from http://www.dabbleboard.com/ [2] Dabbleboard Inc (2010). Almost Meet Beta. Retrieved 19 April, 2010, from http://almostmeet.com/ [3] Lifehacker (n/d). Dabbleboard Collaborative Whiteboard. Retrieved 19 April, 2010, from http://lifehacker.com/5058459/dabbleboard-collaborative-whiteboard [4] AppAppeal (2010). Dabbleboard. Retrieved 19 April, 2010, from http://www.appappeal.com/app/dabbleboard/ [5] eHow (2010). How to Use an Electronic Whiteboard for Visual Brainstorming Sessions. Retrieved 19 April, 2010, from http://www.ehow.com/how_21657

--Continued from Above in Anamaria R comment-- Dabbleboard allows users to collaborate with others in real-time using communication features such as instant messenger chat and 3rd party application 'tokbox' voice and video chat, (Tour, 2009) which allows and encourages group collaboration making this tool a great asset for both business and education needs. Reference: Beyond Google Docs: 7 Web-Based Collaboration Apps; Along with the search-engine giant's popular collaboration tools, we look at Zoho Writer, Pastebin, Dabbleboard, Dimdim, Yugma, and Bubbl.us. (2009). pNAInformationWeek. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/itx/start.do?prodId=EAIM Dabbleboard. (2010). Retrieved April 16, 2010, from http://www.appappeal.com/app/dabbleboard/ Karaoglu, O. (2010). Web tools for enhancing collaboration. Technology & Learning. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://find.galegroup.com.ezproxy.scu.edu.au/itx/start.do?prodId=EAIM. Lowensohn, J. (2008). Dabbleboard saves your sketches, time. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-10057647-2.html Pricing & Signup. (2009). Retrieved April 14, 2010, from https://www.dabbleboard.com/pro Tour. (2009). Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://www.dabbleboard.com/tour

Backpack by 37 Signals. Backpack is a product created by 37 signals which allows the user to store information, documents, discussion and schedules with your workforce in a secure online environment which is accessible all the time. 37 Signals states that "Over 3 million people use our web-based apps to get things done the simple way." One of the features of Backpack is its interaction with email. When file attachments are sent to Backpack they automatically update on your pages. The backpack pricing plan allows you to start out small and upgrade your package when your business grows. This allows flexibility in the pricing system to suit your business needs at any given time. Backpack can also work with other applications like Google Calendar and a variety of other devices such as iphone apps, third party desktops and widgets. The Backpack accounts are protected with password protection with SSL security that ensures your information is safe at all times. Backpack capabilities are described by Gomez de la Torre as follows "1. Important scheduling information 2. Shared and easily modifiable check list of things to do 3. Personal knowledge and experience of prior dealings with clients 4. Identification of files necessary for the meeting 5. Repository for other tacit knowledge" Backpack creates a powerful user interface which allows workers to be in touch and informed whether they are office based or mobile. Backpack has been reviewed by a number of sources some of which can be perused in the reference section. Richard Cobbett from Pc Plus sums up Backpack as "Backpack allows you to manage all your data across multiple PC's with ease. Backpack is hands-down the most flexible of the online organisation tools, and it just keeps evolving. " Further information can be found about Backpack at http://backpackit.com/

References: Cobbett, R. (2009, March 3). 37signals Backpack review from TechRadar UK's expert reviews of Other software. TechRadar UK | Technology News And Reviews. Retrieved March 31, 2010, from http://www.techradar.com/reviews/pc-mac/software/utilities/other-software/37signals-backpack-34109/review De la Torre, V. G. (2005, December 8). Knowledge Management Systems Research Paper: Knowledge Management Systems and Web 2.0 Tools & Technologies. The University of Texas at Austin School of Information. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from www.ischool.utexas.edu/~i385q/archive/gomez_web2.0.pdf Intranet, Group Calendar, Small Business Organizer: Backpack. (n.d.). Intranet, Group Calendar, Small Business Organizer: Backpack. Retrieved March 31, 2010, from http://backpackit.com/ Kelly, W. (2007, July 1). PC Today Article - 37signals Backpack . PC Today - Your Mobile Computing and Wireless Authority. Retrieved March 31, 2010, from http://www.pctoday.com/Editorial/article.asp?article=articles/2007/t0507/24t07/24t07.asp&guid= Schmidt, A. (2006). PRODUCT PIPELINE.. Net Connect, 131, 18-19. Retrieved April 1, 2010, from the Business Source Premier database.

Backpack is quite similar to Microsoft's SharePoint Services in that it allows for files to be uploaded and shared in the one place; allows the sharing of information and calendar events (Backpack, 2010a). As Backup is hosted online and offsite, stress can be alleviated in the event of fire or theft. SharePoint on the other hand is stored on internal servers hosted by the business. This may incur an expensive fail safe back-up plan. It seems that Backup is more user friendly than SharePoint and will work well in an online collaboration environment. Both SharePoint and Backup allow for allow for a whole range of third party extras and add-ons (Backpack, 2010b; SharePoint Solutions, 2010). This allows businesses to customise their intranet and use the tools that work for them. 37signals, the company behind Backup, also design other products that help businesses achieve their goals, these include: Highrise, Basecamp and Campfire (37signals, 2010). Although 37signals offers that Backpack has the ability to add-in extras, they do not however take any responsibility in the event that something goes wrong. "Note: These apps and integrations are not endorsed or tested by 37signals. 37signals does not assume responsibility or liability for any issues caused by the use of third party products." (Backpack, 2010b). More importantly, solutions that allow users to read, reflect and collaborate also take more time than a conventional face-to-face meeting/ discussion. "Computer-Mediated Communication not only takes longer than a face-to-face communication, but they produce more ideas and produce greater opportunity for each person to participate." (Bordia, 1997, p99) This can be said for all solutions that offer users time to "think" on events that they have been asked to collaborate on. 37signals (2010). 37signals Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://37signals.com/ Backpack (2010a). Backpack Retrieved April 1, 2010, from http://backpackit.com/ B

When pulling people together to work on a collaborative project, project management is essential. Basecamp is a popular web based, project management software application. It offers * dashboard (to control projects) * to do lists, * message boards, * file sharing, (files are actually stored on your server) * tracking milestones and * project tracking. Basecamp is used to manage teams and projects allowing you to set milestones, todos, comments, file uploads and messages. You can also organize your business in companies and invite different people for different companies. [1] [2] It works with Internet Explorer 7 or 8, Firefox 3 and higher, Safari 4, and Chrome 4 browsers.[2] Users report finding Basecamp very effective in managing projects, posessing an elegant user interface, and easy to use. [5] [6] 37Signals offer a 30 day free download to try and then you sign up for one of four available plans ranging in price from $24/month for a basic, 15 project, 5GB limit to a $149/month, unlimited projects, 75GB limit. All plans allow an unlimited number of users and you subscribe on a month by month basis with no minimum term. [3] Basecamp works with a variety of iPhone apps, third-party billing/invoicing tools, mock-up review software, time tracking tools, widgets and using Basecamp API you can create your own extras and add-ons. [4]

Project managers understand the importance of communicating effectively with both their team and clients in order to bring a project in on time and within budget. One solution is to have a central communications centre that is accessible to everyone involved in the project and easy to use. Basecamp project management software offers an easy online solution for tracking and organising all aspects of a project from start to finish. Organising and monitoring all phases of a project online can be easier to accomplish using Basecamp's internal dashboard. The dashboard facility centralises communication by maintaining task lists and a common message board to keep the project running smoothly. Files can be uploaded for sharing and review by other team members and clients can be kept up-to-date on the progress of their project. Within one central location, tasks and resources can be assigned to team members and project milestones can be set and monitored. (Reynolds, 2009) Basecamp offers a 30-day free trial, so potential customers can evaluate their needs and decide whether or not Basecamp is adequate for their online project management tasks. There are a multitude of third party plug-ins of extras and add-on tools built around Basecamp, that allow users to tailor their system to suit their own specific needs and to assist with more advanced functionality and security (basecamphq, 2010) - such as the file backup and archiving for Basecamp products that is available at http://www.centripetalsoftware.com/.

References Basecamp extras and integrations via the API. (2010). Project management, collaboration, and task software: Basecamp. Retrieved April 7, 2010, from http://basecamphq.com/extras Online Data Retrievel, Basecamp Backup - Centripetal Software. (2010). Online Data Retrievel, Basecamp Backup - Centripetal Software. Retrieved April 7, 2010, from http://www.centripetalsoftware.com/ Reynolds, D. (2009, December 18). Basecamp Software – A Review of the Online Project Management Software. Find Health, Education, Science & Technology Articles, Reviews, How-To and Tech Tips At Bright Hub - Apply To Be A Writer Today! Retrieved April 7, 2010, from http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/articles/1726.aspx

The Cisco WebEx Meeting Centre [4] provides a secure, scalable and cross platform online meeting environment that allows people to collaborate and brainstorm online. The features of WebEx Meeting Centre allow people to participate in virtual meetings, talk to each other, video conference and conduct presentations in a secure online environment. The introduction of the iPad[2] from Apple Inc [1] provides another opportunity for Cisco to extend the capacity of mobile collaboration to people that are not necessarily sitting behind a desk. WebEx was first available on the iPhone and Cisco were one of the first software providers to release their application on the iPad [3] [5]. The Webex Meeting Centre provided by Cisco for enterprise online meetings has been available for sometime on the iPhone via the iTunes app store. IPad users will be able to participate in online meetings and view shared presentations, applications, view the meeting participant list, see who is talking and talk privately with someone else in the meeting. Cisco is delivering the app free from the iTunes store. References [1] Apple Inc. (2010). Apple Inc. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Apple: http://www.apple.com/ [2] Apple Inc. (2010). iPad. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Apple: http://www.apple.com/ipad/ [3] Bradley, T. (2010, April 1). Must-Have iPad Apps for Business Professionals. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from PC World: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/193235/musthave_ipad_apps_ [4] Cisco. (n.d.). Cisco Webex. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Cisco: http://static.webex.com/fileadmin/webex09/files_en_us/pdf/data_sheets/mc_ds.pdf [5]iTunes. (2010). iTunes Store. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from Cisco WebEx Meeting Center: http://itunes.apple.com/au/app/cisco-webex-meeting-center/id298844386?mt=8

WebEx video conferencing software operates on multiple platforms such as Windows, Macintosh, Solaris and Linux. WebEx provides users with quality, interactive meetings and provides data, voice and video seamlessly through the MediaTone Network [1]. Free trials allow businesses to evaluate the online collaboration services and with the added support for PC-to-Mac, Mac-to-PC and Mac-to-Mac and iPhone, WebEx proves to be an excellent remote access solution. With a growing Mac customer base, Cisco WebEx aims to provide the same support as what their current PC users receive. Director of product management, Ilan Kasaan said in a 2008 interview: "You can't deny that the Apple Mac is becoming more prevalent in businesses; in fact we have seen Mac usage double in last year…and as with all of our solutions, we are consistently upgrading to meet the demands of our growing user base" [2]. With the introduction of the Apple iPad, the WebEx Meeting Center (downloadable free from the Application Store) provides online collaboration to users by email and calendar invitation. The WebEx app also features a private chat option and audio conferencing and data sharing. Says Debra Chrapaty from Cisco Collaboration Software Group: "When a powerful collaboration solution like Cisco WebEx Meeting Center for the iPad is combined with an intuitive and WiFi enabled user experience, businesses and users both win" [3]. With the offering of the WebEx application free to Apple iPad, Cisco ensures support for their online collaboration software, allowing users to continue interaction via their networked computers and mobile devices [4].

References: [1] the Mac Observer (2003). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.macobserver.com/tmo/article/WebEx_For_OS_X_Now_Shipping/ [2] Cisco (2008). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://newsroom.cisco.com/dlls/2008/prod_032608.html [3] CBR Mobility (2010). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://mobility.cbronline.com/news/cisco_unveils_webex_app_for_apple_ipad_050410 [4] TECHblips (2010). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://techblips.dailyradar.com/article/cisco-brings-webex-to-the-apple-ipad/

ProjectSpaces provides secure online collaboration working space for project management teams, workgroups and committees. Flexibility is a main feature, with companies able to customise their workspace for co-ordinating and knowledge sharing. A review of ProjectSpaces by KillerStartups.com, found its user-friendly interface a major factor in attracting users as well as its level of control [3]. Document management is easy with version control and the organisation and management of files with smart folders, RSS feeds, blogging and discussion tools. Some features include [1]: * Support of any document file type, with multiple file uploading * WYSIWYG editor * Email notification * Export of Workplan to Word and Excel * Announcements with related links * Calendar and Contacts with photo uploading facility to identify users * Export of contacts to Excel and any email client e.g. Outlook * Customisable user level rights with password restriction * Integration with reporting tools such as Google Analytics The user-friendly interface helps users to locate information quickly with no training course needed and the help of an online video tutorial is available via YouTube [5]. OnlinePMTools rated ProjectSpaces five stars on ease of use [2]. Mashable.com compared ProjectSpaces with Basecamp and found it the better product: "ProjectSpaces, from ForumOne Communications, is like Basecamp on steroids…I tried using Basecamp for a project a while back and I found it infuriating…for those who crave more features, ProjectSpaces seems like a good option" [4]. ProjectSpaces also offer the option to host on your own servers and can easily transfer hosting to another server as needed. Customers of ProjectSpaces include THiiNC Health, Smartlife, Englin Consulting and the Greater New Orleans Community Data Center (GNOCDC), who after Hurricane Katrina relied on ProjectSpaces to keep the team working together across several states.

References [1] ProjectSpaces. (2010). Homepage. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.projectspaces.com/ [2] ProjectSpaces. (2010). Testimonials. Retrieved April 22, 2010, from http://www.projectspaces.com/section/testimonials [3] ProjectSpaces. (2010). Full Feature List. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.projectspaces.com/section/features/featurelist [4] Mehmet. (2008). Review: Manage your projects online with Projectspaces. GabFire Web Design. Retrieved April 22, 2010, from http://www.gabfire.com/manage-your-projects-online-with-projectspaces/ [5] Cashmore, P. (2006). ProjectSpaces - Project Collaboration (And a Potential Basecamp Rival). Mashable. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://mashable.com/2006/01/03/projectspaces-a-basecamp-rival/ [6] Gunderloy, M. (2007). ProjectSpaces Offers Collaboration, Web 1.0 Style. WebWorkerDaily. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/04/18/projectspaces-offers-collaboration-web-10-style/ [7] ProjectSpaces. (2010). ProjectSpaces vs. SharePoint. Retrieved April 22, 2010, from http://www.projectspaces.com/section/features/projectspaces_vs_sharepoint

[8] ProjectSpaces. (2010). Pricing. Retrieved April 22, 2010, from http://www.projectspaces.com/section/pricing [9] PRLog. (2008). ProjectSpaces Releases Self-Hosted Perpetually Licensed Version of Its Online Collaboration Platform. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.prlog.org/10120142-projectspaces-releases-self-hosted-perpetually-licensed-version-of-its-online-collaboration-platform.html

Slogan: Travel is a luxury, communication is not. Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro is a web conferencing solution. The full capabilities of Adobe's Acrobat Connect Pro software allows hosting of instant, collaborative meetings with hundreds of participants using only a web browser and Adobe Flash Player. (Adobe, 2009) Some of the features are: * Secure sharing of desktops, documents and presentations. * Control over access to online meetings. * Instant communicate and collaborate. * Online meeting rooms. * Video and audio * Screen-sharing * Text and chat (Adobe, 2009) Clemson University (USA) chose Adobe's Acrobat Connect Pro to accommodate the needs of graduate students who couldn't always attend their classes in person. The university decided on Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro, partly because it was easy to scale as and needs and resources allowed or dictated. (Dawson, 2009) Adobe's Acrobat Connect Pro conferencing solution encompasses a comprehensive set of tools that have satisfied a variety of needs for both on and off campus students and tutors. IT support staff, teachers and students frequently use the system for troubleshooting and learning support. The use of video conferencing has significantly reduced travel expenses for the faculty. (Dawson, 2009) Designed to protect meeting spaces from security threats, one of Connect Pro's greatest assets is the end-to-end encryption provided by password strength optimisers that require user authentication both for presenters and attendees alike. Hosts and presenters can control all levels of attendee access, from media files to voice privileges. In addition, Adobe Connect Pro provides features to enable the keeping of full logs of meetings and the functionality to audit logs for potentially malicious use or data corruption. (TopTenReviews, 2010) References below - in comment

Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro If your students/employees have a web browser and Adobe Flash Player then Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro is an e-learning tool that may have value in their education, training and conferencing needs [1]. Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro has three main streams of use and several key features: 1. Web Conferencing a. Delivery through any web browser that doesn't require extra software downloads. b. Worldwide connection of distributed teams c. Synchronous viewing by all participants. d. Custom URL for consistency. e. Works with multiple audio platforms f. Facility to record meetings g. Customisable interface 2. eLearning a. Content creation can be customised to suit the situation - virtual or self-paced courses. b. Synchronous viewing by all participants c. Customisable templates that can be adapted for reuse. d. Tracking of students progress e. Surveying and polling of students f. Facility to incorporate third-party systems within the existing e-learning tool 3. Web Seminars a. Branding of interface b. Extends your arm of contacts and participants c. Cut costs while increasing your point of contact. d. Manage registrations e. Qualify attendees and send out email notifications. Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro is built on the foundation of Flash technology, which is compatible with up to 98% of Internet connected computers. Add to this its ability to function on an extremely low bandwidth, and its user authentication strengths, this makes it an effective, safe and highly accessible application [2]. While Oliver Rist, of Pcmag.com, rates the overall application highly, he does warn that its depth of features can lead to a need for a large learning curve when starting out [3]. Rist also lists the applications main strengths as being within the meeting, or conferencing, component because of its slick and clever interface, which can be customised all while working within the web browser.

[1] Adobe (2010) Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro. Retrieved on 14th April 2010 from http://www.adobe.com/ap/products/acrobatconnectpro/elearning/ [2] TopTen Revies (2010) Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro. Retrieved on 14th April 2010 from http://web-conferencing-services.toptenreviews.com/adobe-connect-pro-review.html [3] Rist, Oliver (2008) Adobe Acrobat Connect Professional. Retrieved on 14th April 2010 from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2279709,00.asp

Skype was founded in 2003 and is now a well known worldwide application on the internet. Skype has voice and video calling, IM and SMS systems and operates on a wide variety of mobile systems and differing operating systems. Skype uses a Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) system. Skype Business concentrates on allowing businesses to operate effectively by means of effective and fast communication whilst saving money on communication. Skype offers a Business Control Panel which they state that "You can allocate and manage your employees' Skype Credit balances centrally, plus keep track of their, and your company's, expenditure with built-in reporting tools." Skype offers a business version of the Skype Application which main features are "Main features * Free Skype-to-Skype calls. * Free video calls. * Free instant messaging. * Call phones and mobiles, send SMS. * Voicemail. * Forward calls to a phone when you're offline. * Screen sharing * Send contacts " Myhill et al sums up Skype by stating "Calls between Skype users are free and with a standard broadband internet connection, it is a simple matter to run other Web 2.0 applications (e.g. Google Documents) and Skype at the same time - so that collaborators can talk to each other in real time and even work on the same documents simultaneously. Skype has well-over 300,000 million accounts worldwide and is a very popular facility. In the context of the VRE, Skype offers additional, global communications benefits which take the researcher well beyond other, less-intrusive means such as e-mail or wikis." Brkan states that "Collaborating or doing business with different parts of the world is far easier when you can speak to people in realtime, without worrying about the phone bill." For online collaboration such as conferences Skype is a cheap and accessible alternative to other options.

References Brkan, B. (2090, September 22). 5 Ways Skype Helps Your Business | FreelanceSwitch. FreelanceSwitch | Freelance job listings, freelancers directory, resources and thousands of articles.. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://freelanceswitch.com/working/5-ways-skype-helps-your-business/ Myhill, M., Shoebridge, M., & Snook, L. (2009). Virtual research environments - a Web 2.0 cookbook?. Library Hi Tech, 27(2), 228-238. Retrieved October 10, 2010, from the Emerald Group Publishing Limited database. Skype for Business - solutions. (n.d.). Skype " Make free calls and great value calls on the internet. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.skype.com/intl/en/business/solutions/

As has been examined, Skype is a very useful tool for business in relation to both collaboration and the reduction of communication costs . InnerPass further extends Skype's reach in the area of collaboration. [1] Virtual meeting rooms and screen sharing are the main added areas of functionality, with the service offering a free plan for person use. The need for increased meeting rooms and increased data transfer storage attract business rates from $4.95 to $14.95 a month. As Mashable state "InnerPass is most useful for small or medium sized businesses that have a lot of travelling, presenting, or telecommuting built in" [2] References: 1. https://www.innerpass.com/ 2. InnerPass turns Skype into a Virtual Business Collaboration Tool retrieved 18th April 2010 from http://mashable.com/2009/04/07/innerpass/

Salesforce http://www.salesforce.com/au/ Salesforce.com is a sales and service, customer relationship management (CRM), cloud computing operation. To date, 72,500 Companies have made Salesforce Sales Cloud, Australia's most-popular collaborative sales application. Some corporate customers are: BlueScope Steel, Crocs, Langdon Ingredients, Mission Australia, Australian air Express and many more. Features of the application: Accounts and contracts: An abridged customer overview. Marketing and Leads: Manage multichannel campaigns and turn prospects into sales. Opportunities and Quotes: Real time quote, product tracking, sales process, schedule automatic email reminders to keep teams up to date. Approvals and workflow: Eliminate redundant tasks, modify workflow, respond to order requests, define, administer and analyse territories and alter boundaries easily. Email and productivity: Synchronise or embed Salesforce with Microsoft Outlook, Lotus Notes, Google Apps, Microsoft word and Excel address book, calendar and email. Personalize email with templates. Genius: Share best practices, sales tools, supporting material, case studies, and similar deals from mentors. Content Library: Integrated content library with web features like tagging, search and ranking, find the latest presentations and information and marketing tools. Analytics and Forecasting: Dashboard graphics to display performance indicators at a glance. Generate reports and forecasting from valid data. Partners: Collaborate with partners in real time, sharing leads, opportunities and tasks towards greater loyalty. Mobile: Salesforce comes with free Mobile Lite or upgrade to the full version. Get instant access to vital information and dashboards. Service Cloud: The platform for modern customer service. Service cloud is a Call centre, a customer portal, integrates with Twitter and Fac

Cloud computing and businesses seems to be a perfect match. With a report found on Sales Force's website, Predicts 2010: Customer Service Meets Social CRM (Maoz, Jacobs, Davies, & Thompson, 2009), finds that tapping into social networks improve marketing, sales and service processes; when planning social networking projects, consideration about the dominant social networking sites needs to be addressed; and by 2011, all customers will be able to perform their own self-service functions on CRM packages. The report Predicts 2010: Customer Service Meets Social CRM relates to what louwnaw (2010) comments on about social networking integration: "Service Cloud: The platform for modern customer service. Service cloud is a Call centre, a customer portal, integrates with Twitter and Facebook." To in enhance productivity, Sales Force also allows itself to integrate into other products (louwnaw, 2010). Being a cloud service means that it can be accessed by anyone with an internet connection, and as Sales Force promote, no software to be installed. As "it all runs online, in the cloud, you avoid the expense of infrastructure and headaches of software." (Sales Force, 2010c). The real time chat feature allows for any user to communicate and collaborate with one other, encouraging dynamic interactions between people and groups (Sales Force, 2010a). With a great deal of success stories, it is not hard to see why so many companies have chosen this product (Sales Force, 2010b). louwnaw (2010). Salesforce.com Australia Retrieved April 3, 2010, from http://groups.diigo.com/group/net-308-at-oua Maoz, M., Jacobs, J., Davies, J., & Thompson, E. (2009). Predicts 2010: Customer Service Meets Social CRM. Retrieved from http://pointonemedia.com/app/portal/mm/customerservice-meets-social-crm.pdf Sales Force (2010a). Chatter Retrieved April 3, 2010, from http://www.salesforce.com/au/chatter/ Sales Force (2010b). Customers Retrieved April 3, 2010, from http://www.

Twitter has a more open platform than Facebook and present opportunities for businesses to tap into the online conversations of their customers and initiate micro-interactions with them. (Schindholzer, B 2009) David Markus from Smartcompany .com says functionality, ease of use, stability, price, support, level of integration with other tools and security for cloud computing are the criteria to evaluate web-based collaboration technologies on. Countless case studies confirm that Salesforce.com meet these criteria. Reference Sales Cloud Features Datasheet.( 2010) Retrieved on 1/4/2010 from: http://www.customer-experience-labs.com/2009/06/11/five-use-cases-to-leverage-twitter-for-your-business/ Markus, D.(2010)Retrieved on 30/3/2010 from: http://www.smartcompany.com.au/