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Liz Power

Traction - EDM tool, relationship marketing platform - 3 views

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    Traction is a relationship marketing tool which organizations can use to manage and keep in contact with customers and prospects. It can build brand awareness and makes it easy to control multiple campaigns [1]. Traction can be synchronized to an existing database to better manage and effectively target customers. It manages email, mobile phones, direct mail and web campaigns in a single platform. Other features of Traction are competitions, promotions, customer surveys and event management [1]. There is also a reporting tool which provides valuable feedback and insights into consumer behaviour. It is important to capture and build your database however it is just as important to gain customer insight and be able to profile customers and communicate successfully. You can continually learn about your customers and prospects and enrich your profile data with each campaign, enabling you to communicate more effectively via any channel [1]. With so much competition it is important to know your customer's needs and to be able to gain customer loyalty to keep them coming back. The value of repeat customers cannot be underestimated when they spend 33% more than new customers and referrals amongst repeat customers are 107% greater than non customers [2]. Relationship marketing will play a big part in understanding your customer visitors, segmentation of customer behaviour and creating content to specifically target your customers are ways in which can add value to organizations [3]. References [1] Traction (2009). Traction - building meaningful customer relationships. Retrieved 11 April 2010 from http://www.traction.com.au/About/Overview.aspx [2] Lake, L. (n.d.). Customer Relationships are key to your marketing strategy. Retrieved 11 April 2010 from http
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    Traction - Relationship Marketing Platform With branding an essential element in the success of product development through multi-channel marketing, Traction is well positioned to enhance a companies marketing approach by assisting in the management of all marketing channels. Traction is an online relationship-marketing platform that can manage the use of email, mobile marketing, web campaigns and mail marketing to assist in building a products profile through an effective use of available data [1]. It can also provide a means for customer interaction, and information gathering, within the company. The following features are included in Traction: · Email - Traction can build, manage, personalise, preview, and send emails. · Mobile campaigns -Traction can set-up, manage, run, track, trigger and create mobile campaign reports. · Direct mail - Because Traction integrates both digital mail and direct mail data, direct mail campaigns can be more accurate in their targeting. · Website Integration - Traction can be seamlessly integrated into any existing web presence. · Analysis - Michael Valos suggests that multi-channel marketing is on the rise, however, its complexities are evident and an analysis of each area of the data is important to the overall success of it [2]. Traction is well positioned to offer cross channel data analysis. · Surveys and Polls - Offers customer interaction and facilitates customer information updates. Traction boasts a long list of current clients who have tailored their platform around their marketing needs - Adobe, Audi, Cadbury, Dove, Guthy Renker, Sunsilk etc. Adobe, in an attempt to expand their user base and enhance their branding, created an online event called 'The Adobe Online Creative Festival', which included mobile, digital and interactive marketing [3]. This event brought together up to 5,000 tech savvy and creative participants who were able to engage through the online festival and position t
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    References: [1] Traction (2009) What is Traction. Retrieved on 15th April 2010 from http://www.traction.com.au/home.aspx [2] Valos, Michael (2008) A qualitative study of multi-channel marketing performance measurement issues. Journal of Database Marketing & Customer Strategy Management V15, 239 - 248. [3] Traction (2009) Adobe Online Creative Festival. Retrieved on 16th April 2010 from http://www.traction.com.au/Proof/CaseStudies/Adobe.aspx
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    Traction is a tool designed to manage customer relationships and interactions, and develop stronger marketing campaigns and brand awareness [1]. It has a wide variety of features to leverage customer data into these purposes. Traction has been around since 2001 and continuous development occurs [2]. It is accommodating in offering different versions dependent on your needs. The Enterprise version is fully featured and scalable, whereas the Lite version is suitable for smaller, less complicated marketing solutions. Organisations can also contact Traction direct for a custom solution [2]. Inbound and outgoing customer interactions can be delivered via a range of mediums including email, SMS, and XML [3], providing flexibility of content requirements and interoperability between organisation and client base. Whilst locating reviews on the system proved rather difficult, the Traction homepage professes to a very strong customer base, including a number of extremely well known companies and brands [4]. This in itself suggests stability and a proven product.
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    References [1] Traction. (2010). Overview. Retrieved April 21, 2010, from http://www.traction.com.au/About/Overview.aspx [2] Ouvrir. (2010). Traction Platform. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.ouvrir.com.au/traction_platform.html * [3] Schaffer, S. (2006). Traction Offers Complete Marketing Platform. The Pondering Primate. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://theponderingprimate.blogspot.com/2006/04/traction-offers-complete-marketing.html [4] Traction. (2010). Homepage. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from http://www.tractionplatform.com/home.aspx * This site appears to be a reseller or affiliate of Traction, so bear this in mind when reading its material.
Narelle Absolom

Jive SBS - 2 views

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    Jive SBS (Social Business Software) is a community building application, formerly known as Clearspace. It is specifically suited for medium to large organisations and boasts that it is "built for the enterprise" [1]. The application allows you to build communities for employees, the public (or both) [2]. Looking primarily at the Employee Community product, we are offered a powerful social networking tool that connects employees for the purpose of online collaboration. Employees can have detailed profiles and connections to "foster teamwork". At a glance information is also provided about online status, allowing employees to quickly see who is available for meetings etc. The profile information facilitates simple creation of organisation charts and groups for projects, teams, sections etc [3]. Features include discussions, collaborative documents, a configurable homepage dashboard, blogs, polls, bookmarks, categories, status updates, access control, private storage, mobile device support, project management tools (milestones, tasks, and calendars), search engine optimisation, and a range of other rich features [4]. Search and tag capabilities are worthy of note. The software supports tagging like most popular applications; however all content is included in search results (blog entries, discussion posts, annotations etc). This means that nothing is missed when undertaking a site search. Jive SBS has been considered a leader by Gartner in corporate social software [5] and a range of IT based experts have given encouraging reviews [6] [7]. Jive considers itself "robust, [and] enterprise tested" due to its 8 year maturity and the successful hosting of public sites with in excess of 80 million views/month, and employee communities comprising 20,000+ active users [4].
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    There are three pricing tiers varying on the level of features, type of hosting and maximum number of users required. Entry level is 1000 (max.) users at $3 per user per month. Free demos are available to allow you to try before you buy [8]. Jive SBS appears to be particularly useful for networking and information sharing in the corporate environment, however it is important to consider reliability and uptime of any product that is hosted entirely under the control of an external provider [9]. References [1] Jive Software. (2010). About. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.jivesoftware.com/about [2] Jive Software. (2010). Products. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.jivesoftware.com/products [3] Jive Software. (2010). Enterprise collaboration and communication. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.jivesoftware.com/products/employee-community [4] Jive Software. (2010). The Jive SBS Foundation. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.jivesoftware.com/products/technology [5] Jive Software. (2010). Magic Quadrant for Social Software in the Workplace. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://resources.jivesoftware.com/content/promo_reg_gartner-mq-workforce-2009 [6] Live Enterprise. (2009). Social Software leaders: Jive, SocialText and NewsGator. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.liventerprise.com/tool/Jive_SBS/
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    [7] Fontana, J. (2009). Jive refines corporate social networking tools. InfoWorld. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.infoworld.com/d/developer-world/jive-refines-corporate-social-networking-tools-893 [8] Jive Software. (2010). Get up and running with Jive Social Business Software. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.jivesoftware.com/products/how-to-buy [9] Marks, O. (2009). All that Jive: Putting the 'social' into business software. ZDNet. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://blogs.zdnet.com/collaboration/?p=388
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    Jive SBS was built for business and is the largest and fastest Social Business Software (SBS) in the world [1]. It brings together collaboration software, community software and social networking tools and enables organisations to connect with either employee's or customers or both [1]. When Jive SBS were looking to extend their leadership in the enterprise market with a new leadership strategy [2]. They went to 62 companies to find out what their business objectives were and how they use social software within their organisation. They found there were four main areas of focus; employee engagement, innovation, marketing/sales, market engagement, government and support [2][3]. With this information they redesigned their software [2]. On April 14, 2010, Jive SBS announced its next generation of the Jive Market Engagement solution product. Jive SBS aquired Filtrbox earlier in the year and has now integrated the technology into its product [4][5]. Filtrbox is a social media monitoring software, and Jive is the first company to combine it with collaborative SBS [5]. With the Market Engagment product a business can monitor and highlight people, conversations and brands influencing your product or service. Users are able to personalise a dashboard for their organisation so that you can configure topics, competitors, or product lines and employ filtering options. The learnings made through the software can be shared among the organisation by publishing findings onto an observation wall [5]. This becomes a central point of collaboration where others in the organisation can post their comments or feedback [5]. [1] Jive SBS (2010). Jive SBS 4.0. Retrieved 19 April, 2010, from http://www.jivesoftware.com/products [2] Mosher, B. (2009). Next for the Enterprise: Social Networking Suites. Retrieved 19 April, 2010, from http://www.cmswire.com/cms/enterprise-20/next-for-the-enterprise-social-business-software-suites-004077.php [3] Jive SBS (2010). Social Business Acc
Tracy Maurer

Web SMS Service, Mobile Phone Marketing & Advertising, Bulk SMS Australia - 1 views

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    Burst SMS is a pay as you use web based instant messaging service that is marketed as a 'private label SMS marketing tool' for responsible mobile marketing and advertising [1]. The service can be accessed remotely from any external online source and offers instant messaging facility in both single and multiple SMS sending modes, to just about anywhere in the world [2]. It is a system that can be rebranded to fit any companies profile and is touted as being wholly SPAM compliant with a built in industry compliant opt-out system [3]. The system has the following features: · Web based SMS delivery to one or many recipients · Cheap SMS rates - within Australia 8.8 cents per SMS. Elsewhere in the world 7.2 - 15.8 cents per SMS. · Marketing application - offers up to 250 SMS messages per minute, within 10 seconds. Includes an opt-out code. · Delivers reports · SMS reseller offering, with a white label web SMS system · Provides quick and easy communication within a business - facilitates team communication. · Unlimited number of contacts · Use of a keyboard to send messages rather than a predictive text pad. · Personalise text messaging to multiple contacts by using the [firstname] variable [4]. · Sits as a bookmark in your toolbar - no login required · Multiple personalising features - schedule reminders, favourites list, use personal mobile number identifier to elicit a response. · Sends out updates, alerts, reminders, promotional messages, confirmations etc. · Sends pictures, video's and audio. The value of using such a system for collaborative purposes is found in its ability to contact, and send personalised messages to, multiple people at one time in order to relay updates, new ideas, and changes in schedules simply and effectively, which saves time, money and concern [5].
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    References for BurstSMS: [1] CrunchBase (2008) Burst sms. Retrieved on 13th April 2010 from http://www.crunchbase.com/company/burst-sms [2] BurstSMS (2010) Web SMS Service. Retrieved on 11th April 2010 from http://burstsms.com/home [3] MobileMarketing Magazine (2010) Burst SMS Offers Opt-out Advice. Retrieved on 13th April 2010 from http://www.mobilemarketingmagazine.co.uk/2010/01/burst-sms-offers-optout-advice.html [4] BurstSMS blog (2010) 10 ways the Burst Web SMS Bookmarklet can make your text messaging life easier. Retrieved on 13th April 2010 from http://blog.burstsms.com/10-ways-the-burstsms-bookmarklet-can-make-you [5] MattE (2010) How a school kept parents happy using SMS. Retrieved on 13th April 2010 from http://www.plusone.com.au/diary/2010/03/17/how-a-school-kept-parents-happy-using-sms/
louwnaw

Commentary by Louwna on ConceptShare as suggested by Craig J/ - 1 views

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    ConceptShare is cleverly pursuing like-minded partners at a time when web-based software concepts are becoming exceedingly popular. Partnerships increase the visibility of both parties. **ConceptShare teamed up with Vimeo to create free, basic and advanced tutorials to learn how to use this product prior to purchasing.[1] **Email clients are teamed up to create co-op workspaces by a built in, email system that automatically parse the email list and send invitations to the list members.[1] **Alliance with the Adobe users, multipage PDF documents can be imported which make brochure, instruction pages and other multi-page documents easy to collaborate on. [1] **ConceptShare and Marketbright; a marketing automation platform, teamed up in a mutually beneficial relationship. Creative and marketing professionals can liaise on marketing and advertising campaigns. [1] Retrieved on 5/4/2010 from:http://www.conceptshare.com/tutorials.html [2] Scott , 2010. Marketbright and ConceptShare launch partnership. Retrieved on 5/4/2010 from: http://www.thoughtballoons.net/
meryl olait

Huddle | Project Management Software, Online Collaboration and Document Sharing - 16 views

  • Collaborate privately on multiple projects with unlimited users
  • Upload large (up to 2GB!) files, manage versions and get work approved
  • Create, view and edit documents and spreadsheets inside your browser
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  • Integrated web & phone conferencing
  • Easily track tasks, deadlines and milestones with our project management software
  • Whiteboards and discussion forums keep ideas and conversations in one place
  • Huddle.net named as one of BusinessWeek’s fifty tech start ups you need to know
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    Huddle is a secure, affordable, online project management tool that is fully customisable with a range of dashboard widgets and tools that can be turned on or off to meet a specific project's needs [1]. Users can upload large 2GB files and a team can be made up of an unlimited number of users [2]. Online conferences, or face-to-face meetings can be added to the dashboard's calendar and individual or group tasks can be added or allocated [3]. Huddle allows users to work on MS Word and Excel files online, with automated versioning and audit trails. Files can be set up with custom access (permission) levels according to the team leader's requirements. Automated emails can be customised to notify teams and team-leaders of calendar events, versioning and file changes [3]. Web conferencing and desktop sharing can be implemented via the live.huddle.net interface [4]. Huddle has provided a collaborative business solution for government, enterprise, IT, marketing, retail, manufacturing, charity and education sectors. Case studies from big and small companies attest to the benefits of using Huddle [5]. Toshiba, Nokia, UNICEF & Harvard University have enjoyed the benefits of using Huddle's collaborative capabilities and Huddle is free for registsered charities [6]. Huddle's intuitive, user friendly interface makes project collaboration easy, even for users with no prior experience in the field of project management, and its free iPhone application makes it even easier for users to contribute when they are out of the office [7]. -------------------------------- see References below
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    References [1] Ninian Solutions Ltd. (2010). 'Project Management Software, Online Collaboration and Document Sharing ~ Huddle'. Retrieved March 27, 2010 from https://www.huddle.net/ [2] Smith, T. (2008). 'Review: Huddle online collaboration software - Personal Computer World'. Personal Computer World. Retrieved March 27, 2010 from http://www.pcw.co.uk/personal-computer-world/software/2228375/review-huddle-online [3] Ninian Solutions Ltd. (2010). 'Enterprise Collaboration Tools ~ Huddle'. Retrieved March 27, 2010 from http://www.huddle.net/what-is-huddle/huddle-for-enterprise/ [4] ubergizmo. (2009). 'Huddle Collaboration Tool - New Version'. Retrieved March 28, 2010 from http://www.ubergizmo.com/15/archives/2009/04/huddle_collaboration_tool_new_version.html [5] Ninian Solutions Ltd. (2010). 'Case studies ~ Press Releases ~ Huddle'. Retrieved March 28, 2010 from http://www.huddle.net/press/case-studies/ [6] Ninian Solutions Ltd. (2010). 'Huddle for Charities ~ Business Solutions ~ Huddle'. Retrieved March 29, 2010 from https://www.huddle.net/business-solutions/huddle-for-charities/ [7] Reisinger, D. (2009). 'Huddle adds collaboration features, iPhone app'. CNet News. Retrieved March 28, 2010 from http://news.cnet.com/8301-
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    Box.net (2010) and Huddle.net (2010) seem to offer the same kind of features and all the sources seem reliable. Huddle offers a few more perks than Box.net, in that it has a dashboard with everything that needs to be done on one screen; this is vital for keeping employees in the loop and keeping productivity at its high. For a business that has multiple employees spaced out over a wide geographical rage, Huddle.net has a built in web conferencing aspect which allows everyone to view presentations as if they were all in the same room. Huddle.net offers features that are found in Box.net and Radvision's (2010) SCOPIA Desktop. Real world case studies offered by Huddle.net prove valuable when it comes time for that decision to be made on what product to use. This addresses how Huddle.net can be implemented into a running business, with minimal overhead and disruption. Both Box.net and Huddle.net allow for synchronous and asynchronous communication and collaboration. This is good for employees in different time zones or for those who are on the move. Prices of cause will vary depending on the size of the business and the services it offers. With a list of well accredited names on board, it seems Huddle will be best suited for an all-in-one online collaboration tool and is suitable for this project. References: Box.net (2010). Complete List of Features Retrieved March 30, 2010, from http://www.box.net/features/complete_list huddle.net (2010). Take the Tour Retrieved March 30, 2010, from https://www.huddle.net/take-the-tour/ radvision.com (2010). SCOPIA Desktop Video Conferencing Retrieved March 30, 2010, from http://www.radvision.com/Products/Video-Products/Desktop-Video-Communications/
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    Originally suggested by Meryl Olait http://groups.diigo.com/group/net-308-at-oua/content/user/merylolait on: 29/3/2010 .http://venturebeat.com/2007/11/13/huddle-another-online-collaboration-system-for-businesses/ This review is from VentureBeat; a site that covers news and profiles about innovation companies. According to this investment review in 2007, Huddle received US$4million from Eden Ventures; an investment company of "serial entrepreneurs with strong seed investment track record, creating business of lasting value." Huddle's mission statement is "to be the world's best online B2B collaboration platform" Huddle's target market is the corporate market with a impressive list of corporate customers; Boots, Panasonic, Nokia, Kerry Ingredients, Kia Motors and many more. Important features for companies will be Huddle's ability to store Microsoft Word and Excel documents as well as a online office on iPhone application , intranet, extranet, file sharing, team collaboration and project management tools even when they do not operate within the same firewall. Huddle won the Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Social Fest competition for "Leverage SharePoint into [your] existing product". http://techcrunch.com/2010/02/04/microsoft-sharepoint-socialfest/ Huddle received honourable mention in the ReadWriteWeb Top 10 International Web Products of 2009. http://www.readwriteweb.com/archives/top_10_international_web_products_of_2009.php
louwnaw

Salesforce.com for CRM - 2 views

shared by louwnaw on 02 Apr 10 - Cached
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    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
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    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.
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    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/
Elaine McDonald

Web conferencing solution Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro - 2 views

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    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
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    Not all businesses are looking for an all-in-one product that cost more than a 2 day old kidney on the black-market. Adobe is certainly a worldwide name, giving it the upper hand in the multimedia and creativity software market (Toptenreviews.com, n.d). Communication in a business is an important aspect; and video conferencing is not bound by physical boarders, meaning several people from around the world can participate as if they are sitting within the same room. With Adobe Flash installed on 98% of internet-connected computers, Adobe has taken advantage of this and has built a collaboration tool that integrates straight into the web browser (Toptenreviews.com, n.d); something that Radvision's SCOPIA Desktop does not do. With all online video conferences, great dependency weighs heavily on the internet connection; Acrobat Connect Pro is bandwidth friendly and is not a hog (Toptenreviews.com, n.d). However, this product would work effortlessly for a web conferencing environment. In 2009, the U.S Marine Corps selected Adobe's product Acrobat Connect Pro to communicate enabling Marines to communicate more effortlessly and securely across locations worldwide (Adobe, 2009). "Some of the world's most secure organizations in financial services, life sciences, and government - including the U.S. Department of Defense - have turned to Acrobat Connect Pro as a real-time collaboration solution. It not only meets the government's highest security standards, but also enables increased efficiency and communication across networks." (Adobe, 2009) - Rob Tarkoff (senior vice president, Adobe's Business Productivity Business Unit) References Adobe (2010). Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro Retrieved March 30, 2010, from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatconnectpro/ Adobe (2009). U.S. Marine Corps Selects Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro for Mission-Critical Communications Retrieved March 30, 2010, from http://www.adobe.com/aboutadobe/pressroom/pressreleases/20
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    References - Adobe - Acrobat Connect Pro free trial. (2009). Adobe. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobatconnectpro/trial/ Adobe Acrobat Connect Pro 2010 - TopTenREVIEWS. (2010). Web Conferencing Review 2010 - TopTenREVIEWS. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://web-conferencing-services.toptenreviews.com/adobe-connect-pro-review.html Dawson, C. (2009). Education IT mobile edition. Education IT mobile edition. Retrieved March 22, 2010, from http://education.zdnet.com/?p=2730
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    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.
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    [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
Liz Barrett

WebEx Online Classroom - 3 views

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    WebEx Online Classroom is the perfect tool for providing live just-in-time online instructor-led training or self-paced training to employees, partners and clients where participants can access either service from their web browser at any time from any place. WebEx Online Classroom allows for easy e-learning/e-training content creation and delivery and with the added e-commerce feature one could turn their in-house training service into a profit-earning centre. [1] Instructors are able to set up remote 'labs' for participants to practice on during any stage of the program, create polls or quizzes, receive instant feedback or track participation and attendance along the way. They are also able to record and archive. [1] WebEx Online Classroom allows for presentation sharing, streaming media or live video, interact in 'real-time' with the participants as well as passing control from user-to-user and share applications simultaneously. [1] Real-time demonstrations provide strategic advantages with respect to: [2] [3] * Rolling out new products faster * Accelerating customer usage of your products * Training new reps and partners * Bringing employees up to speed on new applications * Providing and/or improving remote support to your IT department and client base * Re-train or re-skill personnel who have been injured and/or returning to the workforce [4] The WebEx application has now been made available, free of charge, to Apple iPhone and iPad users. This means that the aforementioned training applications can be delivered to students who are on the move. It also delivers the traditional benefits of WebEx, i.e. virtual meetings and subsequent collaboration, sharing and annotation as well as individual or group chat sessions. [5]
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    References: [1] 'Online Classroom: Deliver high-touch e-Learning'. Retrieved from URL: http://www.webex.com.au/smb/online-classroom.html [2] 'Delivery high-touch eLearning programs while cutting costs'. Retrieved from URL: http://www2.webex.com/companyinfo/overview/elearning.html [3] Bardwell, M. (2006). 'Canon USA Inc accelerates time-to-market with WebEx'. Retrieved from URL: http://www.webex.com/pdf/casestudy_canon.pdf [4] Telecomworldwire (2008). 'Walter Reed EEOO selects WebEx Online Classroom application to train injured soldiers'. Retrieved from URL: http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0ECZ/is_2008_April_15/ai_n25157509/ [5] 'Cisco WebEx Meeting Center on the iPad'. Retrieved from URL: http://webex.com/apple/
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    Although predominantly marketed as a web based training tool for small-medium businesses, Webex offers a stable platform for collaboration in the educational sector. Steve Mackenzie is Distance Learning Development Team Leader in the Faculty of Health and Life Sciences at De Montfort University. He compares the usability and effectiveness of three web conferencing tools; Wimba, Webex and WiZiQ. He uses them as live online learning tools and his practical experience makes him well qualified to compare them. Mackenzie believes that technology should be invisible. He compares things like logging in, audio quality, whiteboard tools, feedback tools, the general environment look and feel, recording of sessions and of course support, he places more importance on the user interface and how much the tool maximises interaction. [1] Mackenzie's verdict is that Webex is the pick of the bunch providing a stable, least problematic web conferencing environment. He regards it as the easiest to log into and by far has the most appealing look and feel for participants and is easy to work with for teachers. [1] This is supported by other software review sites. [2] [3] One of WebEx's features has been its development of applications for iPhone. Users can view and join meetings and conferences from their phone, making collaboration possible away from their Internet-connected computers. [3]
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    References: [1] Mackenzie, S. (2009). The Three Dubya's - Wimba, Webex and WiZiQ. Learnadoodledastic Retrieved 31 March 2010, from http://learnadoodledastic.blogspot.com/2009/09/dubyadubya-dubya-wimba-webex-and-wiziq.html [2] GiveMeaReview. (2010). Webex Review. Givemeareview.com Retrieved 14 April, 2010, from http://www.givemeareview.com/online-meeting/webex.html [3] TopTenREVIEWS. (2010). Web Conferencing Review: Webex. Retrieved 14 April, 2010, from http://web-conferencing-services.toptenreviews.com/webex--review.html
Liz Barrett

Fuze Meeting - 5 views

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    Fuze Meeting is one of the few browser-based web meeting platforms that allows the participant to not only host web conferences from their computer but to also attend a meeting from their Apple iPhone, RIM BlackBerry or any Wi-Fi or 3G enabled device [1] Since its 2009 software upgrade, participants can now invite attendees from several e-mail and instant messaging clients such as Microsoft Outlook, Windows Live Hotmail, Google Gmail, Google Talk, AOL AIM, Skype, LinkedIn and Yahoo [2] and works seamlessly with Linux, Mac and PC. Fuze Meeting also integrates with Facebook and Twitter allowing users to announce their audio and web meetings to followers. Fuze Meeting provides high-definition, real-time synchronized desktop sharing for online collaboration of videos, images, documents and PowerPoint presentations (as well as text chat). It does this by operating solely through the browser and Internet cloud (in this instance, the Fuze servers) eliminating the need for downloads or installations. [3] Fuze Meeting's simple editing tools allow for annotations on files or video frames, drawing simple graphics or adding text. [4] Control meetings and content; invite participants on the fly or schedule in advance all through the easy-to-use dashboard. At the end of the meeting hosts are able to publish a Fuze Meeting Replay link for others to review the meeting and its content. Fuze Meeting is free for up to three web users and seven audio users however there are competitive, cost-effective pay-as-you-go, monthly and annual plans to cater for larger numbers of users (for example, at the monthly level, Fuze Meeting costs $29 compared to its competition, WebEx or Go-to-Meeting which cost $49 per month). [5]
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    References: [1] 'Share your screen with anyone, anywhere, anytime'. Fuze Meeting. Retrieved from URL: https://www.fuzemeeting.com/landing/search-opt/1?mpc=AF-CJN-FMTG-EN-USD-502-00000-50057&AID=10676806&PID=3145600&SID=organic&cj=AF-CJU-FMTG-EN-USD-000-00000-00000 [2] Boulton, C. (2009). 'Fuze Meeting Lets Users Push Meetings to Facebook, Twitter'. Messaging and Collaboration. eWeek.com. Retrieved from URL: http://www.eweek.com/c/a/Messaging-and-Collaboration/Fuze-Meeting-Lets-Users-Push-Meetings-to-Facebook-Twitter-615426/ [3] Sailors, J. (2009). 'Fuze Box Software Simplifies The Virtual Meeting'. San Jose Business Journal. Retrieved from URL: http://sanjose.bizjournals.com/sanjose/stories/2009/12/07/focus22.html [4] Stern, Z. (2009). 'Collaborate Online with Fuze Meeting Service'. Software / Services. PC World Business Center. Retrieved from URL: http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/blogs/bizfeed/156697/collaborate_online_with_fuze_meeting_service.html [5] 'Web Conferencing Comparison'. Fuze Meeting. Retrieved from URL: http://www.fuzemeeting.com/web-conferencing/comparison
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    Fuze Meeting is a web-browser based web conference service and it also provides compatible applications for Blackberrys and iPhones [1]. Fuze Meeting utilises the Flash browser plug-in to provide a useful tool with an easy-to-use interface [2]. Meetings can include up to 15 attendees and its built-in chat integrates with AOL, Google, MSN, and Yahoo's chat applications [2]. Out of the top 10 web-meeting applications OnlineMeetingReviews.com ranked Fuze Meeting one of the top two products available [2]. Comparable online meeting services include GoToMeeting [3], Dim Dim [4], and iLinc [5]. Apple's GoToMeeting provides everything that Fuze Meeting does and more but at a higher monthly fee [3]. Dim Dim provides slightly more functionality to Fuze Meeting at a lower monthly fee [4]. iLink provide the same functionality as GoToMeeting with a focus towards the high-end corporate market, and iLink's pricing is available on application [5]. All four services offer 30 day free trial offers. Overall Fuze Meeting's nearest competitor in the meeting services market appears to be Dim Dim. Fuze Meeting and Dim Dim's services received an identical overall ranking from No1Reviews.com who tested for reliability, security, usability, features, support and value [6][7]. Fuze Meeting is a product worth considering for anyone interested in using a web conferencing service. ---------------- see References below
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    References [1] Fuze Box Inc (2010). 'Web Conferencing, Online Meeting, Web Meeting Software | Fuze Meeting'. Retrieved April 6, 2010 from http://www.fuzemeeting.com/ [2] OnlineMeetingReviews.com (2010). 'Fuze Meeting Review - 2nd Place'. Retrieved April 6, 2010 from http://www.onlinemeetingreviews.com/reviews/fuzemeeting/ [3] Apple Inc. (2010). 'GoToMeeting'. Retrieved April 6, 2010 http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/ [4] Dimdim, Inc. (2010). 'Easy, Open and Affordable Web Conferencing and Webinars | Dimdim'. Retrieved April 6, 2010 from http://www.dimdim.com/ [5] iLinc Communications. (2010). 'iLinc | Web and Video Conferencing | Online Meetings | Virtual Training | Webinars | eLearning'. Retrieved April 6, 2010 from http://www.ilinc.com/ [6] No1Reviews.com. (2010). 'Fuze Meeting | FuzeMeeting.com Review'. Retrieved April 6, 2010 from http://web-conferencing.no1reviews.com/fuze-meeting.html [7] No1Reviews.com. (2010). 'Dimdim | Dimdim.com Review'. Retrieved April 6, 2010 from http://web-conferencing.no1reviews.com/dimdim.html
Christopher Clarke

GoToMeeting - 7 views

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    GoToMeeting is a service from Citrix that facilitates online meetings between multiple people. The service not only allows for audio chat, but also desktop/screen and file sharing (Citrix, 2010). The service supports up to 15 concurrent users in a single meeting. Similar services are available for larger presentations in the form of GoToWebinar and GoToTraining allowing for 100-1000 and 25-200 users respectively depending on the level of service subscribed. At the conclusion of a meeting, GoToMeeting offers the ability to see who attended the meeting and who did not. To protect the security of its subscribers, GoToMeeting and Citrix's other GoTo products use 128-bit AES (Advanced Encryption Standard) end-to-end encryption (Citrix, 2010). This ensures that all communication is only seen by the intended recipients. AES encryption is a proven encryption algorithm and the cipher approved by the NSA (an American intelligence agency) for storing information up to the SECRET level (and TOP SECRET if a 192-bit or 256-bit key is used) (CNSS Secretariat, 2003). GoToMeeting has several competitors. The main competitors appear to be Cisco WebEx and Microsoft SharedView (successor to NetMeeting). However, competition also exists with combinations of free tools that fill the same need once combined. For example, Skype coupled with TeamViewer could be used to accomplish much the same task although not nearly as easy to use in the screen sharing combined with audio conferencing aspect. Citrix. (2010). Features. Retrieved April 12, 2010, from GoToMeeting: http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/online_collaboration Citrix. (2010). Security & Reliability. Retrieved April 13, 2010, from GoToMeeting: http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/secure_web_conferencing CNSS Secretariat. (2003,
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    GotoMeeting is a tool which delivers online meetings and webinars. Viewers can watch from anywhere as long as they have access to a computer with internet. There are both meetings and webinars which both provide meeting organizers with the ability to share applications or documents in real time [1]. There is also the ability to record meetings and/or webinars for viewers to watch at their own leisure. GotoMeeting software is for small groups who can all contribute to the meeting as if they were in the one room. Users can either dial in or use voip depending on their requirements. GotoWebinar is ideal for one presenter interacting with up to 1,000 people at one time. The attendees are able to communicate with the presenter via instant chat messages. It is also possible to engage the users by running polls, having a Q&A session at the end of the webinar. There are a few competitors in this market with Webex being a major competitor. Most of the applications are similar with a few variables depending on the price. One thing that gives GoToMeeting the edge is the price at approx $500 per month for unlimited webinars for up to 1,000 attendees [2]. In comparing GotoMeeting and Wimba's Live Classroom (another competitor in the market), Flatley (2006)[3] favoured GoToMeeting as the "easiest to use" with students catching on quickly with no guidance. In keeping up with current trends, Citrix have announced its GoToMeeting App for iPad which is available in the App Store [4]. This makes GotoMeeting more accessible which creates a more productive work environment. References [1] GoToWebinar: Features. Retrieved 14 April 2010 from http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/webinar/internet_conference [2] Flat-Rate Pricing. Retrieved 14 April 2010 from http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/webinar/gotowebinar_pricing [3] Flatley, M., E. (2007). Teaching the Virtual Presentation. Business Communication Quarterly 2007; 70; 301. Retrieved 14 April 2010 from http://bcq.sagepub.com.dbg
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    GoToMeeting is a "popular online meeting application" (Ramachandran & Beeram, 2009) that is used to "collaborate online, give presentations and for online training." (Ramachandran & Beeram, 2009) This easy-to-use application allows collaborating with anyone, anywhere, saving businesses time and money particularly with traveling expenses. (Business Wire, 2009) GoToMeeting is used by small and large businesses; with the ability to "host an online meeting with up to 15 people". (Online Meetings, 2010) For $US49 a month and an Internet connection, it can be operated on Mac or PC, and now on the iPad. An App for the iPad was created, due to the "need for more mobility in our work styles." (Citrix Online, 2010) This creates more opportunity to collaborate remotely, without the need to be in the office. Online meetings can begin with a simple click of a button. Members can be invited to join by phone or a link in an email or instant message. (How It Works, 2010) Members can join quickly and start collaborating, using their computers microphone and speakers or by calling in via telephone. (Ramachandran & Beeram, 2009) Some feature of GoToMeeting are listed below: * Display presenters screen - The presenters screen is shown, displaying the desktop, an application or document. The presenter can change the screen shown to view another members screen. This helps members visualize. * Drawing tools - encouraging interactive collaboration. Highlighting and drawing using the pen, highlighter, arrow or spotlight tool * Record Meetings - meeting can be reviewed at a later date. Recording can be posted on the company website for other employees to listen to. * Mouse and keyboard controls - can be given to other members in the meeting, allowing members to collaborate.
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    * Security features - Creating a safe and secure environment. "SSL-encrypted Web site, End-to-end 128-bit AES encryption, Automatic inactivity time-out" (Security & Reliability, 2010) GoToMeeting is a quick and simple meeting tool that is effective for small and large businesses and allows employees to collaborate with each other on a daily basis. Reference: Business Wire. (2009). Retrieved April 17, 2010, from http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/images/pdf/caseStudies/GoToMeeting_GoToWebinar_cs_Business_Wire.pdf Citrix Online Launches GoToMeeting App for iPad. (2010). Retrieved April 17, 2010, from http://www.citrixonline.com/pr/pressRelease.tmpl?FileID=040210& SourceTemplate=expertcity%2Fpr%2FpressReleases.tmpl How It Works. (2010). Retrieved April 16, 2010, from http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/web_meeting Online Meetings Made Easy. (2010). Retrieved April 16, 2010, from http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/online_meeting Ramachandran, K. & Beeram, S. (2009). Supporting Enterprise-Grade Audio Conferencing on the Internet. Lecture Notes In Computer Science, 5448(2009), 143-152. Retrieved April 16, from SpringerLink database. Security & Reliability. (2010). Retrieved April 16, 2010, from http://www.gotomeeting.com/fec/secure_web_conferencing
Jill Perry

Skype for Business - 6 views

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    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.
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    SKYPE FOR BUSINESS www.skype.com Current voice and video internet communication technologies are available and accessible for most internet users with the only requirement for use being a computer, web camera and internet access. At present the Skype product is currently one of the most popular communications technologies and tools in use via the internet. Skype promotes synchronised and asynchronised communication giving both the personal or business user the ability to communicate via instant messaging, SMS, voice or video calling, offering a number of packages from free to use, to customised business packages [1]. Skype gives business users the ability to connect with hard-to-reach geographically diverse audiences [2] throughout Australia and internationally, thus being invaluable when targeting a specific market or group for online collaboration. Using Skype to connect and collaborate minimizes the expense of sending staff to conduct meetings at locations [2], therefore saving money. When using Skype to collaborate and communicate, participants are able to partake in the comfort and convenience of their own environment and is an attractive tool for to users with a disability or specific needs. Skype can be a valuable resource for online collaboration offering both personal and business users the opportunity and convenience to reach audiences without the expense of meeting face-to-face. REFERENCES: [1] Skype (2010). "Skype for Business". Retrieved 12 April 2010 from, http://www.skype.com/intl/en-gb/business/ [2] Grover, R & Vriens, M. (2007). The Handbook of Marketing Research, Sage.
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    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/
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    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/
Narelle Absolom

HyperOffice - 2 views

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    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.
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    References [1] HyperOffice. (2010). Boost Productivity with Total Collaboration! Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.hyperoffice.com/collaboration-suite/ [2] HyperOffice. (2010). Homepage. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.hyperoffice.com/index.php [3] HyperOffice. (2010). Press Coverage. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.hyperoffice.com/in-the-news/ [4] HyperOffice. (2010). Clients. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.hyperoffice.com/clients/ [5] Mendelson, E. (2006). HyperOffice. PCMag.com. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,1954116,00.asp [6] Needleman, R. (2006). HyperOffice takes on Outlook and Exchange. Cnet news. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://news.cnet.com/8301-17939_109-9664455-2.html [7] Online Document Management. (2008). HyperOffice Review. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.onlinedocumentsharingreviews.com/blog/10-hyperoffice-review [8] HyperOffice, (2010). Pricing. Retrieved April 11, 2010, from http://www.hyperoffice.com/pricing/
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    HyperOffice, launched in 1998 and powered by Ajax and other Web 2.0 technologies, [1] is an award-winning, cloud-computing software-as-a-service (SaaS) [2] offering a suite of online collaboration and communication tools specifically targeted at the small-to-medium enterprise (SME). Users collaborate online through dedicated virtual workspaces to share documents, contacts, calendars and projects from any computer or mobile phone both in and out of the office. [3] One of the key differentiators of HyperOffice is its exceptional ability to create a branded or customised portal in your existing website that allows clients to be directly linked through a log-in to those specific areas of your business that they deal with. This is a seamless process and the branding is independent of any reference to HyperOffice. No specialist expertise is required as you can use the HyperOffice Publisher or HTML editor to achieve a professional result. [4] HyperOffice has recently released its Beta HyperSynch feature enabling "iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, mobile phones and other wireless devices to connect, to update and synchronise Outlook email, contacts, calendars, projects tasks and corporate networks via over-the-air updates" [5] As a further enhancement to the product, HyperOffice embedded a 'Skype-Me' icon next to their contact list, in the Shared Contact Manager, and as a result allowed HyperOffice users to contact each other directly using the Skype service and avoid the cost of traditional phone charges. This has seen HyperOffice's sales increase dramatically on a global basis by leveraging off the free and low-cost options of the Skype communications and collaboration application. [6] HyperOffice has also expanded its operations and product distribution into Europe, the Middle East and Africa (EMEA) which will result in enhanced opportunities for collaboration with small-to-medium-enterprise (SME) businesses in these areas further underpinning Hy
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    References: [1] 'HyperOffice expands global marketing channels for cloud-computing collaboration suite; VNC to distribute new edition of software-with-services business tools to EMEA resellers, partners, customers'. Retrieved from URL: http://it.tmcnet.com/news/2010/04/06/4711839.htm [2] Hamilton, D. (2010). 'Cloud collaboration suite HyperOffice Expands Global Marketing Channels in EMEA". Web Host Industry Review. Retrieved from URL: http://www.thewhir.com/web-hosting-news/040610_Cloud_Collaboration_Suite_HyperOffice_Expands_Global_Marketing_Channels_in_EMEA [3] HyperOffice. Retrieved from URL: http://clients.hyperoffice.com/ [4] HyperOffice. Retrieved from URL: http://www.hyperoffice.com/portal-customization/ [5] HyperOffice; HyperSynch Connects iPhone, Droid, Blackberry, Windows Mobile Phone Users to Email, Contacts, Calendars, Projects, Data, Tasks and Corporate Networks. (2010, March). Computer Weekly News,302. Retrieved from ProQuest Computing. (Document ID: 1984904381). [6] HyperOffice; HyperOffice Wins Skype for Business Competition. (2009, September). Computer Weekly News,175. Retrieved from ProQuest Computing. (Document ID: 1855792061) [7] HyperOffice. Retrieved from URL: http://clients.hyperoffice.com/training-and-support
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    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).
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    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/
Ellen Summers

Office Interactive - For Customer Relationship Management - 2 views

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    Office Interactive is an online Customer Relationship Management (CRM) software designed for small to medium sized business. The software contains everything you need to run and streamline your business. It is easy to use by simply dragging and dropping to customise your own business application [1]. Features of the Office Interactive software include: Collaboration: This module is used to share and communicate with all your team members on one page. It is an essential tool for organising your businesses day-to-day activities. Sales: This module is an easy to use Sales Force Automation (SFA) system. It is a total solution for small to large sales teams. Customer: This module allows you to see absolutely everything in relation to a customer including all correspondence and sales. It is also a centralised system to store data such as customers Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) and how to deal with customer complaints. Marketing: This module allows you to keep track of where your leads and customers are coming from. It can also be used to send marketing emails to your customers. Billing and Expense: This module is a full financial solution to keep track of your income and expenses [1]. CRM is extremely important for most businesses. Using a centralised system such as Office Interactive allows all staff to access data from any location [2]. CRM also allows you to put the customer first by making the most of your customer relationships as it allows you to keep in touch and personalise communications with customers easily [3]. [1] Office Interactive (2010). Simple, Powerful, and Revolutionary CRM Solution. Retrieved 16 April, 2010, from http://www.officeinteractive.com/ [2] e-Business Guide (n/d). Planning - Researching the Opportunities - Customer Relationship Management. Retrieved 16 April, 2010, from http://www.e-businessguide.gov.au/planning/researching/crm [3] Martin, J.A (2010). Put Cloud CRM to Work. Retrieved 16 April, 2010, from
Ellen Summers

SlideShare - Online Powerpoint and Keynote Presentation Tool - 9 views

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    Slideshare is the worlds largest community for sharing presentations online with over 25 million users a month. Users can upload powerpoint and keynote presentations, and word and PDF documents. Presentations can be commented on, bookmarked and shared and it is a great way to learn from others [1]. Businesses can upload presentations or documents to share ideas amongst the organisation and also generate leads due to the viral nature of the platform. Slideshare is linked with many other platforms such as Facebook, LinkedIn and Twitter [2]. Search engines will index the information in the presentations and it will enhance search engine ranking [3]. Presentations can also be made private and only accessible to members within your organisation [2]. Slideshare is being used by many businesses to market their products or services using the platform as a lead and traffic generation tool by either highlighting your business or directly generating leads through Slideshares LeadShare or Adshare tools designed specifically for business. There are no upfront costs and you only pay when leads are generated[1]. Slideshare also has its own branded channels for afee. The business channel allows businesses or organisations to customise its own microsite targeting the professional community. Here you can showcase eBooks, webinars and presenations while capturing leads and targeting a specific audience. Each microsite is a customised project for Slideshare and can be worked into an organisations budget [4]. [1] Slide Share Inc (2009). Slideshare. Retrieved 16 April, 2010, from http://www.slideshare.net/about [2] Learning Tools (2010). Top 100 Tools: Slideshare. Retrieved 19 April, 2010, from http://www.c4lpt.co.uk/Top100Tools/slideshare.html [3] ZenDesk (2010). SlideShare Forum. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from http://slideshare.zendesk.com/forums [4] Slideshare (2010). Slideshare Branded Channels. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from http://www.slideshare.net/channel
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    One of the attractive features of Slideshare is the ability to not only upload presentations for online display, however by using their Leadshare application you can collect and update customer contacts. Leadshare also allows the user to link the presentation to the business contact details. Slideshare can be embedded in your web page, blogs and social networks at no extra cost. Kelly, (2010) explains that Slideshare has a number of additional features which enhance its use. These include presentations that have audio tracks known as 'Slidecasts' and a plugin which allows presentations to be uploaded directly from the Powerpoint tool. It also has plugins to allow access from networking services such as Facebook and Linkedin. Slideshare as demonstrated by Mullen, (2009) is a great way of presenting information. Mullen states "Increasingly Slideshare is being used as a tool by conference organisers to make PowerPoint presentations available to anyone unable to make the conference in person." PcWorld recently reported on Slideshare's new service called Channels which will allow companies to create a microsite. Perez (2010) states that "Companies can be a sponsor of a Channel focused on a specific topic, like virtualization, or they can create a Channel just for their brand." Perez reports that this service adds to two other marketing services of Slideshare's, which are Adshare and Leadshare. Slideshare is an effective way of sharing and be able to show your presentation to a wide audience. As stated by Slideshare "Anyone can view presentations & documents on topics that interest them. The site is growing rapidly with over 25 million monthly visitors."
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    References: About Us. (n.d.). Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations and documents. Retrieved April 17, 2010, from http://www.slideshare.net/about Kelly, B. (2010). Slideshows. STRIDE Handbook 8 on E-Learning (pp. 106-109). India: India Gandhi National Open University. Mullan, J. (2009). Should we be more Social? Law Librarians and Social Media. Legal Information Management, 9, 175-181. Retrieved April 17, 2010, from the Cambridge Journals database. Perez, J. C. (2010, February 3). SlideShare to Let Companies Sponsor 'channels' on Its Site - PCWorld Business Center. Reviews and News on Tech Products, Software and Downloads - PCWorld. Retrieved April 17, 2010, from http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/188442/slideshare_to_let_companies_sponsor_channels_on_its_site.html Slideshare LeadShare FAQs. (n.d.). Upload & Share PowerPoint presentations and documents. Retrieved April 17, 2010, from http://www.slideshare.net/business/leadshare/faqs
blue puffle

Free Online Whiteboard and Collaboration Tool - Scribblar.com - 4 views

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    Scribblar is a fun, free, multi-user online collaboration tool that is especially effective for online training and brainstorming in an e-learning environment, with the sharing and exchanging of image and text files. Scribblar, developed in 2007, is the brainchild of UK-based muchosmedia.com, providing the online collaboration market with a social interaction tool that acts as a whiteboard with live audio, text-chat etc. Muchosmedia has been recognised by Adobe as global experts in developing Flash applications, serving on Adobe' industry advisory board [5]. Scribblar PRO is also available to users for a fee, allowing the integration of your own logo and customised features onto your website without the hosting and bandwith costs. With instant access to audio, video, live chat and powerful drawing and editing tools, Scribblar PRO can easily be incorporated within any website design with varied access and privilege levels [1]. Mainly, Scribblar is a great, flash-based education tool and has been designed to allow multiple users to interact simultaneously, without interruption. A major feature of Scribblar is the facility to upload an image for enhancing, editing, commenting or collaborating by multiple users, by utilising its drawing, text and sound tools [2]. A review done by a media library specialist, Kathy Pierce [3], highlights the interaction and educational value of integrating Scribblar in schools. For a comprehensive tutorial, visit YouTube [4] for a step-by-step explanation of each tool available on the Scribblar whiteboard for online collaboration. References posted below.
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    Scribblar is similar to other online whiteboards like Dabbleboard, Skrbl and ImaginationCubed. Walsh [1] is an avid researcher into internet and instructional technologies. A review of Scribblar against the other abovementioned tools showed up some differences. Users should be aware that the free edition does not allow saving or importing of files. There is no online help so it's a bit of a guessing game however it did appear to be fairly intuitive. [1] It is a fairly new product and will most likely evolve over time and improve on its shortcomings. A practical use of this tool for a designer would be the ability to load designs for a client to review in real time. In spite of remote location, the artwork changes can be drawn on the whiteboard and discussed in the chat window or using the audio feature at the same time in this online environment. [2] In the classroom, while students could create projects with Scribblar, it's most ideal for planning projects through brainstorming or mind-mapping.[ Armed with an array of pencils, line and shape tools. colours and a big white canvas, it does make student collaboration really easy. {3]
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    References: [1] Walsh, K. (2009). Online Interactive Whiteboards. EmergingEdTech Retrieved 14 April, 2010, from http://www.emergingedtech.com/2009/04/online-interactive-whiteboards/ [2] theDAILYAPP. (2008). Scribblar - Online Collaboration Design Room. Retrieved 14 April, 2010, from http://thedailyapp.com/media/photos/scribblar-online-collaboration-design-room [3] Ferris, B. (2009). Collaborate simply, graphically, with Scribblar. Retrieved 14 April, 2010, from http://blogs.learnnc.org/instructify/2009/10/20/scribblar-collaborate-mindmap-brainstorming/
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    References: [1] Muchosmedia (2010). Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://www.scribblar.com [2] Free Technology for Teachers (2008). 'Creative Collaboration with Scribblar'. Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://www.freetech4teachers.com/2008/09/creative-collaboration-with-scribblar.html [3] Library Media Musings (2009). Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://librarymm.blogspot.com/2009/11/collaborate-online-with-scribblar.html [4] YouTube (2009). 'Scribblar Demo'. Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByZenKhLVRg [5] Haschke Ink (n.d.). 'Muchos Media Content'. Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://haschkeink.com/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Muchos_Media.46100818.pdf
Vivien Rayner

Online project collaboration, management software: Zoho Projects - 3 views

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    Zoho Projects is another multi-user project management tool with planning and reporting capabilities. It offers * task management including setting task dependencies; * Milestone setting and managment * ability to schedule team meetings, gather notes, post slides and manage project from a central location * ability to centrally post and share files; * create a project "intranet" with the built-in Wiki; * a discussion board; * online group chat; * Gantt chart reporting; * time tracking and ; * integrated invoicing; Zoho have a comprehensive portfolio of over 20 apps including an impressive list of office suite applications in which Zoho projects was added in 2009. Several have won industry awards. They have a reputation of regularly developing and adding to this suite. Pricing is very affordable ranging from free for a personal use trial version to $80/month for unlimited use. They appear to have out in practice good physical security of physical property, network and people processes ensuring continued operation in the future [1] With full integration with Google Apps, you can login using your Google profile. [3] Although a relative newcomer to the collaborative project management tools market, it seems a logical progression along the development of Zoho's integrated office products. [2] [1] Zoho Corporation (2010). 'Project Collaboration and Management Done Right'. Retrieved April 1, 2010 from http://projects.zoho.com/home.na [2]McCue, T. (2009). Review of Zoho Projects: Project Management Tool Small Business Trends Retrieved 13 April, 2010, from http://smallbiztrends.com/2009/09/review-zoho-projects-project-management.html [3]Miller, R. (2009). Zoho Projects integrated with Google Apps. Fierce Content Management Retrieved 13 April, 2010, from http://www.fiercecontentmanagement.com/s
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    Although Zoho Projects does lack in features compared to online collaboration software such as Central Desktop, it's ease of use and the integration of task tracking does set it apart from it's counterparts [4]. Computer users new to online collaboration will find the limited features easy to master and is perfect for small to mid-size companies whose employees regularly telecommute. While Top Ten Reviews [2] gave a less than glowing review for it's resource management and budget features, another review by actual users [1] gave it five stars for it's project management facilities, gnatt chart, calendar integration, document sharing abilities and wiki. Zoho Projects make use of integrated group chat, discussion boards and utilising Project Wiki, webpages can be uploaded with embedded media such as video. The 'Project Stream' shows the latest update of project activity, live chats and live collaboration with Microsoft project files. A video is available on Life Hacker that shows the Zoho Projects in action [3]. Zoho Projects' users are updated by email or rss feeds, without them having to be signed-in to be kept in the loop. Users of Zoho Projects can also benefit from including Zoho's other products such as Zoho Writer, Zoho Planner and Zoho Invoice.
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    References: [1] Google Apps Marketplace (2010). 'Zoho Projects' . Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.google.com/enterprise/marketplace/viewListing?productListingId=2533+16735307238406892037 [2] Top Ten Reviews (2010). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://online-project-management-review.toptenreviews.com/zoho-projects-review.html [3] Life Hacker (2009). 'Zoho Projects keeps teams focussed and in touch'. Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.lifehacker.com.au/2009/07/zoho-projects-keeps-teams-focused-and-in-touch/ [4] Bright Hub (2009). 'Review of Zoho Projects'. Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.brighthub.com/office/project-management/reviews/27487.aspx
Liz Power

Sugar CRM - Open Source Customer Relationship Management - 3 views

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    SugarCRM is an open source database management system. It is important to be able to manage customer databases without having to collate numerous spreadsheets of customer information. With SugarCRM it simplifies being able to organize and track people, companies and sales opportunities [1]. Another advantage of SugarCRM is the ability to measure and report customer information across your company [2]. SugarCRM Community Edition is a free application and it is open source so the software can be altered to suit the users' needs. Not all companies have the same requirements when it comes to implementing a CRM, so the advantage of using SugarCRM is it gives users the flexibility to modify the source code [3]. To gain greater benefits of SugarCRM there is a professional edition for US$360 per licence or the Sugar Enterprise Edition for US$600 per licence [4]. A CRM solution will focus on automating and improving current processes and practices mainly supporting sales, marketing, customer service and support as Gupta & Shukla (2002) attest [5]. Implementing a CRM can be a risky business according to Bohling, et al (2006) [6]. Depending on the size of the organization and the current CRM system in operation, if any, implementing a CRM requires plenty of planning and preparation. Also, once a system is up and running, it is important to evaluate the success of the CRM and continue to refine and develop the CRM. References [1] Organise & Share Customer Information. Retrieved 12 April 2010 from http://www.sugarcrm.com/crm/resources/crm-new [2] Measure & Report Across your Company. Retrieved 12 April 2010 from http://www.sugarcrm.com/crm/resources/crm-advanced [3] Open Source CRM. Retrieved 12 April 2010 from http://www.sugarforge.org/content/open-source/ [4] Sugar Editions. Retrieved 12 April 2010 from http://www.sugarcrm.com/crm/products/editions.html [5] Gupta, M.P., and Shukla, S. (2002). Global Business Review 2002; 3; 99. Learnings from Customer Relationship
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    In comparing SugarCRm to another similar product - 'TigerCRM', these are the results:
    SugarCRM Advantages " Sugar Suite is an excellent choice due to its advanced features, and is convenient to organizations from all sizes and industries. The installation of SugarCRM, as well as the installation of additional modules and language packs is quite easy and trouble-free, and the admin area offers a great variety of options and tools." [1]
    SugarCRM Disadvantages "While providing more capabilities and reliability, Sugar Suite loads slower than vTiger CRM and is not so easy to use. Problems may also arise if a user doesn't lock the Installation after finishing it. Contrary to vTiger CRM, some of its add-ons are not free for installing and should be ordered additionally. Another disadvantage of SugarCRM is the very resource-consuming upgrade process. A SugarCRM upgrade can rarely be completed successfully on a shared server because the upgrade times out." [1]
    But the latest release of version 6, raves about the following:
    "SugarCRM has completely re-written a new user interface that places a premium on speed, simplicity, and interoperability with other web applications and mobile devices. Larry Augustin, CEO of SugarCRM, said "Sugar 6 delivers a look, feel and user experience that consumers of popular social networking and other collaboration tools will appreciate." [2]
    "SugarCRM has also moved its mobile application to Appcelerator Titanium so it could have one version of its application run on Apple, Google's Android, BlackBerry, Palm, and other devices without the need for their engineers to build completely different versions. " [2] References: [1] SiteGround, http://www.siteground.com/sugarcrm_vtiger.htm [accessed April 14, 2010]. [2] SugarCRM announces release of ver
Duane Fogarty

10 tips for Online Collaboration by EMC - 7 views

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    "Your information is one of your most strategic assets. You can count on EMC to keep innovating ways to store, protect, optimize, and leverage information, all with the aim of contributing to your ongoing success." (Joe Tucci, Chairman, President and CEO of EMC) EMC insignia is a company that provides IT solutions, support and training to a worldwide audience. Amongst the commercial side of EMC, they also provide valuable advice on many topics that can be discussed and used to enhance small and medium business (SMB) growth. The document in focus concerns EMC's top 10 tips for online collaboration for SMB's. These 10 tips may help SMB's in selecting what kind of collaboration software is best suited to the company. The document is in PDF format and located at http://www.retrospect.com/assets/Top10_WebCollab_en.pdf . A brief interpretation of the PDF is below, for the full article refer to the link immediately above. EMC's Top 10 Tips in Brief 1. Workspaces should be simple and easy to setup and manage. Workplace setup should be a quick process with limited IT involvement. 2. Avoid collaboration software that creates multiple points within workspaces. Locating a document should not be confusing or misleading. 3. Select the software that provides tools to deliver and work on assignments in real time. "Managers must be able to assign owners, create tasks, set milestones, establish deadlines, and track the progress of tasks" [1]. 4. Avoid collaboration software that requires workspaces to have custom coding or IT development. Instead, allow for software that provides an easy design.
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    5. Go for collaboration software that gives managers constant visibility across several projects. 6. Choose software that provides a secure way to manage external teams- including partners or suppliers. 7. Ensure the collaboration software has web-based workspaces so that geographic location and time zones do not become an issue. 8. The software must be secure and protection settings easily managed. 9. Keep in mind what level of internal workspace security is required - should permissions be at folder level or file level? Make sure the collaboration software suits the internal security levels of the business. 10. Collaborative software should be cost effective, consider company growth and tolerate a mixture of operating systems, various browser types and email clients. The strength of EMC's tips is that they can be applied to many web-based collaboration products on the market and are clearly suited towards SMB's. However, this implies that the list may not be extensive enough to relate to large firms. Overall, EMC's tips offer a starting point for what to look for when selecting collaboration software for businesses. References/Notes [1] EMC. Top Ten Tips for Web-based Collaboration in SMBs, http://www.retrospect.com/assets/Top10_WebCollab_en.pdf [accessed April 6, 2010].
Jacqui Harry

LinkedIn - Business Networking Tool - 4 views

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    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.
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    References: [1] LinkedIn available from www.linkedIn.com [2] Bell, G. (2009) "Building Social Web Applications" retrieved on 11th April 2010, available from:www.googlebooks.com
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    In today's competitive communications age, it is not enough to simply inform clients, or potential clients, of what your business has to offer - it should also be about engaging them and listening to what they want and understand how they think. Success in business stems from gaining this type of competitive advantage and one way of differentiating themselves from the competition is to encourage their professionals to use a professional networking (or social media) tool such as LinkedIn. [1] LinkedIn's profile feature not only allows professionals to build a rapport with like-minded individuals but also creates an opportunity to expand their network especially if they belong to one of the many LinkedIn Groups. Being part of such a network also provides an avenue for knowledge sharing between professionals and feedback on service providers in the industry. Incorporate this type of collaboration tool to boost marketing as well as professional development for employees. [2] It is important that employees understand the company's core message and its purpose for using such an application, and this can best be achieved by creating social media guidelines. A recent article by Daniel Burrus (2010) suggests the following points could be used as a guide: [3] * Build trust * Transparency * Be direct * Self-edit * Responsibility * Professionalism * Privacy * Obey the rules Since LinkedIn was launched in 2003, it has attracted over 60 million users and recently LinkedIn became accessible on the BlackBerry. This dynamic combination, as well as ease of navigation, has proved a success within the corporate world where professionals can easily search for and access their contact's portolio. [4] ....continued in post below...
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    ...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]
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    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
Jacqui Harry

Lighthouse - Issue Tracking - 3 views

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    This issue tracking software is for used for project development and allows participants to collaborate on a variety of projects, such as tracking fixes waiting for QA or urgent issues, ideally suited to software developers through a customer support application. [1] The simple user interface allows large and small groups to quickly create efficient workflows and automatically organize specific tasks by creating, assigning, tagging and resolving project issues. The insertion of milestones helps to plan features and establish release dates and agreed deadlines and the ability to share documents and images directly to tickets, so anyone within the project team can find them. As a customer relationship management tool, Lighthouse is efficient at managing a company's interactions with its clients and involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes, which are essential within sales, marketing, customer service, and technical support by creating time-saving functionality.[2] As a case study Croogo [3] is a free, open source, content management system powered by CakePHP framework, and distributed under the MIT License. And uses lighthouse to create and reply to tickets and review the status of all projects in a simple overview that can be followed along with feeds, creating exceptional user support , as participants can create new Lighthouse tickets directly from Tender [4], Lighthouses specialized customer support service. To reduce the costs of planning and implementing software initiatives and increase the support from user base, enterprises are required to automate processes according to best practices. Using Lighthouse's email integration team members can utilize email to reply to tickets directly from inbox and as it is a web based application, it means that support can access critical information on the move, such as using the iPhone optimized interface, manage tickets through the email system, or subscribe to pro
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    References: [1] Lighthouse http://lighthouseapp.com/ [2] Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Customer_relationship_management [3] Croogo PHP http://bakery.cakephp.org/articles/view/introducing-croogo-cms [4] Tender http://tenderapp.com/ [5]Neath, K. (2007) "Lighthouse: The bug tracker you've been looking for" retrieved on 11th April 2010 from: http://warpspire.com/tipsresources/web-publishing/lighthouse-the-bug-tracker-youve-been-looking-for/
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    "Communication, Collaboration, and Bugs: The Social Nature of Issue Tracking in Software Engineering" (Bertram, Voida, Greenberg, & Walker, 2010) This article, written by the Department of Computer Science, University of Calgary, is a qualitative study of a group of software development teams that make use of one or more formal issue tracking systems and examines the social aspects that reside within the software engineering and bug tracking process. They argue that an issue tracker is not just a system for tracking bugs but becomes a focal point for all stakeholders of the program including engineers, users, designers and owners. The collaborative knowledge and shared journey of tracking bugs and designing software is a social process as much as it is a design process and the tracking system should be able to facilitate and archive the exchange of information and ideas. From the study of up to 15 participants spread across 4 North American software teams they were able to articulate various real world practices for examining issue and bug tracking software. The paper enunciates the main features of an issue tracking system and what the main considerations should be when designing or implementing one. References Bertram, D., Voida, A., Greenberg, S., & Walker, R. (2010). Communication, Collaboration, and Bugs: The. Retrieved April 16, 2010, from DSpace: http://dspace.ucalgary.ca/bitstream/1880/47309/3/2009-IssueTracking.Report2009-933-12.pdf
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