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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
Tracy Maurer

Instant Messaging for Collaboration: A Case Study of a High-Tech Firm - 1 views

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    This resource represents a case study done within a high-technology software and service company, known as KME, on the effectiveness of instant messaging (IM) as a collaborative tool for information exchange and project collaboration [1]. IM is identified as being effective as a problem-solving tool in the following ways: · Speeding up exchange of information · Posing quick questions · Making clarifications · Arranging and coordinating richer media collaborations · Problem solving through a network of people · Solicit an immediate response. However, the paper also explores the social processes of such a collaborative tool. Connectedness is fostered through IM, but whether it is positive or negative depends on the characteristics of the actors' relationships. These social processes are manifest in the form of power, social relationships and workplace norms. The social translucence of technology (STT) framework is used to examine their collaborative processes. The article focuses on STT's three characteristics and determines the following: 1. Visibility - IM has several key visibility features that allow the users to indicate their availability to communicate and interact. 2. Awareness - This is strongly connected to the social framework of the actors and their connectedness with each other. 3. Accountability -It is dependent on whether a workers status is higher or lower within the organisation. It recognises that IM is a lean media and, when used within the context of few social cues and less complex knowledge issues, it can foster a good sense of community, provide for ad hoc exchanges, and speed up the process of information exchange. However, it also recognises that the social processes involved must be considered in terms of whether this connectedness is perceived as positive or negative, whether it is used to create distance, and a person's hierarchical position within the company.
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    Reference: [1] Quan-Haase, A., Cothrel, J., and Wellman, B. (2005). Instant messaging for collaboration: A case study of a high-tech firm. Journal of Computer-Mediated Communication, 10(4), article 13. Retrieved on 12th April 2010 from http://jcmc.indiana.edu/vol10/issue4/quan-haase.html
Jane Power

Mindjet Catalyst - Mind Mapping by Mindjet - 6 views

  • Mindjet Catalyst is a simple yet powerful collaboration solution that combines secure online workspaces, web conferencing, and a best-in-class visual productivity application (mind mapping). With Mindjet Catalyst, teams can visually connect ideas, information and people to save time, improve business processes and drive innovation – whether you are driving the sales process, managing a meeting, conducting a meeting, or simply getting organized.
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    Mindjet [5] is best known for its mind mapping software but with the introduction of Catalyst [5] in October 2009 Mindjet released the power of their mapping software to the web. Catalyst is an online mapping tool that is delivered on a subscription service across the web. It enables team members to co-edit a map in real time. Members can brainstorm ideas, design business process, store their documents in a secure and centralised workspace and keep a work log of all changes. Catalyst also augments the support of social networking tools to help share the vision [1]. Currently the service is delivered as a subscription service charged at $25/user/month plus an extra $25 for web conferencing moderators. Catalyst runs on all major browsers [4] but it must have Adobe Flash Player 9.0 enabled. "We think better in picture than text and how that can that be related to business process" Scott Raskin CEO of Mindjet (Howlett, 2009). "Catalyst team members can simultaneously video-conference while modifying a shared document on an online " (Chapman, 2009). While this online collaborative mapping tool is impressive an area of consideration is the fact that it does not alert team members of asynchronous changes [3] via IM or email. Alerting team members of change during a project is an important feature for collaborative tools as discussed in the research study by Daniela Damian M. Sc. [2] which looks at how real projects actually use collaboration tools and what were their main areas of use and importance are. However, with the inclusion of social networking tools like Facebook and Twitter this oversight could be overcome with good project management practices.
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    References [1] Chapman, G. (2009, Oct 8). Mindjet boosts online collaboration with Catalyst. Retrieved April 13, 2010, from Google (AFP): http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5jAtF77pDeYcjJL7H5N3Z7ykx4n3w [2] Damian, D. (2010, Feb 1). Case study of feature based awareness in a commercial software team and implications for the design of collaborative tools. Retrieved April 16, 2010, from UVicDSpace: https://dspace.library.uvic.ca:8443/dspace/handle/1828/2133 [3] Howlett, D. (2009, October 6). Mindjet takes on Cisco with Catalyst. Retrieved April 16, 2010, from ZDNet: http://blogs.zdnet.com/Howlett/?p=1377 [4] mindjet. (2010). Catalyst - Technical Requirements. Retrieved April 16, 2010, from Mindjet: http://www.mindjet.com/products/mindjet-catalyst/requirements [ 5]Mindjet. (2010). Catalyst. Retrieved April 16, 2010, from Mindjet: http://www.mindjet.com/products/mindjet-catalyst/overview [6] Mindjet. (2010). Mindjet. Retrieved April 16, 2010, from Mindjet: http://www.mindjet.com/
Liz Barrett

Adobe BuzzWord - 6 views

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    Transform how your team works, be it the educational sector (teachers and students) or the commercial sector (project teams) by using Adobe's Acrobat Buzzword service. Buzzword is a simple yet powerful multi-user document editing service designed to streamline review processes for simultaneous collaborative report writing. Buzzword, may look and behave like a word processor, but it is a web-based server that runs in Flash giving a high-quality graphical and design interface, full document formatting and 'print-perfect' documents in Microsoft Word, Adobe PDF, Rich Text and Open Office [1] and across computing platforms. You can create your document within Buzzword or import an existing one. Eliminate the endless back-and-forward and usually large email responses and attachments and keep control of annotations and versions. Control your document access by making certain people 'co-authors' who can edit and other team members 'reviewers' who can only comment. Each reviewer uses a different colour making it easier to keep tabs on who is annotating and there is a feature that enables you to view who is online and editing a particular document. [1] [2] Enterprise, government and educational sectors have found Buzzword to be an integral part of their collaboration process and claim that since adopting the service, they have 'reduced duplicate input and shortened the time it takes to finalise a document from several days to just hours'. [3] For Acrobat.com subscription pricing, please refer to: https://acrobat.com/pricing.html [1] Adobe Buzzword. Retrieved from URL: http://www.adobe.com/acom/buzzword [2] Miller, M. (2009). 'Comparing Google Docs with Competing Cloud Computing Applications'. Retrieved from URL: http://www.informit.com/articles/article.aspx?p
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    An outstanding feature of Adobe Buzzword is that it offers a free subscription service for smaller users, through to premium services for larger corporations. For a small business the free subscription would be ideal. As a result Adobe Buzzword can be adapted and used by corporations of any size as well as educational institutes. Some reviews of Adobe Buzzword have been very positive with Michael Klurfield of TECHGEIST saying "Buzzword is easily the best word processing software online right now." He explained that Buzzword does such things as annotations and comments are a lot easier in Buzzword than in Microsoft Word and that the sharing off documents is easy. PC MAG.COM compares uploading of Microsoft Word documents to Buzzword to both Google Docs and Zoho Writer and found that although there were some layout problems it was superior when uploading images. A paper from the 25th Annual Conference on distance Teaching and Learning identified Adobe Buzzword as "we find Adobe's Buzzword to be the best tool for the development of the course" (Staley and Ice, 2009) One of the problems Buzzword overcame for them was the necessity of having to email large documents back and forth and worry about version control. Adobe Buzzword it also incorporates the placement of images into your document and automatically flows the text around them. Its tools allow resizing of images. As with most word processors Buzzword can create bulleted lists and incorporate symbols and numbers. (http://www.adobe.com/acom/buzzword/) Sobti, (2009) states that "Buzzword differs from most other online document editors in that it is built on Adobe Flash, and which this makes the environment that much more rich" Adobe also has extensive help and demonstration sections for a new user for ease of learning.
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    References: Adobe - Acrobat.com Documents. (n.d.). Adobe. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://www.adobe.com/acom/buzzword/ Klurfield, M. (2009, June 16). Adobe Buzzword " Very Cool Online Wordprocessing | Techgeist. Techgeist. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://techgeist.net/2009/06/adobe-buzzword-very-cool-online-wordprocessing/ Mendelson, E. (2008, August 4). Adobe Buzzword beta - Compatibility with Microsoft Word - Reviews by PC Magazine. Technology Product Reviews, News, Prices & Downloads | PCMag.com | PC Magazine . Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2327019,00.asp Sobti, K. (2009, July 24). The ODE Adobe Acrobat Buzzword - Online Best Latest The ODE Adobe Acrobat Buzzword Price Reviews | Features in India. Digit - Thinkdigit Technology Guides | Technology News & Reviews | Free Downloads | Video | Online Tech Support Forums in India. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://www.thinkdigit.com/General/The-ODE-Adobe-Acrobat-Buzzword_3231.html Stanley, J., & Ice, P. (2009). Intructional Design Project Managment 2.0: A Model of Development and Practive. 25th Annual Conference on Distance Teaching & Learning, .(2009), .. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://www.uwex.edu/disted/conference/Resource_library/proceedings/09_19400.pdf
Vivien Rayner

Confluence - Enterprise Collaboration and Wiki Software - 5 views

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    Confluence is commercial intranet software produced by Attlassian. It comes in both hosted or dowload options. It is an enterprise Wiki suited to larger organisations as it allows teams to collaborate and manage knowledge. It provide a single place where people can create, share, comment and edit content together. It comes with source code so it can be integrated with the organisations existing systems and processes.[1] [4] Reportedly it is in use in over 8,100 organisations in 94 countries around the globe across government, education and technology sectors. There is a catalogue of over 100 plug-ins available. The plug-in architecture allows organisations to develop their own.[4] Spaces are created for teams and individuals and permission access secures these spaces. It appears to balance user-friendliness, functionality, scalability and security [3] In using this wiki software as a project management tool users report that it feels polished and professional and is a notch above other offerings like Basecamp or MediaWiki (the platform that powers Wikipedia)[2] [3]. Descriptions like "more robust" and a "real workplace tool' [3], "world's most popular" [4] and the evidence that this product enjoys an active open source community creating plug-ins for all to use, signifies its value in the workplace.[3]
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    References [1] Attlassian. (2010). Confluence. Everyone on the same page Retrieved from http://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/tour/enterprise-wiki.jsp [2[ Yehuda, G. (2009, 14/4/2010). Confluence 3.0 = Enterprise Wiki +++Gil Yehuda's Enterprise 2.0 Blog. Retrieved from http://www.gilyehuda.com/2009/06/02/confluence-30-enterprise-wiki/ [3] Bailey, C. (2006, 14/4/2010). Confluence Vs BasecampCode Intensity. Retrieved from http://codeintensity.blogspot.com/2006/08/confluence-vs-basecamp.html [4] Administrator. (2006). Confluence. ITerating.com All software reviews and ratings Retrieved from http://www.iterating.com/component/content/article/385-wiki-engines/15924-confluence-
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    The exchange of information easily and freely in modern business would have to be considered necessary to survive. As stated by Happel (2009) "Exchanging information is vital for the success of modern organizations." Confluence by Atlassian provides a Wiki type service for business that allows the exchange of information. One of Confluences strengths is that it can be adapted and integrated into an organizations system to ensure productive process. Confluence has been adapted and used for collaborative group projects. Some of the reasoning for this is as follows: The Australian Research Council's Network for Early European Research (NEER) uses confluence for interaction with its digital base repository PioNEER. Burrows (2008) states that "Confluence is marketed as 'enterprise Wiki' software, which simply means Wiki-type software with various additional features, including the ability to control access to specific spaces and pages." And that a key element in the process of designing new structure is interoperability between Confluence and PioNEER. Networking Computing's, Anderson (2006) states that "Our Editor's Choice, Atlassian Software Systems' Confluence 2.1.2, has all the features that suit an enterprise wiki. It's easy to install and set up, yet flexible and extensible." Infoworld ranked Confluence highest out of four Wiki Collaboration tools compared and Heck, 2007 stated "It doesn't go overboard with extraneous features, yet still stuffs in an amazing amount of functionality - all surrounded by a good-looking, friendly interface." As a business collaboration and knowledge management tool Confluence offers a wide range of flexibility at competitive pricing.
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    References Enterprise Collaboration and Wiki Software - Confluence . (n.d.). Atlassian - Software Development Tools and Collaboration Software . Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/ Anderson, R. (2006, March 30). Review: Wikis In The Enterprise - Network Computing. Network Computing. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://www.networkcomputing.com/unified-communications-voip/review-wikis-in-the-enterprise.php?p=5 Burrows, T. (2008). DEVELOPING A DIGITAL REPOSITORY FOR A HUMANITIES RESEARCH NETWORK: THE PIONEER PROJECT. New Review of Academic Librarianship, 13(1), 1-11. Happel, H. (2009). Social search and need-driven knowledge sharing in Wikis with Woogle. International Symposium on Wikis, 13. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from the Acm Portal database. Heck, M. (2007, January 5). Wikis evolve as collaboration tools | Applications - InfoWorld. Business technology, IT news, product reviews and enterprise IT strategies - InfoWorld. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://www.infoworld.com/t/applications/wikis-evolve-collaboration-tools-644
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
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/
blue puffle

Collaboration software|online collaboration tool|online software tool | Collaber - 5 views

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    Collaber is a virtual office that holds user information secure on a dedicated server, working on both Intranets and Extranets. The multi-platform (such as Windows, Linux and Mac) project management software allows for communication and sharing of data in a password-protected online environment. Educational institutions can benefit by creating virtual classrooms with file sharing and live interaction utilising the attractive graphics. First-time users immediately gain an understanding of available features by viewing the short video tutorials available on every feature, further enhancing the overall perception of ease of use. A demo page is also available to work through the complete process of engaging online collaboration with Collaber [1]. Collaber' features will soon include online account management for mobiles [1]. Editors are context sensitive with wizards improving file and picture sharing. Discussions and Chat tools features a time line and instant messaging with attachments. A review by Business Hacks [4] points out the value of the quantity of services Collaber offers its users and also mention the quality of interactive visuals used to enhance the user' experience of the software. Features include [1]: * Searchable contacts with changeable status and profile * Instant messaging with file and picture sharing * Drag and drop functionality to share files and folders * Task management tools to assign tasks to members and track progress * Application tool designer * Discussions, Wiki's and polls
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    A review by PR-inside.com [3] of Collaber' features view the highlights as: * Web version with unified account * Multi calendar with similar functionality to Google App's Calendar * Improved HTML editor * Keyboard short cuts * Advanced alerts and support * Compatibility with web applications, especially attractive to application store developers * New filters enabling items found by tags, date, members, status and more References: [1] Collaber (2007). Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://www.collaber.com [2] SoftSea (n.d.). 'Online Project Management'. Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://www.softsea.com/review/Collaber.html [3] PR-inside (2007). 'Web based multi-platform collaboration software released'. Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://www.pr-inside.com/print1414291.htm [4] BNet insight (2009). 'Collaborate in an online share workspace with Collaber'. Retrieved April 11, 2010 from http://blogs.bnet.com/businesstips/?p=3648
Jane Power

eRoom Family - Content Management - EMC - 8 views

  • EMC Documentum eRoom enables distributed teams to work together more efficiently
  • EMC Documentum eRoom Enterprise enables complex enterprise collaboration by combining the EMC Documentum eRoom workspace environment with EMC Documentum enterprise content management tools including access to enterprise content and workflow processes.
  • Provide team members with access to personalized views of the latest project task information within their eRoom workplaces while eliminating outdated task information.
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  • Combine web conferencing with the eRoom digital workplace to provide tools for realtime meetings and presentations including whiteboard sessions, desktop sharing, live demonstrations, and one-to-many presentations.
  • Gain the functionality of eRoom but in a hosted environment, enabling project teams to collaborate with partners and suppliers in a secure online space with less up-front investment.
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    For any enterprise that wants to provide a secure and scalable shared workspace for geographically disparate project teams then the EMC Documentum eRoom Family [2] of products release 7.4 provides an integrated solution that provides many benefits. The EMC website [1] provides an overview of the five components in their Documentum eRoom family that together provide a fully integrated system for online collaborative workgroups. The whole family comprises a suite of products that cover many of the areas that are out lined as essential features for successful enterprise online collaboration in the White Paper prepared by the Gilbane Group [3] Collaboration and Social Media-2008 [4]. Features such as (a) Secure shared workspace (b) Secure storage for shared rich content including, images, audio and documents, (c) Ability to run on intranet or secure hosted website that can run outside of the corporate firewall to allow external partners to join the group, (d) eRooms can be organised on a project basis each with their own workspace that can incorporate user access privileges, (e) Notifications and integrated IM and (f) Project management tools. The modules included in the Documentum eRoom Family include: eRoom - Web based collaborative workspace eRoom Enterprise - Combines the eRoom capability of a collaborative work space with the power of the EMC content management tools. eRoom Real-Time Services - Combines eRoom workspace with real time conferencing tools such as real time meetings, presentations and whiteboard sessions. eRoom Viewer -Team access to Microsoft Project Management tools. eRoom .Net - The functionality of the eRoom environment nut within a hosted web environment. References [1] EMC Corporation. (2010). EMC. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from EMC: http://www.emc.com/utilities/globalsiteselect.jhtml?checked=true [2] EMC Corporation. (2010). EMC Documentum eRoom Family. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from EMC: http://www.emc.com/products/family/er
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    eRoom is a web-based collaboration system that is popular amongst corporations. It has in built security features that IT departments require and can be rolled out globally.
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    Documentum eRoom provides a "web-based collaborative workspace for distributed teams" [1]. Additions to Documentum eRoom include real time services, collaboration management capabilities, Microsoft Project compatibility and a secure online shared environment. The eRoom Family of software has been a major player in the field of collaboration over the last ten years. EMC released a document about what they regard as their top 10 tips regarding what a SMB (medium to small businesses) should look for when considering web-based collaboration software. This document can be located at http://www.retrospect.com/assets/Top10_WebCollab_en.pdf. So how does EMC's very own software hold up these top 10 tips? DLA Piper Rudnick is mostly a US based law firm, forty offices, which required an easy and secure method to collaborate online. "The verdict: use of EMC's Documentum eRoom, a web-based collaboration platform that allows for secure information sharing" [2]. DLA Piper was deciding between Lotus QuickPlace and Documentum eRoom and stated that eRoom scored the battle because "eRoom's functionality and ease of use won out" [2]. EMC's top 10 tips echo this statement; "workspaces that are easy to manage" and "collaboration software should be flexible" [3]. However, even though eRoom has a proven history of being reliable software, they faced a new battle of collaboration-software competition.
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    Although Documentum eRoom and the rest of the family can live up to the top 10 tips, it may however, suffer a loss at the nature of technology. eRoom lacks compatibility with Web 2.0 tools such as "blogs, RSS and wikis" [5]. In an effort to keep up with technology EMC created "Centre Stage: moving beyond collaboration" [4]. In addition, the popularity of Microsoft's SharePoint has increased competition between the two products with companies migrating from eRoom. With such competition, a free version called CentreStage Essentials was released: the"version is a "limited" release of CenterStage. It does include storing documents in folder and attachment boxes like in eRoom, plus a few other features. There is no charge for this version" [5]. eRoom might still be the best suited software for many businesses, but with technology advances happening continually, it may also mean that for any new businesses delving into new collaboration software it could be a good idea to read up on Microsoft's Sharepoint 2010 or CentreStage. References/Notes [1] Details from http://www.emc.com/products/detail/software/eroom.htm [accessed April 8, 2010]. [2] Chen, A., (2007). Law firm makes case for eRoom, http://www.emc.com/collateral/analyst-reports/0307-eweel-law-firm.pdf, eWeek: The enterprise weekly, Issue: March 28, 2007 [accessed April 8, 2010]. [3] EMC. Top Ten Tips for Web-based Collaboration in SMBs, http://www.retrospect.com/assets/Top10_WebCollab_en.pdf [accessed April 6, 2010]. [4] OpenVine, Migrating from eRoom to CentreStage, http://www.openvine.com/downloads/eRoomCenterStageMigration.pdf [accessed April 9, 2010]. [5] OpenVine Web Solutions and Consulting, experts in best eRoom practices, the eRoom blog, http://blog.openvine.com/?m=200905 [accessed April 9, 2010].
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
Jill Perry

Google Docs - 8 views

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    Google Docs is a free application provided by Google in which team members can collaborate online for free. Google Docs offers the ability to create documents, spreadsheets and presentations online. Google Docs offers you the ability to share your documents with whoever you choose and has different settings depending on your needs. You can set the file to either be viewed by other people and or edited as well. One of the advantages of an application such as Google docs is that you have no need to download or upload data. Online storage also reduces the risk of loss of data due to computer crashes. Google Docs offers a number of export options and formats which you can save your files in. Google.com states that they offer "DOC, XLS, CSV, ODS, ODT, PDF, RTF and HTML formats." Online collaboration can take place in real time so that employees can automatically follow the changes and or contribute. Murray, 2010, Describes Web 2 applications such as Google Docs as "Web 2.0 technologies can be modified, remixed, adapted, and displayed in a multitude of variations, allowing for highly customizable workflows to be developed with little effort." Dekeyser and Watson state that "We found the interface to be very usable, effective, and efficient. In addition, setting up collaboration with colleagues proved to be exceedingly simple. We suggest that Google Docs is an excellent platform for ad hoc collaboration on document creation." Overall Google docs is an excellent option for a free collaboration tool that will allow you to operate anywhere. Google is currently improving Google Docs with new features such as being able to upload any file and language translation. Google States that "We're still working to make Google Docs a better place, and we're listening closely to your suggestions".
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    References: Dekeyser, S., & Watson, R. (n.d.). Extending Google Docs to Collaborate on Research Papers. Google. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://74.125.155.132/scholar?q=cache:M0i6zuhvc7AJ:scholar.google.com/+google+docs&hl=en&as_sdt=2001 Google Docs. (n.d.). Google. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://www.google.com/google-d-s/whatsnew.html Google Docs Tour. (n.d.). Google. Retrieved April 10, 2010, from http://www.google.com/google-d-s/intl/en/tour1.html Murray, A. (2008). Electronic Resource Management 2.0: Using Web 2.0 Technologies As Cost-Effective Alternatives To An Electronic Resource Management System. Journal of Electronic Resources Librarianship, 20(3), 156-168. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from the Routledge Informa Ltd database.
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    GOOGLE DOCS www.docs.google.com Google Docs is a collaborative software tool created by Google that allows users to work together collaboratively by giving them the ability to store, share and edit documents and projects over the internet (Google Docs. 2010). All users require to access Google Docs is a Google Gmail account, a computer, and an internet connection. Once accessible, users are able to commence sharing and collaborating on their project, whether that is a document, presentation, spreadsheet, drawing or form. Projects able to be created from Google Docs or uploaded from the users current files (PC World. 2010). Tasks such as project management is made easy with Google Docs (Brighthub.com. 2008) as project documents can easily be shared with other users via email invitation link with tracking of users additions and deletions to documents is made simple with the Google Docs interface. The email invitation link also allows the document owners and users to control the accessibility of the documents being collaboratively worked on. Google Docs are a valuable resource for both personal and business users due to users ability to access documents and collaborate on these documents with their peers from anywhere throughout the world as long as there is an internet connection. Users do not require any digital storage equipment such a usb drives or CD Roms etc as all Google Docs data is stored online. REFERENCES Google Docs, (2010). "Getting to know Google Docs" . Retrieved 15 April 2010, From http://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=49008 PC World (2010). "Work smarter with online collaboration tools". Retrieved 10 April 2010, From http://www.pcworld.com/businesscenter/article/191048/work_smarter_with_online_collaboration_tools.html Brighthub.com (2008) Project Management with Google Docs" Retrieved 9 April 2010 from http://www.brighthub.com/internet/google/articles/17713.aspx
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    Google Docs is a cloud service that allows users to import, export, upload and share documents, drawings, flowcharts, presentations, and spreadsheets. It is useful for both personal and corporate application, given the ability to share and collaborate freely without the need for standalone software or a requirement to carry storage devices [1]. All you need is a Google account (for example, your existing Gmail account) [2]. The service has evolved since its early days of just being for documents and spreadsheets, with some tech experts suggesting Google Docs is well placed to compete with the next version of Microsoft Office [3]. Some of the new features include better search and sharing [3] [4], and a new document editor [5]. Google Docs is great for collaborating online with team members or friends when the need arises to work on a shared file. However, it is important to note that use of cloud computing such as Google Docs does run the risk of losing control of one's information, as well as other security issues [6]. There have also been concerns over whether Google owns all content uploaded, shared and created via its services and applications. The terms and conditions suggest that while the content is yours, Google reserves the right to alter and use it as they see fit (see [7] for further discussion). Despite these possible downsides, Google Docs is proving popular in the corporate arena, with some reports demonstrating an increase in the use of Google Docs over internal networked solutions [8].
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    References [1] Albanesius, C. (2010). Google Docs Adds Cloud Storage For Any File. PCMag.com. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2357996,00.asp [2] Jones, S. (2007). Google Docs & Spreadsheets (Beta). PC Authority. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from http://www.pcauthority.com.au/Review/71792,google-docs--spreadsheets-beta.aspx [3] Lytle, M. (2009). Google Docs gear up to take on MS Office 2010. TechRadar.com. Retrieved April 9, 2010, from http://www.techradar.com/news/internet/web/google-docs-gear-up-to-take-on-ms-office-2010-617724 [4] Bangaru, V. (2009). Pardon our Dust. The Official Google Docs Blog. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2009/07/pardon-our-dust.html [5] Belomestnykh, O. (2010). A rebuilt, more real time Google documents. The Official Google Docs Blog. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2010/04/rebuilt-more-real-time-google-documents.html [6] Brodkin, J. (2008). Gartner: Seven cloud-computing security risks. InfoWorld. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from http://www.infoworld.com/d/security-central/gartner-seven-cloud-computing-security-risks-853 [7] Absolom, N. (2009). Google Terms of Service Explained! Retrieved April 19, 2010,
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    [8] Achohido, B. (2009). Microsoft Prepares Office Web Apps, But Popularity of Google Docs Loom. Inside Tech. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from http://insidetech.monster.com/news/articles/6001-microsoft-prepares-office-web-apps-but-popularity-of-google-docs-loom-
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    Commentary on specific collaborator features of Google Docs Google Docs is a great document editor and word processor alternative to Microsoft Word which makes collaboration on a document easy. Before the introduction of Google Docs, you were required to send documents around via email, hover over your colleagues back or ensure that only one of you were editing the document at a time and still require a method to ensure the document is going in the direction desired. Then Google Docs introduced the ability to have more than one person edit a single online document in much the same way as a wiki. You would edit, save, refresh, see and take into account your partners' edits who would then repeat the same process. Recently Google Docs has adopted a feature from another Google product, Wave, something that had been present in the Docs spreadsheet application for a while but absent from Google Docs Document, Presentation and Drawing. Google Docs introduced real time collaborative editing (Rochelle, 2010). Real time collaborative editing allows two or more people to work on a single document simultaneously and instantly see the changes each other is making (Rochelle, 2010). To aid this Google Docs integrates a chat feature (Rochelle, 2010) and comments. Chat allows real time communication outside the document but in the same window maintaining focus. Comments allow commentary on specific parts of a document to be made. Useful when you want to suggest a change but are not entirely sure or you dislike the change your colleague has just made. Unlike chat, the contents of comments stay put between edits, allowing notes be to left for when another person is editing the document.
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    Google Docs also integrates version tracking for documents allowing you to see which changes were made by who and when (Ross, 2009). The ability also exists to revert to previous revisions of a document (Google, 2010) in case you make a mistake or a decision does not pan out. These revisions are created during auto-save and when you specifically save (automatic on exit of a document). Google. (2010). Tools: Revision history. Retrieved April 21, 2010, from Google Docs Help: http://docs.google.com/support/bin/answer.py?hl=en&answer=92199 Gralla, P. (2010, April 22). Google Docs better; ready to take on Office? Retrieved April 22, 2010, from BusinessWeek: http://www.businessweek.com/idg/2010-04-22/google-docs-better-ready-to-take-on-office-.html Rochelle, J. (2010, April 12). A new Google Docs. Retrieved April 20, 2010, from Google Docs Blog: http://googledocs.blogspot.com/2010/04/new-google-docs.html Ross, G. (2009, August 10). Google Docs Review. Retrieved April 20, 2010, from Notebook Review: http://www.notebookreview.com/default.asp?newsID=5281&review=google+docs+review
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
Vivien Rayner

Posterous - The place to post everything. - 5 views

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    Although a blog would not normally be considered as an online collaborative tool, Posterous have developed a front-end engine which makes it very simple and easy for multiple contributors to post to a single blog just by emailing their content to a single email address. Contributors are not required to register as members and the service is free. [1] [2] The subject of the email becomes the title of the post, and the body and attachments of the email become the content of the post. You can post text, photos, music, video, documents and all kinds of files, just by attaching them to the email. Posterous formats it all nicely for you creating picture galleries for multiple images, drops music into mp3 players, video into a flash player and attaches download links for documents. It even resizes large file sizes to make them more web friendly. [1] What sets Posterous apart is its ease of use by allowing contributors to just email their contributions. This opens up the collaboration process to less technically savvy users in a non threatening way. It also does not restrict the size of the posts so they can be as brief or as lengthy as necessary or desired. Setting it up is also quick and simple. As blog owner, you can attach a security password to the blog and nominate the contributors that will take part. Each contributor is invited to post and is notified by email when anyone else has posted something. It makes blogging as easy as email. And by providing access to multiple users in such a simple way, it becomes a central repository for ideas, images, audio, video, stories which is accessible by all. [3]
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    [1] Administrator. (2006). Confluence. ITerating.com All software reviews and ratings Retrieved 14 April 2010, from http://www.iterating.com/component/content/article/385-wiki-engines/15924-confluence- [2]Attlassian. (2010). Confluence. Everyone on the same page Retrieved 14 April, 2010, from http://www.atlassian.com/software/confluence/tour/enterprise-wiki.jsp [3]Bailey, C. (2006). Confluence Vs Basecamp. Code Intensity Retrieved 14 April, 2010, from http://codeintensity.blogspot.com/2006/08/confluence-vs-basecamp.html [4]Yehuda, G. (2009). Confluence 3.0 = Enterprise Wiki +++. Gil Yehuda's Enterprise 2.0 Blog Retrieved 14 April, 2010, from http://www.gilyehuda.com/2009/06/02/confluence-30-enterprise-wiki/
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    Posterous is a blogging tool that allows groups to create a shared publishing environment that can easily be accessed via email to share text, photos, audio and video. This removes a major technology challenge from group dynamics, as any file type can be sent to Posterous via email and will automatically be converted to the most web efficient format, for uniform presentation and removing the technology hurdle from user experience [1]. Posterous allows users to log onto the system and then send an email, the text of which is posted attractively to a blog, and if an attachment is included (image or document), that is also posted; these postings can be mirrored automatically to Blogger, where they can be tagged 'writingmatrix' along with other identifiers [2]. [1] Hacker News, "Why I chose Posterous" http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=304102 [2] Stevens, V. "Engaging Collaborative Writing through Social Networking" Foundation Computing, Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates Available from: http://www.j-let.org/~wcf/proceedings/d-052.pdf
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/
Liz Power

WiseHive - 3 views

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    WizeHive is a collaboration platform which allows groups to share all sorts of information. Tools such as notes, calendars, files, tasks can be shared via email or within WizeHive. Workflow tools, form builder tools enable collaboration around business processes [1] Users are able to share videos, images and files by adding people to workspaces. Workspaces can be customized with corporate colours and logos and it is easily accessible via a browser with integrated email. There is also an integrated email where you can send files and notes via email to your WizeHive workspace for others to view [2]. It is ideal for project management where users are able to organize ideas and tasks for projects. Users are able to communicate and keep up to date with activities in real time as detailed in AppVita's (2009) review. Keeping track of conversations between users and managing communication is another useful function of this application. WizeHive is a free service for personal use and up to US$39 per month for the premium edition. A review from Tea (2009) highlights the ease with which users can contribute to WizeHive and the simple, uncluttered interface. Tea (2009) also emphasizes the crowded online collaboration tools market with the number increasing however with WizeHive's simplicity and powerful features makes it an option to consider. References [1] Organise and Share Information. Retrieved 12 April 2010 from http://www.wizehive.com/features/ [2] WizeHive: Collaborate Online. Retrieved 12 April 2010 from http://www.appvita.com/2009/06/27/wizehive-collaborate-online/ [3] Tea, K. (2009). Simple But Powerful - The Buzz That Drives WizeHive. Retrieved 13 April 2010 from http://www.web2andmore.net/2009/08/01/simple-but-powerful-the-buzz-that-drives-wizehive/
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    Wizehive - Online Collaboration and Organisational Tool Wizehive is an online collaborative and organisational tool that can be set up to track multiple tasks, activities and deadlines through the sharing of notes, files, and ideas within an individually tabbed workspace interface. It is an interactive application that can be accessed not only from your computer browser, but also through any email, a desktop client, or mobile communication device [1a]. Projects are divided into individual workspaces according to the teams that are working on them and/or the client. Each individual workspace displays as a tabbed file system with the follow categories and functions [1b]: 1. Recent Activity - set chronologically and in real time. o Displays feeds on all activities from all team members. o Instant reply can be facilitated o Notes, ideas and messages are shared between the team here o It can include text, graphics, links or uploaded files. o Information on this page can also be categorised to keep track of specific threads and ideas. 2. Files o Allows uploading, storing and sharing of files o Supports multiple file formats 3. Tasks o Displays all tasks connected to the project. o It identifies who is responsible for each task. o Records the status of each task. 4. Calendar o The calendar is integrated with the task system and identifies key target dates for each project. The application can also allow you to view all activities across all projects in one frame through the 'All' tab. The success of Wizehive was recently manifest within the use of its platform by TechCrunch to determine the top 50 applicants for the, "best new technologies of the year" [2]. CEO of TechCrunch, Heather Harde, stated that its, "…ability to easily collect ratings, make notes, and work collaboratively was fantastic".
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    References: [1a] Wizehive (2010) Organize and Share Informaiton. Retrieved on 14th April 2010 from http://www.wizehive.com/features/ [1b] Wizehive (2010) Organize and Share Information. Video. Retrieved on 14th April 2010 from http://www.wizehive.com/features/ [2] Wizehive (2010) TechCrunch50. Retrieved on 14th April 2010 from http://applicants.wizehive.com/applicant/success-stories/techcrunch50.html
Christopher Clarke

Google Code - Project Hosting - 2 views

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    Google Code is a project hosting and collaboration service based around the Subversion (SVN) and Mercurial (Hg) version control systems. The service provides issue tracking, file hosting and a wiki (Google, 2010). Google Code can only be used by open source projects and only if they use one of the pre-approved open source code licenses (Google, 2010). Version control aids collaboration by ensuring that each developer in a team has an up-to-date version of the code base and by managing conflicts. After making a change, adding a feature or fixing a bug, the developer commits and pushes their changes to a central server (Google, 2010). When a conflict occurs - due to two developers making a change to the same file at the same time or a developer making changes offline without being able to synchronize their repository - the version control system will attempt to merge the changes however in some cases conflicts occur (Raymond, 2003). In such cases' the version control system will highlight the conflicts and point them out allowing the developer to address them before committing their changes (Raymond, 2003). Google Code offers issue tracking that allows developers to track current project defects, and planned enhancements. Each issue can be assigned to a developer and tagged with labels which may indicate things about the issue that may be useful to the project developers (Google, 2009). Google Code also contains a wiki allowing the project documentation and planning process to be collaboratively created and edited (Google, 2010).
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    Google. (2009, September 19). IssueTrackerFAQ. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from Project Hosting on Google Code: http://code.google.com/p/support/wiki/IssueTrackerFAQ Google. (2010, April 8). FAQ. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from Project Hosting on Google: http://code.google.com/p/support/wiki/FAQ Google. (2010). Project Hosting on Google Code. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from Google Code: http://code.google.com/projecthosting/ Google. (2010, February 04). WikiFAQ. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from Project Hosting on Google Code: http://code.google.com/p/support/wiki/WikiFAQ Raymond, E. (2003, September 19). Chapter 11 Tools - Version-Control Systems. Retrieved April 19, 2010, from The Art of Unix Programming: http://www.faqs.org/docs/artu/ch15s05.html
Ellen Summers

Review Basics - An Online Collaboration Tool - 2 views

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    Review Basics was created by Sharp Styles Lab and is an online collaboration tool that allows you to annotate and comment on documents, images on videos. Content is secured and password protected so it can only be viewed by people in your organisation that have been invited. You are able to invite as people as you like [1]. Review Basics is a web-based application so you do not need to download any software but Adobe Flash does need to be installed to provide feedback using the simple drag and drop tools. The application can also be used by anyone in your organisation from any location in the world. It supports many file formats and if you find a file format that is currently unsupported, Sharp Styles Lab will do their best to accommodate you. [1]. With Review Basics you can upload draft proposals and invite staff to provide feedback and exchange ideas [1]. It is ideal for organisations that are geographically spread. Even in smaller businesses it can be difficult to organize staff for face-to-face meetings, so collaborating in this way makes discussion much easier and allows everyone to be involved in a decision making process [2]. It also allows for members to think about a proposal more thoroughly before offering feedback or making any comments [3]. [1] Sharp Styles Lab (2010). Review Basics. Retrieved 16 April, 2010, from http://www.reviewbasics.com/Home.aspx?NoCache=592c3049-fe2b-4e16-8e03-bd5d27dd494b [2] Cohen, A.S. (2008). The Collaboration Effect: The Second Wave of the Internet. Retrieved 16 April, 2010, from http://blogs.cisco.com/collaboration/comments/the_collaboration_effect_the_second_wave_of_the_internet/ [3] Cranor, L.F. (1996). Internet Collaboration: Good, Bad, and Downright Ugly. Retrieved 16 April, 2010, from http://www.acm.org/crossroads/xrds2-3/lorrie.html
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    ReviewBasics is a free website, that creates a safe and secure online space, where users can upload content and gather feedback about their content. The website is aimed for businesses in "creative and design, opinion research, film and video and legal." (Ruby, 2007) It can be beneficial for businesses that require feedback on projects, bringing comments together in one location. By doing this, it avoids the dilemmas of keeping track of feedback in emails. When a project is set up, users upload one or multiple files, to a total of 25mb per account for reviewing. (Q&A, 2010) Supported files include: * Microsoft Word™ and PowerPoint™ (DOC/DOCX, PPT/PPTX) * Images (JPEG, GIF, PNG, TIFF) * Adobe Acrobat (PDF) * Video (FLV, WMV, AVI, MPEG) (Q&A, 2010) Once uploaded, people can be invited to review the content via email invite. With a simple click on the link, the person can be taken to the project where they enter a password provided and begin giving feedback using the tools. Different tools such as the "Callout", similar to a speech bubble, "Arrow", "Emoticon", "Selection" and "Drawing" can be used to give feedback, with a simple drag n' drop onto the page. (Products, 2010) Account holder can limit what feedback, each invited person can see. Once feedback is made, email updates are sent notifying users that comments have been left. This can save businesses time by not waiting for notification by email or phone, and can help complete projects much faster, creating greater efficiency. Anytime during the project or upon completion, an annotated PDF file can be downloaded with all reviews made. This file can be stored and accessed at a later date. (ReviewBasics, 2010) ReviewBasics provides a cost effective collaborative tool that allows project reviews to be saved in one place, creating greater efficiency and helps complete projects faster.
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    Reference: Products. (2010). Retrieved April 16, 2010, from http://www.sharpstyle.com/ Q&A. (2010). Retrieved April 16, 2010, from http://www.reviewbasics.com/QandA.aspx?NoCache=b22b65c6-80ce-4e4f-81fd-d7ad193c6cc1 ReviewBasics. (2010). Retrieved April 16, 2010, from http://www.reviewbasics.com/Home.aspx?NoCache=c327e07a-ff88-4fc1-be88-2606073523a2 Ruby, B. (2007). A review of ReviewBasics. Retrieved April 16, 2010, from http://cmsreport.com/blog/2007/review-reviewbasics
louwnaw

Commenting on Acrobat.com- Original discussion by Duane - 3 views

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    Combining a couple of online tools; (Shared workspaces, and Connect Pro) for document collaboration, web conferencing, and eLearning. The days of emailing versions of Word or Power Point documents are gone. Sharing, collaborating, creating, is a 24/7 business and participation is potentially unlimited. The starting point for all groups is, choosing a common platform to work on. Most collaboration sites can be customized, has communication options, provide degrees of third-party partnerships, accommodate file sharing and facilitate storage space. [3] Acrobat.com has the lot and a lot more. Acrobat, as stand-alone software for PDF document creation, with its free distribution of the Acrobat Reader to open these documents, is known across multiple time zones. This is not always the case for other collaboration software. Statistics for users of Facebook show the platform is mostly used in the United States and Canada while orkut (www.orkut.com) is the platform preferred by Brazilians, and hi5 (www.hi5.com) is mostly used in the Caribbean.[3] Acrobat.com rebuts diversity by its international acceptance in the market. Acrobat.com Workspaces and Connect Pro is "The next best thing to meeting in person".
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    **. Workspaces: Online document collaboration, word processing, PDF conversion, spreadsheets sharing. **. Web conferencing: Private team meetings without the travelling cost. IPhone and iPod touch mobile software also available. This service can be hosted with an annual subscription, on-premise with a software licence or managed by a third-party certified Adobe partner. **. eLearning: Create self-paced courses and media-rich virtual classes. Delivery methods for business training are evolving. Economic fluctuations periodically shift sales strategies for example, a consultative approach to selling changes to a more provocative method in recessionary times. Sales managers often have to retrain staff with little warning. The new generation of the workforce; so called Millennials, tend to be more comfortable with online learning. On-line eLearning in real time is engaging, dynamic and interactive, all promoting highly effective sales training. [5] **. Web seminars: Host live web events and training for staff and customers and partners. With a web browser and Adobe Flash Player, create streaming video, animations and interactive content.[4]
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    [1] Hanyaloglu, A. (2010) Acrobat.com takes a new step today- Workspaces http://blogs.adobe.com/acom/ [2] http://www.adobe.com/acom/ [3] Hastings, R. (2008) Collaborating across time zones. http://web.ebscohost.com.ezproxy.slv.vic.gov.au/ehost/ [4] Product specifications. Retrieved on 5/4/2010 from: http://www.adobe.com/ap/products/acrobatconnectpro/?promoid=BOZMY [5] Canaday, H. How new eLearning tools cut costs and improve results. White paper . Retrieved on 5/4/2010 from http://www.adobe.com/ap/products/acrobatconnectpro/elearning/ Lowensohn, J. 2009. Retrieved on 7/04/2010 from: http://news.cnet.com
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