Net 308 at OUA

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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/

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

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

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]

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.

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

Online project management tools such as AJAXWorkspace facilitate team collaboration by eliminating delays from miscommunication or uncertainty over job roles. Effective online project management helps to keep teams on task and projects on budget. AJAXWorkspace uses a common Asynchronous JavaScript and XML (Ajax) workspace as the foundation for an online collaboration workspace. (Myerson, 2009) AJAXworkspace management software provides more than 10 powerful online project management and collaboration tools such as document management, task to-do list, notepad, file sharing, discussion board, news, polls, graphical reporting and more. (AJAXWorkspace) The project expenses feature in AJAXWorkspace allows users to manage all team expenses associated with a project. Team members can submit their expenses for approval online for the project manger to either approve or reject. Approved expenses can be deducted from the project budget and team members can find project expenses Key Performance Indicators (KPI) under the project's dashboard feature. (AJAXWorkspace) The dashboard feature exhibits a workspace summary of recent news, activities and tasks, as well as upcoming events, documents list, graphical reporting of pending tasks and bookmarks. AJAXWorkspace allows the creation and tracking of many projects in the one workspace. Is easy to use from anywhere that a computer and Internet access is available. (van Bavel, 2010) Using a common central Ajax workspace, team members can collaborate on one or more projects at individual, departmental, and corporate levels. Different templates can be created for each level and also for both private and public use. The central workspace provides technical support, training, network monitoring, and data security. (Myerson, 2009) AJAXWorkspace offers superior, flexible project management services that support financial and personal accountability by tracking expenses, monitoring budgets, and regulating resources.

References Myerson, J. (2009, October 20). Manage tasks with common Ajax workspace. IBM - United States. Retrieved April 7, 2010, from http://www.ibm.com/developerworks/web/library/wa-aj-workspace/?ca=drs- Project management and online collaboration features: AJAXWorkspace. (2010). Project management software, online collaboration & task software: AJAXWorkspace. Retrieved April 7, 2010, from http://www.ajaxworkspace.com/project-management-features/ van Bavel, I. (2010). Internet Business Tool, Internet Business Idea, Starting Online Business. Internet Business Tool, Internet Business Idea, Starting Online Business. Retrieved April 7, 2010, from http://www.internetbusinessinfo.net/

"Secure project management software which consists of an integrated suite of collaboration functionalities. Organize your tasks, manage projects and coordinate well with your entire enterprise, colleagues and team members within a central location". [1]
"It helps you in effectively organizing your tasks, managing projects and coordinating well with your project members or colleagues within a centralize location. It is an ideal tool for any kind of project management, whether you are working in an organization or a freelancer from home" [2]
Advantages of AJAXWorkspace:
"The online workspace services consist of the following criteria: * Cost effective, No Hardware or Software to Buy * It's a Free Services * Rapid Setup and Deployment with no client-side implementation * Access your data at anytime, from anywhere in the world. * Secure and Reliable which available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. * Free Automatic Upgrades Services * Interactive, fast and high usability with latest MS AJAX Framework". [3] References:
[1] Project Management and Collaboration Software, http://www.web-based-software.com/project-management/index2.asp [accessed April 14, 2010]. [2] Earn money online from home, http://netstrive.blogspot.com/2009/02/indiaspeaksnet-get-paid-for-survey.html [accessed April 14, 2010]. [3] Online project management software and collaboration workspace, http://ajaxworkspace.wordpress.com/2007/12/15/ajaxworkspace-implementation-plan/ [accessed April 14, 2010].

This article discusses the different types of online collaborative tools available to businesses, which could more effectively enhance their various communities of practice. However, she argues that technology should only be a supportive tool to intranet webmasters and knowledge managers, and not the driving force behind them when creating a community of collaborators. She also suggests that a company may have to tap into several forms of online collaboration to be successful. Frichter highlights three main services that online collaborative tools should offer: 1. A way to communicate 2. A mechanism to share documents 3. A means to discover other members of the community [1]. The article also discusses areas of the workflow in which online collaborative tools could help, tasks that can be helped through it, and how it can increase the efficiency and productivity of a workplace. The hierarchy of collaborative tools suggested here are: · e-mail · Mailing lists · Discussion boards · Instant Messaging · Groupware and portals · Weblogs · Wikis In conclusion, Fichter re-iterates the importance of asking key evaluation questions when determining what collaborative tools you need and what will be most effective. However, most importantly, she suggests that it is necessary to assess the culture of the workplace in order to match the needs with the tools, and it usually takes more than one tool to meet those needs. The key to this article is that it identifies several online collaborative tools, which are worth further investigation to understand their true value both individually and collectively. [1] Fichter, Darlene (2005) The many forms of e-collaboration: Blogs, wikis, portals, groupware, discussion boards, and instant messaging. Online Vol. 29 Issue 4, pp 48-50.

"If you haven't put in a suite of collaboration tools, it's probably time to do so... know your workplace culture and environment... define your requirements... communication, sharing, and management" Darlene Fichter, [2]. Fichter is an IT solutions consultant working for Northern Lights Internet Solutions Ltd, which can be found at http://www.lights.ca/ [1]. Fichter provides an excellent discussion on collaborative tools and identifies newcomers to collaboration/social media in the workplace. One of the strongest aspects of the article is how Fichter proposes questions one should ask when determining what collaborative tool will function best for the firm. Fichter states the importance of knowing your environment; "What IT infrastructure is in place already that you can leverage?" [3] This is a valid question to consider; for example a small company without an IT department may need online help added to software package or a key word - 'easy' - the software must be easy to setup and manage. Another similar question to consider is finances; "are there financial and human resources available to purchase, install, and maintain an application?" [3] Fichter suggests that a firm may need to progress step by step and advance to collaboration tool extras, while in the beginning start with something small and sleek. Some web-based collaboration tools offer a free service for small business, and other offer a paid, supported subscription. "How frequently do people need to communicate? What type of communication is preferred-asynchronous-text, voice, or video?" [3] The Fichter article demonstrates the needs associated with software selection and how important it is to consider communication limitations in a collaboration product. The article is a good source as it highlights the fact that collaborative tools are diverse and can be adapted for various user needs. Fichter adapts web2.0 technology such as Wikis and blogs as possible solutions fo

References/Notes [1] Northern Lights Internet Solutions Ltd, http://www.lights.ca/ [accessed April 7, 2010]. [2] Fichter, Darlene (2005). The many forms of e-collaboration: Blogs, wikis, portals, groupware, discussion boards, and instant messaging. Online Vol. 29 Issue 4, pp 48-50. [3] Fichter, Darlene (2005). The paragraphs on know your environment and define your requirements. Online Vol. 29 Issue 4, pp50.

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]

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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/

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

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

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

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

Share. Collaborate. Communicate. [1] Glasscubes is all about file sharing, intranets, contact management and document management. [1] It is an application that is ideal for maintaining customers, employee relations and dealing with issues in a real time collaborative feed. The 'cubes' part refers to workspaces where access is assigned to various individuals or departments within and external to the company. Glasscubes is a UK company with the highest audience base, as per Alexa.com, from South Korea, India, United Kingdom and United States [2]. The application allows for real-time editing of office, pdf and image files online so that users know they will be editing the latest update. Users can share calendars, if they require, and in March 2010 Glasscubes announced its calendar synchronization for active employees. "Glasscubes... announced that its online-based collaboration software now allows users to synchronise calendars directly with Google Calendars, or to view (read only) events in other calendaring applications that support the iCal format"[3]. Adding to this announcement Glasscubes has also been accepted into the "Google Apps Marketplace" [4].

Glasscubes brings together a multitude of features specifically intended to help small and medium sized organisations share files, collaborate on documents, and manage key elements of their online operations securely. (Miles, 2009) Each Cube is a workspace with a dashboard providing a comprehensive summary of activities within the Cube and a secure area for documents. Every Cube also has its own calendar that can be merged with other personal or business calendars for a full overview and to ensure bookings and deadlines do not clash with each other. (Harris, 2009) Glasscubes requires no add-ons and files are backed up daily, but it falls short of Basecamp's (http://basecamphq.com/ ) robust and structured method of document management and sharing and there is no support - either included or as add-ons, for milestones, reporting and analytics. (Harris, 2009) Like Basecamp, Glasscubes was designed for small businesses and is limited when it comes to working with large clients and teams that have multi-level, frequently changing tasks that don't require all members to see everything at all times. For larger organisations, Salesforce (www.salesforce.com ) can be scaled up for customer relationship management and offers more functionality, such as email support. (Harris, 2009) As an online service for small businesses, Glasscubes is a competitively priced Web-based project management tool with ample collaborative features to help link up with colleagues and clients anywhere there is an Internet connection. Unlike many customer relationship management tools, Glasscubes is simple to use even without extensive training or technical knowledge. (Miles, 2009)

References Glasscubes: Online intranet, workspaces and simple CRM. (n.d.). Share. Communicate. Collaborate. - Glasscubes: Online intranet, workspaces and simple CRM. Retrieved April 8, 2010, from http://www.glasscubes.com/ Harris, C. (2009, November 13). Glasscubes Review | Business Computing World. Business blogging and technology reviews - Business Computing World. Retrieved April 8, 2010, from http://www.businesscomputingworld.co.uk/?p=1512 Miles, S. (2009, December 26). Glasscubes ‚ Facilitating Communication and Collaboration - Reviews by AppVita. AppVita.com - Discovering web-based applications that just make life better. - Reviews by AppVita. Retrieved April 8, 2010, from http://www.appvita.com/2009/12/26/glasscubes-%E2%80%93-facilitating-communication-and-collaboration/

SAP StreamWork SAP StreamWork, a new cloud-based, software-as a- service (SaaS), collaboration environment to unite people, methods and information. SAP Newsroom: "WALLDORF, Germany - March 30, 2010 - SAP® StreamWork™ - the new on-demand, collaborative decision-making software from SAP AG (NYSE: SAP) - is the company's latest product aimed at transforming the way people work" [3] SAP Business software provider have more that 95,000 customers in more than 120 countries Following the recent SAP® BusinessObjects™ BI OnDemand solution launch, "SAP StreamWork offers people a powerful business tool that requires no training or technical knowledge." [3] Features [1]: ** "Guided decisions, recorded outcomes, defined actions." Save, share and reuse discussions of current case studies to model new problematic issues on. This feature archives a corporate knowledge base of resolutions for future elucidation. In Streamwork, groups end up with a recorded history of how a decision/ outcome was reached. ** Integrates with existing applications like Box.net, Evernote and Scribd. With so many collaboration software available, email, Web 2.0 applications and business systems, work projects can easily become chaotic and hard to follow. Streamwork™ streamlines activities to drive teams toward an outcome or goal. Streamwork are addressing those issues that other collaboration software missed, like tracking and auditing features, territory extensibly covered by SAP's experience in the field of business software. [2] ** Intuitive data exploration and visualization ** Build meeting agendas, create and prioritise lists ** Interactive, build-in tools: Quick poll, SWOT analyses, Pro/Con table, cost effectiveness and Responsibility matrices.

Subscription of the professional version is tiered, starting at US$9.00p/month per user and a free version of limited storage (250MB) is available. The professional edition allows up to 100 activities open, provides 5 GB of storage per user and save closed activities for 2 years.[1] YouTube Video Tutorials available. [1] http://www.sapstreamwork.com/ http://www.sap.com/solutions/sapbusinessobjects/ondemand/streamwork/index.epx [2] Henschen, D 2010SAP Launches Collaboration Cloud. Intelligent Enterprise; Feb2010, Vol. 13 Issue 2, p7-7, 1p Retrieved on 10/4/2010 from: http://intelligent-enterprise.informationweek.com/channels/enterprise_applications/ [3] SAP Media Relations.March 30, 2010:SAP Streamworkhelps companies of all sizes transform the way people work. Accessed on 1-/4/2010 from: http://www.sap.com/about/newsroom/

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

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

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

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

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

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

EffectiveUI [1] were an early adopter of the iPad technology and released Ideate [2] as one of the first apps specifically for the iPad [3]. Ideate is a sketching tool that allows people to actually draw or sketch designs by freehand. It also comes with a range of additional templates and User Interfaces such as grids and backgrounds. Templates and Clips that come with Ideate include the following categories: * 3D and Perspective * Human Anatomy * Music Sheets * Grids, Lines and Dots * Fashion Models * Landscaping * Sports Fields * Shapes * Home Interior & Interface Design. Ideate also provides a streamlined integrated system to either share the designs by either emailing or uploading them to the Ideate Flickr Group [4] account. The app comes with a range of templates from fashion models to devices, human anatomy to music and more and it also allows the users to bring in their own images and backgrounds. The convergence of technologies including the iPad, the internet accessibility and the Ideate app bring together a single unique collaborative experience that allows for a shared experience of creativity, design and brain storming. This first release allows only for asynchronous collaboration, however the individual technologies do allow for possible synchronous creative design across the web in the future. Ideate is available from the iTunes app [5] store and is currently retailing for $4.99 (AUD) References/Links [1] http://www.effectiveui.com/index.html#/?env=0&pop=0&f=1 [2] http://www.ideateapp.com/ [3] http://www.apple.com/ipad/ [4] http://www.flickr.com/groups/ideate/ [5] http://i

EffectiveUI, the developers of Ideate, has earned customer loyalty previously by developing groundbreaking software for companies like National Geographic, eBay and the Discovery Channel. It is a recognised Adobe Gold Partner and in September of 2009 ranked No. 55 on the Inc. 500 [1]. With the release of Ideate for the new Apple iPad, the aim was to reach the "different needs for people to better capture and share their ideas", according to Rebecca Flavin the CEO of EffectiveUI [1][4]. Ideate is a useful tool for the collaboration of creative ideas and concepts and with features such as sketching and instant sharing, together with web clips, animation and music, it has the makings of a very effective collaboration tool, ideal for professionals in the medical, designing and sporting fields. Any sketches saved in documents can be shared through email and social applications such as Flickr. Ideate and iPad make an extremely eco-friendly team, as the need for printing designs are eliminated and at a download price for less than $4, it is very cost-effective [2]. Make no mistake though - Ideate is not purely an illustration tool. It does not feature sophisticated brush types,[3] you are still limited by what your fingers can actually draw on the Ipad with the features available.

References: [1] MarketWire (2010). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/EffectiveUI-Unleashes-Creativity-Apple-iPad-Through-Ideate-Sketching-Application-1142177.htm [2] AppShopper (2010). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://appshopper.com/productivity/ideate [3] Patrick Hanson.com 'Ideate Application for iPad' (2010). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.patrickhansen.com/blog/ [4] Nearshore Journal (2010). Retrieved April 12, 2010 from http://www.nearshorejournal.com/2010/04/effectiveui-unleashes-creativity-for-the-apple-ipad-through-ideate-sketching-application/

Edmodo is a free private social network for education, which is easy and simple to use. (Edmodo, 2010) It creates an online learning space that is safe and secure, where teachers and students can interact and connect with each other. Edmodo can be used in the classroom and also after class when students are at home. Its layout has a similar look and feel to existing social media tools such as Facebook, and the operation of the site is similar to Twitter, where posts are made live instantly. Since Edmodo is similar to existing social media websites, students see schoolwork as being fun, and "are comfortable with using Edmodo at home and logging on and talking about school work" (abc7, 2010) Edmodo works by users creating a teacher or student account. Teacher's accounts allow them to create groups for example, Math Class Red and Math Class Green. Students can join groups by entering a unique code provided by the teacher. This prevents and limits who can join the group. (Thomas, 2010) Teachers can use Edmodo to post messages and files, send links to websites, create and send assignments, send back assignment results and create polls. Edmodo allows teachers to send these to individuals, groups or everyone in the class. Student's accounts allow them to message the teacher, groups or everyone in the class, but prevents them messaging one another. By doing this, it avoids student's instant messaging each other, (Thomas, 2010) and only allows them to use Edmodo for educational purposes.

Teachers and students can be kept up to date with the latest activity via text message and with Edmodo being accessible via mobile phones, (Edmodo, 2010) posts can be made and activity checked anytime, anywhere. Teachers are finding that by encouraging students to post comments on Edmodo they are becoming "actively engaged in classroom discussions". Since social media is second nature to students, by using websites like Edmodo, teachers are able to connect with students with "technology they already understand".(abc7, 2010) Reference: abc7. (2010). Special Segment:Techno Teaching. Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://abclocal.go.com/wls/video?id=7268097 Edmodo. (2010). Retrieved April 15, 2010, from http://www.edmodo.com/ Thomas, C. (2010). 016 - Using Edmodo as a collaboration and communication tool. Retrieved April 14, 2010, from http://www.iprimary.co.uk/tutorial.php?tutorialID=016

Friendpaste is an opensource review system where users can paste text or code, then share the link with friends or colleagues, who can also contribute, edit or add comments line by line [1]. Friendpaste has a simple user-interface that gives the user a choice of over 160 coding languages with preferred syntax highlighting, version reviewing, revision numbering, paste comparisons and a variety of colour schemes for sourcecode makes this product a highly usable pastebin product [1]. Friendpaste affords users' with good privacy, there is no need to login or register and user-preferences for example colour schemes options and preferred coding language are the only pices of information stored via Cookies [1]. Friendpaste provides users with a link and html to embed their text or code onto a web page [1]. Code can be locked and password protected to prevent edits [2]. Friendpaste is featured in Smashing Apps; '69 Coolest Web Apps Of 2009' and has been reviewed by Pssolutions and Go4webapps [3],[4],[5]. Pssolutions suggests that Friendpaste can be used to extend your Twitter conversations [4]. Go4webapps recommends the Friendpaste textMate Bundle to paste code to Friendpaste without the need to open a browser [5]. Enki Multimedia, the authors of Friendpaste say, "We build small and simple products that fit your needs" [6]. Watch a real-time video review of Friendpaste at http://vimeo.com/10813960 [7]. ------------------ see References below

References [1] Enki Multimedia. (2009a). 'Friendpaste - About Friendpaste'. Retrieved April 7 2010 from http://friendpaste.com/about [2] Enki Multimedia. (2009b). 'Friendpaste - Welcome'. Retrieved April 7 2010 from http://friendpaste.com/ [3] Jay, A. (2009). '69 Coolest Web Apps Of 2009'. Retrieved April 7 2010 from http://www.smashingapps.com/2009/12/29/69-coolest-web-apps-of-2009.html [4] Pssolutions. (2009). 'Paste a huge chunk of text to a friend'. Retrieved April 7 2010 from http://pssolutions09.blogspot.com/2009/06/paste-huge-chunk-of-text-to-friend.html [5] Go4webapps. (2010). 'Friendpaste - share your stuff with your friends'. Retrieved April 12 2010 from http://go4webapps.com/2010/04/09/friendpaste-share-your-stuff-with-your-friends/ [6] Enki Multimedia. (2010). 'Enki Multimedia: Simple small business software'. Retrieved April 12 2010 from http://e-engura.com/ [7] Chesneau, B. (2010). 'Friendpaste - review paste in realtime'. Retrieved April 14, 2010 from http://vimeo.com/10813960

"Friendpaste offers a service called application programming interface through which anyone can write their own program to post public paste in a new and different way. This service offers a contact with friendpaste via irc on freenodes or twitter"[1]
"Freenode is a service of peer-directed projects center (PDPC) Freenode provide discussion facilities for the Free and Open source Software communities, for not for profit organizations and for related communities and organizations. Freenode provides facilities to a variety of group and organizations." [1]
"You can use formatting for dozens of different kinds of code, and it has a revision and annotation system so the friends you share your code with can leave smarter comments. One of the great code-centric features is the ability to leave a comment based on the line number of the code you are reviewing making it easier to reference comments to their appropriate place". [2]
"Friendpaste is the first application that uses CouchDB and it makes use of CouchDB's revision feature. Unlike a lot of pastie-like systems, Friendpaste lets you edit a paste and lets you review older versions. So changes can easily be tracked and different versions compared." [3]
References [1] Friendpaste - share your stuff with your friends, http://go4webapps.com/2010/04/09/friendpaste-share-your-stuff-with-your-friends/ [accessed April 13, 2010]. [2] Clipboard: Friendpaste is a Code-Friendly Text Sharing Tool, http://posts.kennethreitz.com/post/86416667/clipboard-friendpaste-is-a-code-friendly-text-sharing [accessed April 13, 2010]. [3] Planet PHP, rel=nofollow target=

Diigo is a social bookmarking tool that has practical research applications, for both personal and enterprise purposes. Diigo is a self-described "collaborative research platform" [1] and has been lauded as an effective research tool by a number of sources [2] [3]. Diigo allows users to bookmark and annotate links, adding tags and private commentary much like many other social bookmarking tools (e.g. Delicious). However, Diigo extends this functionality with a browser add-on that includes a highlighting tool and the ability to attach one's annotations in the form of a "sticky note" [4]. Provided the user is logged in at the time, any subsequent return to annotated pages in the future results in the presentation of those annotations. In this respect, Diigo could be a valuable knowledge management and research tool for corporate needs. Given the functionality to create and manage groups, Diigo is applicable to an enterprise that undertakes regular research and sharing of collated information [2]. Diigo has also been suggested as a useful academic collaboration tool, particularly for group work [5]. Keep up to date with Diigo developments on the Diigo blog at http://blog.diigo.com/

While traditional methods for information gathering are still popular (i.e. physical libraries and cataloguing), today's preferred method of research however, has moved to the web with business and professional practices integrating social tagging as part of their independent information sharing and distribution [3] and is especially popular among the younger generation whose "basic assumptions about information today have changed" as they expect everything to be on the web. [1] According to Wikipedia, social book-marking (also known as 'social tagging') "is a method for Internet users to store, organise, search and manage bookmarks of web pages on the internet with the help of metadata" [2] and can be tagged "according to their own terms or definitions". [1] As this information is stored in the bookmarking cloud, it can be searched for and retrieved from any computer with access to the Internet or through a Diigo iPhone application (where you can download web pages for offline browsing). [4] For this reason, Diigo helps in overcoming the isolation felt caused by the distance barrier and breaks down communications barriers and engages interaction between management and remote project teams as well as between off-campus students and their tutors [1] and turns research into a social collaborative activity. Create personal networks consisting of people who share the same information categories through the 'MyNetwork' feature. This feature helps foster discussions around the content you are researching or are interested in. Build a knowledge-management, knowledge-sharing group or community online and enhance team collaboration with Diigo. Receive email alerts of new posts, hold threaded discussions and comment both on or off the article of interest. [4] Diigo is a free online collaboration tool and supports all major browsers such as FireFox, Internet Explorer7, Google Chrome, Opera and Safari there is no installation of softwa

References: [1] Redden, C. (2010). 'Social Bookmarking in Academic Libraries: Trends and Applications'. The Journal of Academic Librarianship. ScienceDirect. DOI: 10.1016/j.acalib.2010.03.004. Retrieved from URL - http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/B6W50-4YR8B2D-2/2/6f8737ad459312295b39c7b1a8c40b43 [2] Social Bookmarking. Wikipedia. Accessed from URL: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Social_bookmarking [3] Abbas, J. et al. (2007). 'Who is tagging information?'. Proceedings of the American Society for Information Science and Technology. Vol. 44, No. 1, pp 1-4. Wiley Interscience. DOI: 10.1002/meet.1450440120. Retrieved from URL: US: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/meet.1450440120 [4] Diigo. Accessed April 14, 2010 from URL: www.diigo.com