Tools for Collaboration and Communities of Practice
A summary and details on the leading networked tool products and many not-so-well-known products. If you want to know about any tool not detailed here, let us know.
To accommodate the growing range of Networked tool products we organize them into 4 categories:
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Networked Tools - Introduction Integrated Environments - multiple capabilities through a common user interface. Wikis - capability to enter and edit text directly into webpages; they are becoming mainstream for collaborative groups. Shared Display - also called 'web conferencing' or 'screen sharing'; a key tool for remote teamwork. Focused Tools - many different types that each do one job well. |
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We're experts in the general capabilities of networked tools and how networked tools can be overlaid - like a glove on a hand - with use practices. When the right tools are combined with effective use practices, team and organizational productivity increase dramatically. link to same place as the "Here's the proof" link from the front page.
Introduction - What are networked tools?
"Networked Tools" are server-based software applications that support people in creating, sharing and finding data, information and knowledge.
Functional Capabilities - any one Networked Tool product has some or many of these capabilities.
Non-Functional Features - be sure to also consider these critical factors when choosing Networked tools products.
Integrated Environments - Multiple capabilities in one tool
Alfresco
Open Source enterprise content management from a team that includes developers from Documentum and Interwoven.
AtTask
Top networked tool for project management.
Docushare
Full-featured enterprise content management for many document types and image types.
Grandview - Company site
An integrated operations, project management, and communications toolsystem that is built around a SQL Server database for value-added service providers. Business management software for project enterprises.
Groove
Groove is another Microsoft collaboration tools. It can be a standalone peer-to-peer collaboration environment, or a Sharepoint client. It can be useful for sharing among ad-hoc teams across organizations, or for mobile workers.
Plone - Community site
An open-source content management framework. It runs on top of Zope, a widely-used Open Source web application server and development system.
Stoneware Portal
An extensive set of functionality that provides the security of an SSL VPN with the services of a web portal.
Zimbra
An open-source server and client software for messaging and collaboration: email, group calendaring, contacts, and web document management and authoring. Bought by Yahoo 9/07.
Basecamp
Web-based project collaboration, management, and task coordination tool system.
Documentum/eRoom - Company site
An extensive, flexible platform that supports enterprise content management applications.
Google docs - Company site
Word processing, presentations and spreadsheet creation and editing capabilities on the web, also integrates use of google calendar and email.
WebOffice
This is boilerplate that needs replacement Onlilne database, Intranet and Web calendar; share documents, calendars, information, and conduct live meetings from the office or the road.
Collanos - Company site
A Virtual Team Space with simple file repository and task tracking capabilities. Windows, Mac and Linux clients along with service is free! peer-to-peer so files accessible offline. A quick fix for teams with no tools at all.
SpringCM - Company site
Enterprise Content Management software delivered as an on-demand
service, with integrated document management, workflow, and capture
technologies.
Interwoven Worksite - Company site
A collaborative document management tool with workspaces.
Oracle's WebCenter Suite - Company site
An integrated suite of products designed for creating dynamic user work environments.
Awareness - Company site
An on-demand social media platform where enterprises deploy Web 2.0 technologies
to achieve business goals. Includes enterprise security, workflow and
regulatory compliance tools.
Salesforce.com Content Exchange - Company site
Web-based document collaboration and sharing tool also categorizes documents
automatically. Notifies users of updates and new documents published by authors
or topics to which they "subscribed." Available late 2007.
Project Spaces - Company site
Secure web-based workspace toolset for project teams.
Yahoo Groups - Wikipedia Article
A long-time player ...maillists, calendar, file repository, polling, ...how differentiate this category of service from platforms ... google docs at low end like this too.
Wikis - Type directly into webpages, publish to the web
Socialtext, Inc.
A full-featured Enterprise wiki. Socialtext provides wikis four ways: hosted, appliance, supported product, and open source.
Confluence Wiki - Company site
Emerged from 'Jira' initial design as augment to bug tracking. Rolled out Wiki as independent product. Some users experience the UI as "Too Techy".
Twiki - Community site
A very popular open source wiki used by many
teams - the "T" in twiki may be for 'tiny.'
Media Wiki - Community site
This open source wiki is the platform under the famous Wikipedia - a scalable product that can handle lots of traffic and maintain performance: 'flat' architecture - one wiki that has a zillion pages.
XWiki - Company & Community sites
promoted as an enterprise-ready solution. It has an open-source code base.
Shared Display - aka Web Conferencing & Screen Sharing
Connect - Company site
This is the formerly highly rated, Breeze from Macromedia, this Flash based web conferencing .... ... originally called Breeze from Macromedia, the name changed as part of Adobe's acquisition of Macromedia.
CrossLink - Company site
A free product that is easy to use.
Glance - Company site
A very simple, easy to learn and use; offers both Mac and Windows clients.
GoToMeeting
A very quick to download ... Mac and Window ... Company
Live Meeting - Company site
Microsoft's product that they bought from Placeware.
SameTime - Company site
This Lotus product.
Webex - Company site
The fact that Cisco recently aquired this company is an indication of how extensive web conferencing services will become ... more useful description.
Focused tools - one capability, done well
Accomplice - Company site
A PC application to manage goals, tasks, and notes, then sync them with a team; integrates with Outlook. A free version available if you want to endure ads.
Approver.com - Company site
Create or upload documents, then invite others to review. Receive alerts when they read, comment or upload new versions. A major improvement over emailing a file then wondering if it has been seen.
Coventi Pages - Company site
Web tool for authoring and reviewing documents - designed to support many individuals contributing to a document but reserving author role to one - annotations and discussions versus lots of editors as in MS Word review mode.
Meeting Wizard - Company site
An online meeting scheduling tool. Free service for organizing up to 50 meeting participants.
Tacit Software's
ActiveNet - Company site
Enterprise collaboration tools for Proposal Development, R&D, and
Procurement.
Tacit Software's Illumio - Company site
A web 2.0 information broker that matches end-user info requests with experts
within the organization who'd have an answer.