Post details: Tools, Tools, and more Collaborative Tools

07/09/08

Permalink 06:56:59 pm, Categories: general, 457 words   English (US)

Tools, Tools, and more Collaborative Tools

This is Posted by: David Coleman

I am working on a project to make a current and complete list of collaborative tools. This will be eventually posted on this site as a database. In searching my own knowledge of collaborative tools and the Web, I have come up with about 1000-1200 tools, and am in the process of putting these tools into a spreadsheet, which will eventually be turned into a database.

I have created some categories to put many of the different collaborative tools into. I realize that many of these tools would probably fit into several categories, but I am putting the tool into the primary category based on its functionality. I have listed some of the categories for collaborative tools below:

[More:]

• RTC (real time collaboration tools) including IM/Chat, presence, web conferencing, VoIP, audio and video conferencing, GDSS (Group Decision Support Systems) and facilitation tools. Also e-learning tools fit into this category as well as other meeting tools shared screens or desktops as well as unified messaging and communications tools.
• VTS (virtual team space) including secure virtual spaces where common files and documents can be stored and shared. They usually include good security and track who touches what in the space. Online communities, social networks, threaded discussions and bulletin boards, and group calendars, virtual office, group spreadsheets and group editing tools are also part of this category
• DPM (Distributed Project Management) these are tools specifically for geographically distributed project teams and include task tracking, resource coordination, etc.
• Blogging and microblogging
• Wikis
• Virtual Worlds and 3D collaborative environments
If you know of any new collaboration tools (that fit into any of these categories) please feel free to contact me so I can make sure that they get into the initial database. If you can think of any tool categories I have forgotten, please let me know!

Please include this information in your note to me:

Name of tool
Company that makes the tool
Version of the tool or service
URL for the tool or service

The best way to get this to me is through: davidc@collaborate.com

Future plans for this database is to let tool vendors highlight their tool by putting in their logo (for a small fee). We also plan to have a way for people to keep adding to the list (if all of you help it will be a much better and more up-to-date list than if I just do it) and will create a form for people to submit, that will be reviewed and then the entry can be posted to the database on the site.

I look forward to working collaboratively with all of you to complete this project and make this list of collaborative tools the most complete and timely on the Web.

Comments, Pingbacks:

Comment from: Evan [Visitor]
Recently, I came across a real-time collaboration tool "Collaber". I found it promising. Have a look at it. I think it will fit into your requirement.

Name of tool ------ Collaber
Company that makes the tool ------ Vimukti Technologies
Version of the tool or service --------- 1.1
URL for the tool or service -------- http://www.collaber.com

Permalink 07/10/08 @ 07:15
Comment from: David Hackett [Visitor] · http://protopage.com/onlinetools
See my collection of mostly-free online collaboration tools at http://protopage.com/onlinetools. I'm very eager to see the larger set that you have gathered.

Dave
Permalink 07/10/08 @ 09:03
Comment from: pankaj [Visitor] · http://www.hyperoffice.com
you might probably have encoutnered them already in your research, but you may want to check out hyperoffice.com . theyve won many awards (computerworld horizon awards, at&t fast pitch 2008, stevies awards finalist 2008). their usp is that they are the most comprehensive toolkit out there (collaboration + messaging)
Permalink 07/14/08 @ 07:12
Comment from: Enterprise Collaboration Software India [Visitor] · http://www.mithi.com/
Great list of collaborative tools...thanks for sharing with all of us.
Permalink 07/16/08 @ 04:37
Comment from: David Coleman [Member] · collaborate.com
Everyone,

Thanks for the lists and suggestions, I am currently compiling all the lists of tools I have and categorizing them and checking the links, so that is taking a bit longer than anticipated.

David
Permalink 07/18/08 @ 16:39
Comment from: Brad Jackson [Visitor] · http://www.cordin8.com
Hi David,

I just wanted to throw-in my 2cents :) ….

In looking at collaborative technologies for 25+ years, what I've found helpful is to look at them as either predominately 'synchronous' (e.g., IM, Web-conferencing, Brainstorming, real-time chat rooms) or predominately asynchronous (e.g., document management, threaded-discussion). The first category on your list, RTC, fits the synchronous category and are targeted at a business (anyone) user. The asynchronous ones, though, are more complex and have different target users.

Synchronous technologies usually have a very specific purpose for a business user, and they do not require a designer or developer in order to use. For example, web-conferencing is primarily used as a presentation mechanism, in conjunction with audio-conferencing, when a group is geographically dispersed. While some web-conferencing products are easier to use than others, they do not require software development in order to use them. Therefore, a list of products categorized by their special purpose is useful for the business user in making comparisons amongst products within the categories. For example:

IM: Yahoo IM, AOL, Microsoft Messenger, etc.
Web-conferencing: WebEx, Microsoft LiveMeeting, etc.
Brainstorming: GroupSystems’ ThinkTank, Facilitate.com, etc.

For asynchronous collaborative technologies, I suggest, you further break them down into: 1) general-purpose/development; and 2) business application with embedded collaborative technology capability. In my opinion, the former have value to developers who can use them to create an application that leverages asynchronous capabilities for end-users while the latter are applications that embed collaborative technology capabilities directly into the business application, which are targeted at business users. Therefore, a list of products categorized as general-purpose and then further broken down by type is useful for developers who can compare and contrast in order to make decisions regarding what to use in order to design and develop an application. While a list of business applications with embedded collaborative technology capabilities is helpful for a business user evaluating solutions for a specific business problem in which embedded collaborative capabilities is a requirement. For example:

1) General purpose/development:
a. Document management
b. Threaded-discussion
c. Etc.
2) Business Applications (with embedded collaborative technology capabilities):
a. Program/Project Management (not just scheduling)
b. CRM
c. Etc.

As an example of the business applications with embedded collaborative technology capabilities, our company provides a solution, called cOrdin8, for strategic and program management. It embeds collaborative capabilities to support strategic management and program/project management processes and teams.
Permalink 07/21/08 @ 17:57
Comment from: David Coleman [Member] · collaborate.com
Brad,

Thanks, Unfortunatley over the last few years I have seen both the synchronous and asynchronous merge very quickly. I believe that this is becoming more of a false distinction, but I have organized the tools in this way also. I will also look at the proposed categories you suggest above and see if I can modify my list. We now have 3-4 interns working on this project, so I hope it will be done by the end of the summer.

David
Permalink 07/24/08 @ 09:31
Comment from: Neal [Visitor] · http://911crm.com/demo.html
Following is in response to your comment "am in the process of putting these tools into a spreadsheet, which will eventually be turned into a database.".

http://911crm.com/demo.html will help create adhoc multiuser web application to store/manage data which would normally be stored in spreadsheet.
Please let me know if you need any help in using the site to create such databas
e application.

I have bought your book "Collaboration 2.0" and will be reading it.

Thanks,
Neal
Permalink 07/29/08 @ 19:12
Comment from: Aroonabh Arsh [Visitor] · http://www.symatech.co.in
Guys you need to get a grip on yourselves. Pathetic conversation. Collaboration is a two way process, one with a lot of thorns and another with the ultimate Autobahn sort of freeway. Now You make your choice. Thanks a freakin hell lot, Aroonabh
Permalink 08/06/08 @ 03:22
Comment from: Bruce Lewin [Visitor] · http://www.fourgroups.com/blog
Hi there David,

This post really helped me in researching and writing a piece on collaboration – thank you very much! I’ve tried to ping this post from my own blog, but I’m not sure how reliable pingback/trackback is, so I thought I’d say hello the old fashioned way!

btw, my piece is called 'The Tension in Collaboration’ and is online at;

http://www.fourgroups.com/blog/archives/24/the-tension-in-collaboration/

Best wishes,

Bruce
Permalink 08/24/08 @ 06:37
Comment from: David Coleman [Member] · collaborate.com
Bruce,

thanks for the link and article about the "Tension of Collaboration." I downloaded it and will read it. Thanks everyone for your tool suggestions. I continue to find collaborative tools at the rate of about 10 a day. I already gave a list of almost 1000 to the 4 interns who are putting it into a format where it can be published on our site.

David
Permalink 08/25/08 @ 14:35
Comment from: oyunlar [Visitor] · http://www.oyunara.net
Thanks for the its much appreciated

çocuk oyunları oyunlar oyun video bedava oyunlar sohbet odaları
Permalink 11/12/08 @ 10:08
Comment from: oyunlar [Visitor] · http://www.oyunara.net
Thanks for the its much appreciated

çocuk oyunları oyunlar oyun video bedava oyunlar sohbet odaları
Permalink 11/12/08 @ 10:17

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