Open Thread: What’s Your MVT (Most Valuable Tool) for Collaboration?
July 30th, 2007 (5:45am) Anne Zelenka 20 CommentsTweet This
You have many tools to choose from for collaborating with work associates, whether they’re in the next cubicle or the next country. Sometimes email is good enough, but instant messaging (IM) may be better. And IM is getting increasing respect from the business world as a tool for collaboration.
The Wall Street Journal reported last week on how IM is being used for better business communication. Forrester Research suggests that IM is the most valuable Web 2.0 tool for enterprises, saying “Thirty-seven percent of respondents reported substantial business value from IM, compared with an average of just 16% for the other Web 2.0 tools.” (via Read/WriteWeb)
What’s your most valuable tool for collaboration? Instant messaging? Or something else?
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The reply-all button in Thunderbird. Even though IM has logging capabilities, e-mail is a seamless way to see current and past conversations. I’d like to see the same in IM, but it hasn’t appeared yet.
Without a doubt, Lotus Notes and its integrated discussion/workflow/application databases. IM and e-mail are fine for occasional work, but real collaboration is vastly easier with a tool built for the task, and Notes is that tool.
IM is used in our business so much that it’s taken for granted and I almost said “Basecamp” instead. Basecamp would be a close second.
Jajah and my phone :)
We use many different tools, but without a doubt IM is MVP for us. Everyone is constantly complaining about it, but we still use it anyway.
I’m taking the liberty to offer my top five:
1. IM (via Adium)
2. Mail
3. Skype
4. Twitter
5. Phone
Acrobat Connect – If you are running a small business that needs to meet with customers all over the world, nothing beats having a virtual office. Acrobat connect combines VoIP, camera, screen-share, presentations, whiteboarding, file sharing, etc for a monthly subscription.
My top five for collaboration with our virtual team and nationwide client base:
1. Basecamp
2. IM (via Adium)
3. iChat with iSight for video conference
email
4. JaJah
5. Phone
Basecamp and IM and conference calls are my MVT’s for collaboration. I would like to see more people in my company embrace IM and really make use of Basecamp instead of sending emails around to everyone.
One of the things that concerns me about the Forrester study is that IM isn’t really a Web 2.0 application. It’s been around for years and it just took it several years to get it out of the p0rn chats, teens and college students and into the hands of business people. That still doesn’t change the fact that is is disrupting and reinventing the way we conduct business.
In addition to IM, we’ve found that applications like GoToMeeting are really great to have in your toolbox. Great for demonstrations, trainings, and for the occasion where it’s easier to quickly show rather than to explain. Personally I’m trying out the Jing Project for similar reasons.
We also just started using Highrise, which also seems like it will be a good way to keep abreast of what’s going on elsewhere in our non-profit without having to have a meeting about it, or play catch-up over email.
WebOffice for async team collaboration, shared calendars, document sharing and discussions (plus db apps).
AIMPro for real time collaboration, it’s like an enterprise IM system in that I can use a branded/professional IM address, only it’s free and has desktop sharing, conferencing and file sharing.
While I use email and IM I find the most productive tool to be the phone.
Just pick it up and have a conversation. Instant replies. Great tool. Thanks Bell!
Let me add to the list GoPlan and TaskBin which I will test over the coming month.
Here is my link to their sites http://www.sergetheconcierge.com/2007/07/taskbin-india-v.html
Have a great day
Serge
‘The French Guy from New Jersey’
WebConference and TeleConference tools by far. They are at the stage now that they are easy to use and affordable and they WORK! Yes, this is a bit of a plug since my company sells this, but in all honesty, it is the best way to share info, docs, powerpoints, and don’t forget about the Teleconferencing. Best way by far to talk to alot of people at once and easy and cheap. Need a solution for you, call me direct at 312-432-5377
I’ve been using Twitter and then going down to full services after. Plenty of the “little questions” can be resolved simply by twittering. Brainstorming and serious work, however, can be handled through basecamp or by conference calls.
At least this is my experience.
Hello, this is Austin from Yugma. I’d like to invite you all to try our web collaboration service! We believe that collaboration should be easy, instant, spontaneous, and productive. You can leave Yugma on all day and share your desktop with one click of your mouse, as easily as any other IM like AIM, Yahoo, or Messenger. Or use Yugma for more structured situations like live presentations, webinars, and elearning.
Yugma = Instant and spontaneous collaboration
- Unlimited always-on use for up to 11 people per session
- Free forever instant desktop sharing
- Collaborate easily in any application
- Mouse and keyboard sharing
- Whiteboard with save feature
- Annotate with save feature
- Record and broadcast your user created content
- Private and public chat
- Built-in file sharing (great for large files)
- Cool customizable widget- embed Yugma anywhere
- Upgrades to handle up to 500 attendees
- No Spyware, Adware or Malware
We’re getting rave reviews (see http://tinyurl.com/yox5cg ). And we were just recently nominated by CNET for the 2007 Webware 100 award for best Web 2.0 apps! Try Yugma today. We hope you will be impressed with our vision, and that you’ll mention us to your community. If you have any questions, comments, or suggestions, we’d love to hear from you. Just email us at info@yugma.com. Thanks!
Best regards,
Austin
Yugma
http://www.yugma.com
GMail/GTalk – I keep my notes, email/talk to myself and others, keep archives in one place, and have Google search on top of it. That’s irreplaceable. Sometimes I use ICQ for chatting with non-GTalk people. But it’s not the same.
Subversion – this is where I actually see the contributions of others and can reuse or change them. Code, configurations, designs, etc.
RT3 – ( http://bestpractical.com/rt ) Request Tracker is so much more than just a support system. We have a ticket with unique ID for every task, every Subversion commit, and whatever else is out there. If it can be put in a Subject of an email – it has a ticket ID.
My personal favorite tool for collaboration is friend feed. You can set up rooms where you can meet, post information, graphics charts etc…
There are also varying levels of access ranging from private to public which allows you to control who can view your information.
Thi scould be your team or you can even grant access to clients if you wish…
As a business communication and networking tool it is almost umparalleled and I believe more people will be using it in 2009…