7 tools to make online collaboration easy November 23, 2009
Posted by Jelmer de Jong in Algemeen, Innovatie, Internet, Product Management, Project Management, Tips, web20.Tags: agilebuddy, github, google apps, mindmeister, notable, Skype, yammer
trackback
More and more startups are working in distributed teams. Teams with people in different countries and time zones. Keeping the team up to date and aligned is key for success. 7 tools to make online collaboration easy, thanks to CrunchBase for the introductions:
AgileBuddy: agree on specs
AgileBuddy is next generation Scrum project management software that lets you easily Create, Estimate, Plan and Track your software projects. Leading edge software companies are all making the move to Agile methodologies like Scrum.
GitHub: share the source
Git is a distributed software management program created by Linus Torvalds. GitHub is a hosted Git repository. Github allows you to take part in collaboration by forking projects, sending and pulling requests, and monitoring development.
Yammer: keep the team posted
Yammer is a tool for making companies and organizations more productive through the exchange of short frequent answers to one simple question: “What are you working on?”
As employees answer that question, a feed is created in one central location enabling co-workers to discuss ideas, post news, ask questions, and share links and other information. Yammer also serves as a company directory in which every employee has a profile and as a knowledge base where past conversations can be easily accessed and referenced.
Anyone in a company can start their Yammer network and begin inviting colleagues. The privacy of each network is ensured by limiting access to those with a valid company email address. The basic Yammer service is free. Companies can pay to claim and administer their networks.
Skype: for the direct conversation
Skype is a peer-to-peer Internet telephony service that is free for Skype-to-Skype calls. The service also allows Skype users to call mobiles and landlines, and vice-versa. Skype has special charge plans for non-Skype-to-Skype calls. Skype is expanding from its traditional computer-based calls to mobile applications.
Notable: feedback, easy and simple
Quickly and easily give feedback on design, content, and code on any page of a website or application without leaving your browser. Notable is a page capture utility with powerful annotation features that let you pinpoint copy, design elements and even code that needs to be tweaked. It’s the most comprehensive feedback tool on the Web.
The tool works on PC, Mac, and iPhone.
Google Apps: e-mail, chat, calendar, but above all: docs
Google Apps, is a web-based office suite offering businesses email, document creation, and collaboration functionality. Google Docs is Google’s free web-based word processor, spreadsheet, and presentation application. The online app allows users to easily share documents and collaboratively work on them in real-time.
MindMeister: mind mapping to the max
MindMeister is a collaborative mind mapping tool built on the principles of Web 2.0 to allow people from around the world to work together on their mind maps with nothing else but a browser and an internet connection. MindMeister supports all the standard features of a classic mind mapping tool – only online, and with as many simultaneous users as you like!
I haven’t heard about GitHub nor MindMeister before.
Yammer is just twitter with the corporate mindset in mind….
You should really try GitHub and MindMeister, great software! Yammer is indeed Twitter for businesses. I won’t describe Yammer as ‘just twitter’. You don’t want the whole world read your ‘company only’ tweets. And you don’t retweet funny cartoons to your MT. Yammer and Twitter, I use them both, with different, but complementary, use, audience and goals.
[...] recently read a post on 7 tools to make online collaboration easy. Where as I haven’t tried out all the tools mentioned on the list, over the next few months [...]
I would suggest DeskAway, we are an online collaboration SaaS. Blogging, microblogging, email reminders, project history are a few of our key features!
We also have a basic free plan so its a great way to check out our service. Upgrades are reasonable.
I recommend you also try http://www.showdocument.com
for free online collaboration in a web-based platform. It only requires registration and has some unique features like co-editing word documents and co-browsing youtube & google maps. – Laura
Great list. Have you tried out Injoos Teamware. I would reckon that they have the most comprehensive integrated collaboration platform. With their latest release they have added a new twist to track and execute projects “the social way”. Checkout their Blog http://injoos.com/blog/2009/10/09/seamless-collaboration-with-release-35/
Great to see these tools discussed on your website. I think each one is very powerful. The real power of them lies in the combination. What we often do is combine our online mind mapping solution and Skype. This way you can be much more productive as opposed to ‘only’ using the mind mapping tool.
I saw that maps are not that often worked on or viewed when you don’t work on them together.
I would like to add one more to the list – LiquidPlanner (http://www.liquidplanner.com/), an excellent tool for project management and collaboration. LiquidPlanner includes a Yammer-type commenting system, an area for detailed notes/links/attached documents for a specific task, task folder, project or client folder. So, the system is intelligently built for conversations at all different levels of a project, easily keeping important information organized.
Please also check out WizeHive (www.wizehive.com), a flexible online collaboration tool that allows you to streamline project management and increase productivity. With unlimited secure, private workspaces, you can easily manage tasks and activities, groups can upload, edit and comment on files, post notes, organize email, share conversations and calendars, and send updates to your workspace via email, Twitter and/or mobile devices. Free 30 day trial on all plans allows you to experience the full package before choosing which plan is best for you. Plans range $9 – $39/month.
hello .. kindly check the The Marathon List of Project Management & Collaboration Tools … http://decode10.wordpress.com/2009/12/13/the-marathon-list-of-project-management-collaboration-tools/
Sidharth.