Technology for Online & Face-to-Face Collaboration
A Sampling of Tools & Service Providers
A+ Conferencing
Low cost, reservationless web conferencing, teleconferencing, phone conferencing, and video conferencing.
AOL Instant Messenger
A free instant messaging service from AOL. The AIM Express service allows you to use AOL Instant Messenger from any computer with Internet Access.
Blogger
Blogger is a web-based tool that helps you publish to the web instantly on your own ?blog.? Blogger gives you a way to automate (and greatly accelerate) the blog publishing process without writing any code or worrying about installing any sort of server software or scripts. And yet, it still gives you total control over the look and location of your blog.
Caucus Systems Inc.
Caucus Systems is a leading provider of online collaborative environments for global 1000 companies. Caucus Systems creates online collaborative environments that integrate data sources with structured conversations for action, allowing people to work together online as they do face-to-face ? by discussing shared information to reach actionable decisions. Group Jazz is part of the Caucus Consortium, supporting the work of groups that meet face-to-face, online, or both.
Centrinity
Centrinity?s FirstClass software is a cost-effective, highly scalable, feature-rich messaging and communications solution for enterprises, learning organizations, governments and service providers. FirstClass uses Collaborative Groupware, which provides users with the ability to effectively communicate and share valuable resources and information via email, conferencing, directories, individual and shared calendars and online chats. FirstClass has been used by thousands of organizations to create powerful online electronic communities that enable individuals and groups of people to work more effectively.
Commkit
Commkit is the next generation Online Community software. It blends the Web, Email and Database technology into a sophisticated package that enables non-technical people to build and run effective and scalable community and group environments.
CommunityZero
CommunityZer is an interactive website that allows a group of people to communicate and exchange information over the Internet in their own private and secure area. Within each area, called an online community, participants are provided access to a suite of powerful tools that enable a group to effectively get organized, share knowledge and communicate.
A snapshot from the AmericaSpeaks session at NCDD's 2002 conference. The laptops utilized CoVision's Council software to collect ideas from all of the tables in the room.
CoVision and Council
CoVision supports process consultants and executives with methods, tools and capacity to affect change through increased collaboration. Over 14 years and 3,000 meetings, CoVision has provided large groups (and small) with a simple and effective "fast-feedback" capability. The Council Method is a proven path to whole-group understanding, alignment and commitment. In 1997, CoVision expanded Council onto the web, providing an online collaboration environment or a "virtual team room" for end-to-end initiative management. Council has been used since then by AmericaSpeaks to connect table groups working simultaneously - in large meetings or across the country.
Facilitate.com
Since 1996 Facilitate.com has specialized in web-based collaboration software tools and techniques that dramatically enhance meeting productivity in the conference room or over the internet. Facilitate.com 8.0 is an electronic conference center with group decision making tools that accelerate idea generation and consensus building in a meeting room and across the internet.
Free Conference
Offers free reservationless and web-scheduled conference calls for businesses, organizations and individuals. Each participant calls a long distance number and is charged by their phone company accordingly, but the host does not pay any per-participant fee.
GroupSupport.com
GroupSystems is a set of tools to support a wide range of group processes in face-to-face meetings and on the Internet. The system is based on processes like brainstorming, list building, information gathering, voting, organizing, prioritizing and creating consensus of opinions.
GroupSystems.com
GroupSystems.com develops software that accelerates and streamlines mission-critical business processes. Using GroupSystems software, a project team can reliably and effectively develop a shared understanding of a problem, develop ideas and strategies for addressing that problem, and reach consensus on specific actions and plans.
ICQ
ICQ is a free instant message/chat tool that can be downloaded directly from this Web site. After downloading ICQ, you register on-line and choose among a number of tools to communicate with the people of your choice.
In-Team
In-Team is a web-based software suite for all your "interactive" High Performance collaboration needs. From a personalized home page, a unique set of integrated tools is accessible for meetings, decision support, distributed team work, communities, discussions, online surveys and knowledge sharing.
MSN Messenger
MSN's messaging service allows you to chat with up to four people in one window, and will alert you if others are still typing out a response. You may also share files and connect from behind a firewall.
MeetingWorks.com
Electronic meeting software to connect teams with same time/same place, same time/different place, and different time/different place options. Since 1990, Meetingworks has been applying their tools, process expertise, and facilitation services to assist a wide range of private and public sector clients.
Microsoft Windows NetMeeting
Download Microsoft Windows NetMeeting (NetMeeting should already be installed if you use Windows 2000). Features include video and audio conferencing, graphics manipulations, chat, and file transfer.
www.microsoft.com/windows/netmeeting/download/
OpenSpace Online
As its name suggests, OpenSpace-Online software makes Open Space Technology available via the Internet to overcome the limitations of time and space. Available in German and English, the Internet Conference method features successive phases in which 5 to 75 people can work simultaneously. The participants work together in a goal and solution-oriented manner for 2 to about 8 hours. The participants, who meet because of a shared interest in a major theme, are considered the experts. It is their knowledge, their questions, their suggestions, and their dedication that co-develop new ideas and solutions. Once the OpenSpace-Online conference is finished, each participant receives documentation which provides a basis for further work.
Open Text Corporation
Open Text empowers organizations to find information, develop it collaboratively, and distribute the results over local and worldwide webs efficiently, economically, and securely.
Vivarto?s NetConference Plus
Vivarto provides various software products for net conferencing as well as tools for an internal democracy within a political party, trade union or other organizations. The most prominent innovations are the e-deliberation and the Vivarto Delegated Voting System.
Web Crossing
Web Crossing makes a suite of integrated server products to help your group or team communicate and collaborate more effectively online. Web Crossing powers discussion groups, bulletin boards, blogs, wikis and more for online conferencing, community or workgroup collaboration on intranets or the Internet.
WebEx.com
Web conferencing, video conferencing and online meeting services with a range of usage levels from free to per-use to subscription.
WebIQ
WebIQ is an internet-based software tool and service that enables organizations to collaborate when they are distributed throughout different local and global locations or constrained by participants' schedule conflicts. It provides a suite of activities that stimulate creative thinking and support various types of analysis leading to meaningful alternative choices. The results are clear and immediately documented.
Additional Resources
The Meatball Wiki
This wiki fosters a continuing discussion on online communities. Offers a Tour Bus of Wikis which goes on guided tours of wiki sites all over the world.
http://usemod.com/cgi-bin/mb.pl
NPower
NPower is a growing network committed to sharing technology information, inspiration and ideas so they are available for the widest community benefit. NPower?s tag line is ?putting technology know-how in the hands of nonprofits.? Their website is packed with articles, resources and tools that help meet the needs of communities through technology.
Thinkofit?s Real-Time Conferencing Guide
A comprehensive independent guide of software and services enabling real-time communication on the web.
www.thinkofit.com/webconf/realtime.htm
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