Collaboration platform

An emerging category of computer software, collaboration platforms are unified electronic platforms that support synchronous and asynchronous communication through a variety of devices and channels.

Collaboration platforms offer a set of software components and services which enable users to communicate, share information, and work together to achieve common business goals. The core elements of a collaboration platform are messaging (email, calendaring and scheduling, contacts), team collaboration (file synchronization, ideas and notes in a wiki, task management, full-text search), and real-time communication (e.g., presence, instant messaging, Web conferencing, application / desktop sharing, voice, audio and video conferencing).

Audiences

Another dimension of collaboration platforms and related tools are, they may be optimized for different types of users:

• Enterprise class, for business purposes (B2B): meaning high usage volume, many simultaneous sessions, with large groups. Also implies high storage requirements for many files, large files or large file types such as video, simultaneous use of several tools and availability of high bandwidth; possibly relatively sophisticated users or a savvy moderator.
• Small to medium sized businesses (SMB), (B2B): lower volume of usage, fewer simultaneous sessions and fewer attendees per session.
• Consumers: who can be small businesses, social groups or individuals, for business or non-business use.

Major Vendors

A 2006 report by Forrester names primarily IBM and Microsoft as the market leaders, but a lot changed in 5 years. EMC is a contender along with Oracle Corp with its Oracle Beehive collaboration platform.^[1] Another new entrant is Cisco who has made collaboration a strategic emphasis because those applications drive high network bandwidth and allows direct access to consumers, assisting in the transition from OEM status to vendor of customer premise equipment (CPE) in a business to consumer (B2C) relationship.

Business Models

Collaboration platforms started out as integrated software that is server-based requiring local clients. Users purchase a license to use download the software, and may also pay fees according to the number of seats, the bandwidth used, or other attributes. The current model is to be on online service either entirely web-based or with a thin client. This model is called Software as a Service (SaaS) where users pay a subscription fee and/or a usage fee. These SaaS can be built as a “walled garden,” sometimes with widgets, or as mashups to deliver a wider range of more flexible and easily customizable tools.

Forrester’s 2006 report names IBM and Microsoft as the market leaders, but new, strong competitors have entered that market. A new entrant is Cisco who has made collaboration a strategic emphasis because those applications drive bandwidth and the requirement for digital networks.

“Standard” Features

Some common features of most collaboration platforms and tools are: • Realtime, short communications, such as IM, SMS or Twitter. • Realtime, non-text interaction such as voice and video conferencing, telepresence. • Time shifted, more lengthy communications primarily in text, for example, email, wiki or blog. • Desktop or application sharing such as white boarding. • “Vertical” collaboration platforms with features customized for specific purposes. Examples are to coordinate board of directors which feature strong authentication, revision control, approval processes, etc. Other verticals that already have platforms are procurement, HR, legal, M&A…

Email: business and personal: The enterprise edition of Outlook with integrated calendaring, tasking... is the default collaboration platform for many large enterprises, primarily due to the penetration of Microsoft, and the pre-loading of Microsoft Office Suite on many PCs. Plug-ins for Outlook enhance many features such as file management, message filing, polling.

Cisco has an Outlook plug-in for its MeetingPlace voice conferencing tool and one for its new WebEx platform (see more about WebEx below).

Google’s email client, Gmail, is becoming a collaboration platform with shareable documents, spreadsheets, calendars, chat… Software developers have built widgets and mashups for Gmail. At the November 2008, Mountain View Mashup Camp, a developer mashed search and annotation to Gmail messages.

Conferencing Voice-only conferencing has been available for many years and is still very popular because it’s easy to use, pervasive and familiar. Solid, proven plug-ins are available to add voice conferencing to other tools.

Cisco's WebEx Connect is a PC-centric platform with voice capability – not an IP phone, but PC to PC voice communications. It is being trialed by enterprises, and a major release is planned in 2009, but it intends to do everything with the ability be customized (templates and widgets).

PC cam and web cam are passing into the previous era.

Telepresence is supposed to give a near-in-person experience. But several problems: • Too expensive for any but MAJOR enterprises Cisco's TelePresence (with a capital P) is planning to launch a low-end product but it's still priced in the low 6 figures. HP has a lower cost product and service, as do other vendors. • Requires customized and supported infrastructure The whole system is huge and ‘fragile.’ Big, life-size, very expensive display panels and furniture; cameras that require technicians to tune, and high bandwidth.

Cisco has recently deployed public TelePresence rooms which provide convenient local sites that offer the experience of in-person meetings for businesses, friends, and family.^[2]

A few service providers have also made deals to offer 'public rooms' which will work like the long distance phone booths that the phone company used to have in the '50s and '60s where users must go to the service provider’s office and an operator sets up the call.

Older but familiar collaboration tools:

Instant Messaging (IM) Perhaps standalone IM is already becoming passé? Almost all collaboration platforms have IM.

Web log (Blog) What is the difference between a blog and a wiki? Both were traditionally text based although now, there are video blogs (YouTube) and audio blogs (PodCasts). A blog is intended to be a one-to-many form of communication where a single author addresses a group of readers/viewers. Group blogs mean there are several authors who create separate blog posts, or collaborate (off the blog) to create a single blogpost.

Wiki Wikis were originally optimized for group editing of content. Some platforms have expanded with many other features such as ‘to do’ lists and other project management tasks.

1. ^ "Oracle Enters Beehive in Collaboration Tournament". Craig Roth. 2009-05-04. http://knowledgeforward.wordpress.com/2009/05/04/oracle-enters-beehive-in-collaboration-tournament/. Retrieved 2009-06-29. 
2. ^ http://www.cisco.com/en/US/solutions/ns669/public_telepresence.html

See also

• CWE Collaborative working environments
• PMS List of Project Management Software
• Collaborative software