Switchfast Blog - The Future of IT
Next Generation Collaborative Tools are Changing How We Interact
Tuesday, November 17, 2009 by Michael Holley
Google Wave
began with the challenge to rebuild email; to invent it again
without any preconceived notion of how it should look or work.
Thousands of programming hours later, on September 30, 2009, the
Google Wave Developer Beta was released, featuring concurrent,
real-time document editing among other impressive innovations
designed to change the way we communicate within our companies.
However, while Google Wave represents a quantum leap forward in
how we use technology to communicate, it seems to be just a piece
of an industry-wide revolution in computer-mediated communication.
For example, lots of IM clients have been providing users with the
ability to read messages as they're being typed for a while now, in
order to facilitate a more efficient discussion that mimics the
verbal communication. Developers may be aware of SubEthaEdit, a ground-breaking collaborative
text editing tool designed for coding. Additionally, companies
commonly overlook Microsoft Sharepoint's ability to be customized
through after-market development to do virtually anything involving
the storage, organization, and dispersion of shared data.
Just as interesting as tools that affect the manner in which we
communicate, however, are those that affect the way we prepare to
communicate. Chicago-based software company Weave
The People is a great example. The purpose of Weave The
People is to increase productivity in meetings by providing concise
personality profiles of each of a meeting's participants. Prior to
an important meeting, an attendee can view these profiles to learn
about each participant's goals for the meeting, personality styles,
and work styles. The idea is that if everyone is on the same page
with this type of information, the ensuing meeting will be as
productive and efficient as possible.
Does it really work? Weave The People has already collected some
respectable rave reviews. If nothing else, it
represents the beginning of a promising wave of outside-the-box
thinkers that are looking to revolutionize the world of business
communication.
Best,
Michael Holley
Switchfast Technologies
Chicago IT Support
& Consulting
Rochester
IT Support & Consulting
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