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?
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.