Video conferencing
Instant messaging (IM)
Using IM software, you can send text messages over the Internet that instantly pop up
on a recipient’s screen. How is IM different from email? Well, it allows you to send and
receive messages in real time without the delays associated with email transmission. You
can set up contact lists of groups of associates and detect their presence at your
desktop. Instead of reaching for the phone, you can avoid long distance charges and
contact them immediately to either send messages or enter a virtual conference.
To make this work, both parties must be logged on to the Internet and install the
same IM software—only compatible protocols can communicate with each other at this time.
How can IM be used in workgroup environments? Communicate instantly with colleagues
by checking who’s online or remain connected with your office when you’re travelling
off-site. Provide solutions to urgent issues such as help desk support or receive
answers from support personnel to pressing questions in no time. Pass along URLs and
files that may be opened with standard applications. Imagine doing all this in a single
IM session.
Netscape Communicator has already joined the IM bandwagon with its AOL Instant
Messaging software; a free download is available on their home page. Another popular
IM product worth exploring is ICQ; available at
www.icq.com.
Internet telephony
Internet-based telephony is a new technology which makes it possible to initiate a
call (not receive one) using your Internet connection and transmit it to any telephone
in the world. Using the mouse button, you control when you want to speak or listen to
the other party. Use this collaboration mode to link learners and trainers. These
inexpensive phone calls can only cost around 10 cents a minute to dial any place within
or outside the United States. Since the call travels over the Internet, you can expect
some level of security, although not total privacy. You may preview this software at
www.net2phone.com. Currently, this
software is compatible with Windows NT 4.0.
Realtime knowledge management
With so much information around us, we need ways to collaborate with others to find
ways to manage documents in databases and access them simultaneously. Seated in virtual
auditoriums, we can search, co-edit or analyze files in real time. Forthcoming
document-management software will allow us to do just that and provide application
sharing or multimedia conferencing capabilities.
Video conferencing
Desktop video conferencing combines imaging and communication capabilities by using
regular phone lines or the Internet. Compared to other collaboration technologies,
videoconferencing requires some additional set up. Both your partner and yourself need a
PC with at least a 95 MHz processor, a video capture/modem card, a sound-equipped PC,
a microphone, a camera that sits on top of your monitor, and a 56 kbps modem. Once you’re
both ready to go, you can experience the presence of folks across the miles right at your
desktop. To learn more, visit
www.intel.com/createshare/crshare.htm.
Collaboration technology helps break communication and distance barriers by allowing
us to get to the information we want then and there. If the technology is available,
we must use it to become more efficient in our work environment and most important of
all, manage all that information to keep it accessible and up-to-date all the time.
