Share and Share Alike: Collaboration for Today's VA -

Share and Share Alike: Collaboration for Today’s VA
Presented by Andrea Kalli

Who needs to collaborate?
 From simple file sharing, to project or file collaboration, to sharing contacts and calendars, the VA has a lot of options to choose from when they need to work with information from their clients or team members.
 Many of these options are free or inexpensive.
 All of them should be considered powerful tools to help you do your work more effectively.

Types of collaboration
 Real-time
 Syncronization with data using Push/Pull technology :
 Automatic sync
 Manual sync
 Types of services / software
 Web-based
 Hosted for a small monthly fee
 FREE
 Peer-to-peer (p2p)

Collaboration Product Categories
 Full Collaboration features: files, contacts, calendar, tasks, issues, projects, discussions, pictures, meeting workspaces, document workspaces
 File collaboration / file sharing
 Project management / Real Estate transaction management
 Sync with default Outlook folders
 Calendar sharing
 Combination products/services

Full Collaboration features
 SharePoint Services: server based, hosted options
 Zoho Virtual Office: peer-to-peer
 CollectiveX: server based
 WebOffice.com: formerly Intranets.com recently purchased by WebEx
 HyperOffice
 Microsoft Office Live: hosted by Microsoft
 Central Desktop
 30Boxes
 Foldera

File collaboration / file sharing
 Writely: web-based
 Syncura: peer-to-peer
 Windows Live Messenger – Shared Folders: peer-to-peer
 Yahoo Messenger
 Groove: peer-to-peer
 Google: Spreadsheets
 SendThisFile.com
 Good old FTP

Project management / Real Estate management
 Basecamp: web based
 activeCollab: The free version of Basecamp, just not so pretty. Install on your own web server.
 Groove: recently purchased by Microsoft and will become part of the Office suite
 Real Estate transaction management solutions:
 SettlementRoom.com
 RealEstatePhotoShoot.com
 TellurideSoftware.com
 GuruNetworks.com

Sync or import with Outlook folders
 SharePoint Services
 Exchange Server – hosted options, many with Blackberry/Palm sync services (www.eOutlook.com, www.lanlogic.com, www.frontpages-web-hosting.com)
 OfficeCalendar – share Outlook contacts, tasks, and calendar
 ShareO – share Outlook contacts, tasks, and calendar
 XCConnect – share Outlook contacts, tasks, and calendar
 WorkgroupShare
 HyperShare for Outlook by HyperOffice
 WebOffice.com – formerly Intranets.com recently purchased by WebEx
 Google calendar import and share
 Yahoo tasks and calendar share and sync – Intellisync
 MSN Messenger calendar share and sync – Outlook Connector

Increase collaboration using Exchange Server with Outlook
 Share any of your Outlook folders: Inbox, Calendar, Task, Journal, Notes, and Contact.
 Open other user’s Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, etc.
 Create a public area for centralized contacts or company calendar.
 Create a public discussion folder.
 Assign a delegate to handle your meeting requests.
 Using the Out of Office Assistant
 Delegate tasks to someone else and track them.
 Automatically set-up and book resources, such as conference rooms.
 Group scheduling feature
 Server-side rules
 Deleted items recovery
 Side-by-Side calendar viewing options
 Outlook Web Access

Calendar Sharing
 Trumba calendar
 Google calendar
 Yahoo calendar
 MSN Messenger calendar
 RSSCalendar.com

Times are always changing…try to keep up!
 New products regularly becoming available.
 Keep your new product knowledge up.
 Always try out new products or services.
 Regular research is the key.
 Virtual Assistant list serves provide the perfect place to share new technology and new products with your fellow VA.
 Seek out Virtual Assistant training programs that also focus in technology as well as creating and maintaining your business.

Website references – alpha order
 30Boxes – www.30boxes.com
 ActiveCollab – www.activecollab.com
 Basecamp – www.basecamp.com
 Central Desktop – www.centraldesktop.com
 CollectiveX – www.collectivex.com
 Foldera – www.foldera.com
 Groove – http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/programs/groove/highlights.mspx
 Guru Networks – http://www.gurunet.net/
 HyperOffice – www.hyperoffice.com
 Microsoft Office Live – http://officelive.microsoft.com/
 OfficeCalendar – www.officecalendar.com
 RealEstatePhotoShoot – http://realestatephotoshoot.com/REMS-Productivity-Suite.asp
 RSSCalendar – www.rsscalendar.com
 SettlementRoom – www.settlementroom.com
 ShareO – http://shareo.4team.biz
 SharePoint Services (hosted) – www.frontpages-web-hosting.com
 Syncura – www.syncura.com
 Telluride software – http://www.telluridesoftware.com/
 Weboffice.com – http://www.weboffice.com/
 Windows Live Messenger – http://get.live.com/messenger/overview
 WorkgroupShare – http://www.softalkltd.com/products/workgroupshare/
 Writely – www.writely.com
 Yahoo Messenger – http://messenger.yahoo.com
 XConnect – http://www.xcnetwork.com/xcconnectoutlook.jsp
 Zoho Virtual Office – http://www.zoho.com/virtual-office/index.html?ad-main