Oct

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

Andrea Kalli

Andrea Kalli Virtual Trainer and Assistant, LLC

www.virtualassist.net

Your resource for Outlook training and SharePoint training

Andrea Kalli
Certified Internet and Social Marketing VA

Your powerhouse virtual assistant support for:
Keyword and Competition Research, on-page SEO, and Link Building strategies
WishList – Wordpress Membership Sites and Retention Strategies, Wordpress Support

MATERIAL CONNECTION DISCLOSURE: You should assume that I, Andrea Kalli, have an affiliate relationship and/or another material connection to the providers of goods and services mentioned in this page and may be compensated when you purchase from a provider. You should always perform due diligence before buying goods or services from anyone via the Internet or offline.

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