Share and Share Alike: Collaboration for Today’s VA
Presented by Andrea Kalli
Who needs to collaborate?
ï®Â 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.
ï®Â Many of these options are free or inexpensive.
ï®Â All of them should be considered powerful tools to help you do your work more effectively.
Types of collaboration
ï®Â Real-time
ï®Â Syncronization with data using Push/Pull technology :
 Automatic sync
 Manual sync
ï®Â Types of services / software
 Web-based
 Hosted for a small monthly fee
 FREE
 Peer-to-peer (p2p)
Collaboration Product Categories
ï®Â Full Collaboration features: files, contacts, calendar, tasks, issues, projects, discussions, pictures, meeting workspaces, document workspaces
ï®Â File collaboration / file sharing
ï®Â Project management / Real Estate transaction management
ï®Â Sync with default Outlook folders
ï®Â Calendar sharing
ï®Â Combination products/services
Full Collaboration features
ï®Â SharePoint Services: server based, hosted options
ï®Â Zoho Virtual Office: peer-to-peer
ï®Â CollectiveX: server based
ï®Â WebOffice.com: formerly Intranets.com recently purchased by WebEx
ï®Â HyperOffice
ï®Â Microsoft Office Live: hosted by Microsoft
ï®Â Central Desktop
ï®Â 30Boxes
ï®Â Foldera
File collaboration / file sharing
ï®Â Writely: web-based
ï®Â Syncura: peer-to-peer
ï®Â Windows Live Messenger – Shared Folders: peer-to-peer
ï®Â Yahoo Messenger
ï®Â Groove: peer-to-peer
ï®Â Google: Spreadsheets
ï®Â SendThisFile.com
ï®Â Good old FTP
Project management / Real Estate management
ï®Â Basecamp: web based
ï®Â activeCollab: The free version of Basecamp, just not so pretty. Install on your own web server.
ï®Â Groove: recently purchased by Microsoft and will become part of the Office suite
ï®Â Real Estate transaction management solutions:
 SettlementRoom.com
 RealEstatePhotoShoot.com
 TellurideSoftware.com
 GuruNetworks.com
Sync or import with Outlook folders
ï®Â SharePoint Services
ï®Â Exchange Server – hosted options, many with Blackberry/Palm sync services (www.eOutlook.com, www.lanlogic.com, www.frontpages-web-hosting.com)
ï®Â OfficeCalendar – share Outlook contacts, tasks, and calendar
ï®Â ShareO – share Outlook contacts, tasks, and calendar
ï®Â XCConnect – share Outlook contacts, tasks, and calendar
ï®Â WorkgroupShare
ï®Â HyperShare for Outlook by HyperOffice
ï®Â WebOffice.com – formerly Intranets.com recently purchased by WebEx
ï®Â Google calendar import and share
ï®Â Yahoo tasks and calendar share and sync – Intellisync
ï®Â MSN Messenger calendar share and sync – Outlook Connector
Increase collaboration using Exchange Server with Outlook
ï®Â Share any of your Outlook folders: Inbox, Calendar, Task, Journal, Notes, and Contact.
ï®Â Open other user’s Inbox, Calendar, Contacts, etc.
ï®Â Create a public area for centralized contacts or company calendar.
ï®Â Create a public discussion folder.
ï®Â Assign a delegate to handle your meeting requests.
ï®Â Using the Out of Office Assistant
ï®Â Delegate tasks to someone else and track them.
ï®Â Automatically set-up and book resources, such as conference rooms.
ï®Â Group scheduling feature
ï®Â Server-side rules
ï®Â Deleted items recovery
ï®Â Side-by-Side calendar viewing options
ï®Â Outlook Web Access
Calendar Sharing
ï®Â Trumba calendar
ï®Â Google calendar
ï®Â Yahoo calendar
ï®Â MSN Messenger calendar
ï®Â RSSCalendar.com
Times are always changing…try to keep up! Â
ï®Â New products regularly becoming available.
ï®Â Keep your new product knowledge up.
ï®Â Always try out new products or services.
ï®Â Regular research is the key.
ï®Â Virtual Assistant list serves provide the perfect place to share new technology and new products with your fellow VA.
ï®Â Seek out Virtual Assistant training programs that also focus in technology as well as creating and maintaining your business.
Website references – alpha order
ï®Â 30Boxes – www.30boxes.com
ï®Â ActiveCollab – www.activecollab.com
ï®Â Basecamp – www.basecamp.com
ï®Â Central Desktop – www.centraldesktop.com
ï®Â CollectiveX – www.collectivex.com
ï®Â Foldera – www.foldera.com
ï®Â Groove – http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/programs/groove/highlights.mspx
ï®Â Guru Networks – http://www.gurunet.net/
ï®Â HyperOffice – www.hyperoffice.com
ï®Â Microsoft Office Live – http://officelive.microsoft.com/
ï®Â OfficeCalendar – www.officecalendar.com
ï®Â RealEstatePhotoShoot – http://realestatephotoshoot.com/REMS-Productivity-Suite.asp
ï®Â RSSCalendar – www.rsscalendar.com
ï®Â SettlementRoom – www.settlementroom.com
ï®Â ShareO – http://shareo.4team.biz
ï®Â SharePoint Services (hosted) – www.frontpages-web-hosting.com
ï®Â Syncura – www.syncura.com
ï®Â Telluride software – http://www.telluridesoftware.com/
ï®Â Weboffice.com – http://www.weboffice.com/
ï®Â Windows Live Messenger – http://get.live.com/messenger/overview
ï®Â WorkgroupShare – http://www.softalkltd.com/products/workgroupshare/
ï®Â Writely – www.writely.com
ï®Â Yahoo Messenger – http://messenger.yahoo.com
ï®Â XConnect – http://www.xcnetwork.com/xcconnectoutlook.jsp
ï®Â Zoho Virtual Office – http://www.zoho.com/virtual-office/index.html?ad-main
Andrea Kalli
Andrea Kalli Virtual Trainer and Assistant, LLC
Your resource for Outlook training and SharePoint training