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TAG: Collaboration/IM

May 01, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Exclusive review: MeetingSense 2.0 makes meetings productive

If you're like me, you let out a big sigh every time a new meeting notice appears in your Outlook mailbox. There's often no agenda, backup documents, nor even the basics of conference call dial-in numbers. And when the meeting's done, no actions have been determined.

After using Yon Software's just-updated MeetingSense 2.0 to whip meetings into shape, I could never do without this package that brilliantly manages the entire meeting lifecycle.

Why such praise? For many reasons, which start with how well MeetingSense plugs into -- and enhances -- Microsoft Office (including 2007). For example, when I scheduled a meeting from Outlook's calendar view, MeetingSense provided a concise form to fill in the agenda and other meeting particulars; this information is professionally formatted and automatically inserted into an Outlook meeting notice.

Yet MeetingSense's full potential can only be appreciated during and after meetings. The software's well-crafted user interface, which is completely customized by moving various pods, helped me present information, capture notes and decisions, and assign action items.

Once you open a meeting, various pods are pre-populated with data from the original meeting invitation, such as meeting files and a list of invited participants (which forms a roll call, since I quickly marked who attended). As meetings progressed, I easily presented documents in one pod, while taking rich-text meeting notes in another area, and then entered key points and decisions in another pod. What's more, MeetingSense records the audio portion of meetings. Importantly, during a meeting I also created action items, which are sent to appropriate people as Outlook Tasks.

At the conclusion of each meeting, the software creates a complete, organized summary of the meeting, which I customized and then e-mailed to all participants. This significant feature ensures that everyone has a record of meeting details, including key points and decisions.

These meeting details are then saved and available through the main dashboard. Version 2.0 adds several options, which helped me better track and manage meeting information. For instance, I grouped meetings by projects and tracked action items that extended from one meeting to another. You can also publish action items to a central repository, such as an Outlook Public folder. A carry-over feature from Version 1.0 let me select action items and request a status update from the owner.

MeetingSense 2.0 is one of those rare products that uncovers -- and then solves -- a common business need near perfectly. The only possible improvement I can see is tighter integration with online services, such as Microsoft Live Meeting, WebEx, or Adobe Connect Professional (formerly Breeze). Still, while each of these has some similar features during a meeting (such as note taking), no other product I've used matches MeetingSense's meeting organization and information management tools. It's somewhat ironic that companies using this product actually report fewer meetings because of productivity improvements. But I doubt anyone's complaining.

Yon Software MeetingSense 2.0
Availability: Now
Pricing: $99 for single seat; custom volume license packs available
Verdict: MeetingSense 2.0 provides an ingenious way to prepare for meetings, capture essential information during a meeting – including audio, notes, and action items, and then manage assigned tasks. Works seamlessly with Microsoft Outlook, MeetingSense doesn't inject any extra steps; rather it streamlines meeting workflow and reduces follow-up efforts.

Posted by Mike Heck on May 1, 2007 06:00 AM

January 08, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Samsung hedges its mobile search bets

As Google and Yahoo prepare to battle for dominance of mobile search, one company is clearly poised to cash in no matter which search giant wins: Samsung.

Both Google and Yahoo separately announced strategic partnerships with Samsung today through which the consumer electronics company will ship some mobile devices pre-installed with Google search and e-mail apps, and more -- and some select devices packaged with Yahoo search and e-mail apps, and more.

Specifically, the Google-y Samsung devices will come with "a Google icon in the application menu, providing users with one-click access to Google search"; Google Maps, "an application that enables users to view maps and satellite imagery, find local businesses, and get driving directions," and Gmail for mobile devices, according to Google.

The Yahooified devices, Yahoo says, will come with Yahoo Go 2.0, Yahoo's new mobile Internet application that lets users "navigate the selection of Yahoo Go widgets for e-mail, local information and maps, and more"; Yahoo oneSearch, "a new mobile search service designed to give consumers instant answers through more relevant search results; Yahoo Mail; Yahoo Messenger; and Yahoo Personal Information Management for synchronizing contacts from Yahoo Address Book and tasks and events saved on Yahoo Calendar.

Amusingly, the two announcements have somewhat similar canned quotes attributed to Kitae Lee, Samsung's president of telecommunications network business.

Of the Google partnership, she -- ahem -- "said", "We are very thrilled to introduce Samsung mobiles with one-click access to Google services. Our cooperation with Google exemplifies our commitment to leading the evolution from the fixed-Internet era to a mobile Internet era and ushering in a ubiquitous world where mobile enables our consumers to access information about anything, anywhere, anytime. Samsung and Google will enhance users' mobile experience with a powerful, yet easy-to-use handset with simple access to information and personal management."

And of the Yahoo partnership, Lee declared, "Samsung recognizes consumers' need for Internet access through their mobiles anytime, anywhere. Samsung mobile phones with Yahoo services will provide consumers with fast and convenient access to the Internet, even on the move. Our successful partnership with Yahoo builds on Samsung's continuing efforts to enhance consumers' mobile experience."

Hm. The Google quote is much longer. Do you think Samsung is playing favorites already?

Posted by Ted Samson on January 8, 2007 01:06 PM

January 04, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Review: Coversant SoapBox sparks secure IM for the enteprise

Instant messaging (IM) is a business staple -- whether it's used for communicating among colleagues or chatting with suppliers, partners, and clients. However, with personal IM networks, such as MSN, AIM, and Yahoo, you risk confidential information leaking out unencrypted.

Enterprise IM (EIM) solutions from Microsoft, Jabber, and IBM Lotus, however, address business needs, including security. Yet after a first look, I found that Coversant's SoapBox Platform 2007 demonstrated better performance, more extensive integration tools, and lower cost than the competition.

SoapBox Platform 2007 describes three products: SoapBox Server 2007, which secures XMPP (Extensible Messaging and Presence Protocol) communications; SoapBox Studio 2007, an open source SDK; and SoapBox Communicator 2005, the company's own EIM client application. Together they represent a neat solution that can be harnessed for secure collaboration by enterprises, ISPs, and other custom developers.

SoapBox Server 2007 installed easily on my Windows 2000 server (32- and 64-bit and well as IA64 Itanium 2 compiles are available, plus Linux and Solaris versions). I used a Microsoft SQL Server 2000 for archiving messages and related tasks; Oracle 9i/10g, PostgreSQL 8.0.x, and MySQL 5.0+ databases are also supported.

One of this solution's strong points is the Management Studio, a client application that let me remotely manage my installation. First, I used the Managed Rosters function to populate contact lists. SoapBox Server automatically synchronizes with Microsoft Active Directory and NT domains along with LDAP dynamic groups. Since my network uses Active Directory authentication, users took advantage of single sign-on -- and I greatly cut setup time because SoapBox recognized existing groups. Similarly, SoapBox Server Policies helped me easily administer group rights, such as who could broadcast messages.

Of special note is SoapBox's ability to securely communicate with other XMPP-compliant servers -- either within your enterprise or servers installed at other organizations. This does require a bit of experience with DNS servers and other networking nuances, but a Coversant support representative helped me perform the steps in about 10 minutes. Further, the company has plans to automate the networking setup as much as possible.

I didn't test performance under a heavy load. However, independent benchmarks tests by HP Labs for Coversant customer RIPL (a social networking startup) certified that a single SoapBox server can handle 250,000 concurrent users and 5,000 messages per second. The Enterprise Edition I tested, moreover, permits up to 1,000 virtual SoapBox Servers on a single physical box.

What I can say is that communications through my test server using a mix of clients -- Trillian Pro 3, Apple iChat, Google Talk, and SoapBox Communicator 2005 (desktop and mobile versions) -- worked quickly and flawlessly. My colleagues and I effortlessly traded IMs and collaborated in conference rooms. Offstage, the system precisely logged messages, presence, and chat room conversations -- a must-have capability for an EIM to satisfy compliance auditing.

Rounding out this solution, SoapBox Studio 2007 gives .NET developers what they need to add XMPP-based EIM to existing applications. Studio supports Windows, Pocket PC, Linux, Flash, and smartphone platforms. There's a built-in trace debugging tool. Moreover, the 50 code samples should streamline development efforts -- and you can distribute your completed application license free.

Coversant SoapBox Platform 2007
Availability: Now
Cost: Enterprise Edition is $18,850 per server (32- or 64-bit); Standard Edition costs $4,850 per server; free Express Edition.
Verdict: SoapBox Server 2007 manages secure XMPP enterprise instant messaging across domains and platforms. It's easy to install and maintain, provides excellent value, while performance and scalability should satisfy large deployments. Moreover, the open source software development kits help coders produce custom XMPP-based collaboration applications.

Posted by Mike Heck on January 4, 2007 11:32 AM

December 28, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Lotus Notes 7.0 meets the Mac

IBM delivered some holiday cheers to Mac users today, announcing the availability of the Lotus Notes 7.0.2 client for Mac OS X.

Lotus Notes comes with a pile of collaboration features, such as groupware and strong Mail and iCal apps, that competitors like Microsoft Entourage lack, according to Big Blue.

The Notes 7.0.2 client provides Mac users, running either Intel-based or Power PC machines, with instant messaging, presence awareness and "Web 2.0 features," such embedded RSS technology and an easy-to-use blogging template, according to IBM.

Notes also comes with full calendaring features, such as group scheduling and meeting delegation.

Lotus Notes 7.0.2 for the Macintosh is available immediately, starting at $101 per seat.

Posted by Ted Samson on December 28, 2006 01:18 PM

September 28, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Preview: Citrix hosts affordable online meetings

WebEx or Microsoft Live Meeting presenters know that creating and delivering online meetings isn't always straightforward -- and cost can be steep. In contrast, with one click, Citrix's GoToMeeting lets you conduct instant online demos. That same simple philosophy is behind the company's GoToWebinar online service -- which lets you hold unlimited seminars each month, with 1,000 attendees per event, for one low flat rate of $99 per month.

Beyond value and usability, GoToWebinar has an impressive feature set. There's free voice conferencing (toll-free is an option), polling and surveys, chat, Webinar recording, and a range of other functions, such as automated e-mail follow-up. That's all in addition to the basics, such as desktop and application sharing and multiple presenters.

While video would be nice, GoToWebinar leaves little else to be desired, and at an unbeatable price.

For more information, go to gotowebinar.com/podium.

Posted by Mike Heck on September 28, 2006 09:50 AM

September 15, 2006 | Comments: (0)

WebEx takes AIM at the enterprise

Say what you will about AOL, but the company can be credited for bringing instant messaging to the masses, both at home and in the business world.

WebEx, known for its online collaboration tools, has built on AOL Instant Messenger, bringing enhancements to the quick-communication platform with the release of WebEx AIM PBE (Pro Business Edition), aimed at the enterprise.

Like AIM (and unlike other enterprise IM solutions), WebEX AIM PBE follows an on-demand model, meaning admins don't need to set up and deploy IM servers within the company. Instead, WebEx provides companies with centralized controls to managing user. "Administrators can centrally manage all accounts and configure URL and content filters to prevent the loss of intellectual property or confidential information," according to the company.

There are also controls for enforcing security and compliance within the organization, according to the company. "All WebEx AIM Pro traffic is secured with end-to-end 128 bit SSL encryption and WebEx AIM Pro assists customers in meeting compliance requirements for storage of electronic communications," according to a written statement from WebEx. "The service automatically scans file transfers, blocks SpIM (IM spam) to reduce the spread of viruses and worms, and protects against IM and p-to-p threats."

This isn't AIM's first foray in the enterprise world. Back in 2002, AOL announced its AIM Enterprise Gateway server, but that got phased out in 2004.

More recently, AOL released AIM Pro Professional Edition.

Users can download the secure WebEx AIM Pro Business Edition client for free. For companies looking to deploy the product, licenses start at $5 per user.

Quick test
I took an opportunity to download the WebEx AOL IM PBE client myself, and although I didn't spend too much time playing with it, I did like what I saw.

First of all, it was pretty easy to get up and running using one of my existing AIM screen names. I just entered the SN and password after installing the PBE client, and my Contact List was instantly populated with buddies and co-workers, sorted as they would be in AIM.

In addition to the Chat tab, there's a Calendar tab, which you reportedly can sync with Outlook and WebEx to view schedule. I didn’t try that out, though. Looks potentially handy if, for some reason, you don't have Outlook access.

Launching an IM session opens a new chat window, and the interface has a four tabs. The IM tab gives you a familiar-looking chat interface, where you can choose your font, font size, font color, and one of several smileys. The smiley menu includes helpful explanation as to what each little face means, such as "Smiling" and "Money Mouth."

In addition to the Chat tab, there's Voice (for VoIP sessions), Video, Share (to share your desktop with another user), and Files, for transferring files securely.

I didn't try the VoIP, Video, or Share, but I did play with File, sending IMs and files between an AOL SN on Trillian and an AOL SN on the WebEx client. When my Trillian persona sent a Word doc to my WebEx persona, I got a list of choices in WebEx as to what to do with the file: Scan at Host; Accept no Scan; Decline; Ignore; or Block,
I clicked Scan to Host, and my Trillian person got the following message:

[receiver] asks you to send the files to the AIMProVirusScan for virus scanning.Follow these steps:
1) Add the Buddy Name "AIMProVirusScan" to your buddy list area.
2) Send a message to the "AIMProVirusScan" Buddy to begin the scan.

Unfortunately, I couldn't get the bot to accept my file from Trillian; perhaps this puppy is only compatible with true AIM clients.

Still, it's a pretty nifty looking client, and perhaps the low price tag and maintenance will compel organizations to abandon the standard AIM that so many use and give this more enterprise-geared model a try.

Posted by Ted Samson on September 15, 2006 02:45 PM

September 14, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Slick Yahoo e-mail a challenge to MS?

With all due apologies to the Googlemaniacs out there, I do believe Yahoo has outdone Google and Gmail with the latest beta rev of its e-mail application. Moreover, Microsoft may just have a little more reason to worry about its e-mail market share.

Notably, Yahoo's new e-mail interface looks remarkably like that of Microsoft Outlook, but hey, Microsoft's new Live search engine looks a lot like Google's. Let's just chalk that near-emulation up to the highest form of flattery, like Homer Simpson's similarities to Fred Flinstone (who bears resemblances to Ralph Kramden from "The Honeymooners".)

So here are some of my first impressions on the refurbished e-mail interface. I like how Yahoo has injected drag-and-drop simplicity to e-mail sorting, which is handy, and something you don't see in Gmail. You also can drag an e-mail over the Contacts icon on the Outlookish left-side toolbar to add the sender to your address book. Also convenient.

Perhaps more interesting in terms of potential: Yahoo has better integrated its calendar with its e-mail. The link to the calendar is also in the left-hand toolbar, making it one click away.

Now, unlike with Outlook, you can't drag an e-mail over to the Calendar icon to automatically create a new Calendar entry (yet?). Also, clicking the Calendar button opens a new browser window, and the Yahoo Calendar hasn't changed much. Again, at least not yet. Yahoo spokesperson Karen Mahon tells me (via e-mail) that the calendar is still in its first rev and changes will emerge in coming months. She wasn't any more specific. ("We are planning some exciting new features but we don't want to spoil the surprise. We hope to make the product generally available in the coming months." Aw! Thanks, Karen. I do love surprises! ;-) )

Yahoo also added a Notebook tool to left-hand toolbar, and a tool for adding RSS feeds. Other neat features include tabs for sorting through multiple e-mails; search tools for finding words in e-mail body, subject, and header; the ability to view a map of a meeting or event location within the calendar timeline. And it's still free.

So what could this all mean? Well, as Microsoft has chased Google on the search front, Google has made a clear play to challenge Microsoft in the e-mail/communications space with its release of Google Apps for Your Domain last month, which comprises Gmail, Google Talk, Google Calendar, and Google Page Creator -- as well as an administrative interface for managing users. The target is small organizations, though Google also has plans for a product aimed at larger companies.

The tools in that Google package, however, don't have much in the way of slick interoperability between, say, the e-mail and calendar, and nor slick drag-and-drop tools.

Then again, Google's a step ahead in terms of the central management features, plus it offers Writely and Google Spreadsheets, potential additions to a Web-based Office rival.

Now Yahoo may not have as many apps to offer, but it's done a very nice job with e-mail, and there's clear potential for a rich e-mail/collaboration/calender package here. Perhaps Yahoo is poised to follow the same path as Google toward challenging Microsoft's e-mail dominance. Mahon wouldn't comment on it, saying only, "We don't have any specific plans that we can share at this time."

Maybe she didn't want to ruin the surprise?

Posted by Ted Samson on September 14, 2006 12:10 PM

August 30, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Citrix: Time right for GoToWebinar

Citrix Online launched its GoToWebinar service on Wednesday with the hope that the time was right for the Webinar technology, which was first introduced by other companies in the heady late-1990s but failed to gain traction.

Citrix told InfoWorld times had changed, and pricing was key to its expected success. Familiarity with the company's GoToMeeting technology, on which it's based, should help too.

"The market's enthusiastic response to our June announcement of GoToWebinar has been very exciting and interest continues to build as companies see the value of easy, affordable do-it-yourself Web events," said Brett Caine, general manager of Citrix Online.

The service joins a strong field of Webinar products, including ON24 and WebEx.

Citrix said GoToWebinar has a leg up because the service is easy to set up, allowing on-demand use via the Web. But the clincher is flat-fee licensing of $99 per month, which covers unlimited usage for the service, which includes application sharing, annotation tools, desktop session-recording, and playback, the company said.

GoToWebinar allows one-click attendee entry, and the company stressed its planning, presentation and reporting functionality. One feature allows a presenter to know when an attendee has tuned out by minimizing their screen. (Ahem, time to step up the presentation a notch.)

Aimed at presenting to large audiences, the company said GoToWebinar is designed for holding marketing, sales and training sessions, as well as for delivering product presentations and demos.

A free 30-day trial is available here.

Posted by Mike Barton on August 30, 2006 02:30 PM

July 06, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Antepo beta dials in to presence awareness

Antepo has announced the beta release of Rivoli, the latest upgrade to its real-time business collaboration platform OPN System.

The company says OPN System Rivolo brings together presence awareness, IM (instant messaging) and VoIP, "essentially creating a new dial tone -- while meeting critical business requirements for integration, control, security, compliance, and scalability."

Rivolio "seamlessly integrates Presence awareness with corporate directories and popular desktop productivity tools such as Microsoft Office, allowing users to quickly find colleagues and synchronize their availability for conversations and meetings," the company said.

The system also provides a way to tie presence awareness and collaboration to IP telephony infrastructures through standards-based SIP (Session Initiation Protocol) and IMS (IP Multimedia Subsystem) signaling interfaces, the company said.

Maxime Seguineau, Chairman and CEO of Antepo, said: "As communications modes converge over IP networks, the traditional dial tone is giving way to a new, more intelligent one in the form of Presence."

He told InfoWorld the evaluation beta, which was now available at its Web site, was near final and very stable.

The final version is expected by September.

Posted by Mike Barton on July 6, 2006 09:30 AM

June 12, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Azaleos sharpens its OneServer for Exchange with BladeMail

Azaleos has announced Azaleos OneServer: BladeMail, a Microsoft Exchange 2003 appliance which supports up to 17,500 Exchange e-mail users on a single IBM BladeCenter chassis, and is expected to support 70,000 Exchange 2007 users when it becomes available.

The company describes the system as "a turnkey e-mail appliance designed to help companies lower the cost and complexity of running Microsoft Exchange".

Azaleos and IBM demonstrated BladeMail for Microsoft Exchange 2003 on Monday at Microsoft's Tech Ed conference in Boston.

Azaleos said BladeMail runs on IBM BladeCenter hardware and diskless blades supported by its N3700 fabric-attached storage system, making it highly scalable.

The InfoWorld Test Center reviewed OneServer (not the BladeMail) in May.

One of the key features the company highlights is managing Microsoft patches and distributing them automatically after testing:

All patches from Microsoft and Azaleos are provided monthly on a DVD. Azaleos recommends disabling Windows Server Update Services and relying on their DVD to ensure that all patches have been tested for the OneServer environment. Optional management features available from Azaleos include support for Exchange mobility services, anti-virus, and anti-spam — each available for an additional fee. --IW Test Center

The labs summarized:

Cost:
$30,000 for OneServer appliance plus $7 to $9 per mailbox per month; additional costs include SAN hardware and Windows and Exchange licenses

Platforms:
Windows Server 2003; requires separate storage array for mail store

Bottom Line:
OneServer packs a true Microsoft Exchange Server 2003 cluster in an appliance with an easy-to-use front end. The appliance doesn't include storage, but scales up to 2,500 users per cluster and provides a good value for an environment of 500 or more users. Fail-over occurred quickly during our tests, with minimal disruption to users.

BladeMail, which is currently in beta testing, is expected to be generally available for Exchange 2003 in the third quarter of 2006, the company said.

Availability of BladeMail for Exchange 2007 will coincide with Microsoft's release of the product.

We expect to review the product as soon as it becomes availble to us.

Posted by Mike Barton on June 12, 2006 05:37 PM

May 25, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Convoq plugs in to Salesforce.com for on-demand collaboration

Convoq has announced a new version of SellASAP for AppExchange, further integrating with Salesforce.com and Outlook.

SellASAP 3.0 adds presence from most major IM systems -- now including Skype -- along with hosting and playback of recorded meetings.

The company said its Salesforce-integrated Flash-based system was superior to competitors' because it did not require plug-ins, and automatically did logging and reporting of conferencing and collaboration within Salesforce, "giving sales managers greater real-time visibility into team activities, providing a dashboard that updates online meeting activity, and transcripts of sales meetings for training purposes."

Chuck Digate, president and CEO of Convoq, said: "SellASAP provides them with instant access to a highly integrated Web conferencing system, without leaving the Salesforce context."

The system was unveiled on Tuesday at Saleforce.com's Appforce conference in San Francisco, dedicated to promoting Appexchange solutions.

SellASAP 3.0 is offered as a $4,200 annual subscription, with a 10-seat minimum license, for unlimited meetings of up to 15 people.

Posted by Mike Barton on May 25, 2006 05:46 PM

May 17, 2006 | Comments: (0)

CollectiveX blends group collaboration with social networking

CollectiveX has launched its Web-based social networking (SN) and collaboration system with the aim of "maximizing return on involvement," said its CEO Clarence Wooten on Tuesday.

Aimed at groups, CollectiveX is a new twist on SN, which has, until now, been mainly aimed at expanding one's network, Wooten said.

His system, which grew out of the time and frustration he had with sitting on boards of organizations, focuses on creating "deeper connections with the contacts you already have."

CollectiveX aims to makes group communication easier by moving communications out of e-mail sent to a list and into a rich environment, complete with calendar, e-mail blasts, file sharing, group forums and social networking.

The system, which is free for a basic service that is ad supported and ranges to $149 a month for large groups with special needs, uses AJAX to create a rich and smartly designed Web-based experience.

Posted by Mike Barton on May 17, 2006 03:34 PM