Saints

SFSU ISYS 363 – FALL 2013

SECTION 1

Our group needs to find diff erent collaboration tools from separate categories that will help facilitate communication between the six of us, each tool performing diff erent functions.

None of us have ever met and a few of us live at least twenty miles away. We don’t know what technology each of us possesses or what each others technological competence level is.

Therefore we need:Something easy to useFreeCross-platformMobile

WHAT WE NEED:

FunctionalWorkable

online/offl ineFast

• Voice cal ls• Online Fi le

Storage• Online

Messaging• Workspace

(Whiteboard/PowerPoint viewer)

• Fi le Sharing

FEATURES NEEDED:

Category Leaders:E-mail:

• Google, Yahoo, MSN, AT&T, Comcast

Internet Calls:

• Skype, Oovoo, Viber, Google Hangout

Online File Storage:

• Google Drive, DropBox, SkyDrive

Social Media:

• Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin

Workspace:

• Skribblar, CentralDesktop, Glide

Skype

INTERNET CALLS

• Also called Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP)• A real-time feed to communicate over the internet

using video or/and audio • Examples: Skype, Oovoo, Google Hangout, Viber,

Grasshopper, Tinychat• In America, out of the 80% of internet users, 30%

said they have used an internet calling service

Pros:

• It’s free, to use voice chat and voice calls between users of skype on a Skype enabled devices. Whenever and wherever, you can talk to your family and friends through

wireless network connection.• Video chat. Skype is the first

company to bring video chat to the masses. Group chat of 25 people is possible at the same time.

• Low cost features. Skype uses user names instead of phone numbers. However, low cost service allows you to have a phone number that people can call you on, and call out you to actual phone numbers.

Cons:

• It’s not really free. You need a computer or smartphone that can run Skype software. Also, you need to own a headset and a web cam for video chat.

• Video chat quality. Skype has competitors that offer a much higher resolution and frame-rate for free using the exact same hardware

• Some people argue that skype can be easily hacked by others and criminals. Needed stronger regulations.

What is Skype?

Facebook

SOCIAL MEDIA

• Free collaboration tool that enables people to communicate with each other from any part of the world.

• Facebook is the world’s most used Social Media Network• Over a billion worldwide users

• Facebook is a way for people to communicate quickly and efficiently

• Facebook has chat and messaging features• Facebook allows users to connect and share with friends

What is Facebook?

Pros:

• Facebook is a quick way of communicating

• Facebook allows people to create and plan events • People can plan a meeting

and invite people to the meetings using the event feature

• Easy to use! • Setting up a profile is fast

and easy.• Facebook is convinient

• Allows people to communicate without having to meet up in person

• Facebook has notifications

Cons:

• Privacy issues• If privacy settings are not

set up correctly, random people could see your profile

• People can steal your ideas

• Fast Moving Stream• If your group is

constantly active, you could miss post because Facebook is constantly updating the new posts and gets rid of older notifications.

• Can not see people face to face• This could make it

difficult to establish trust

E-MAIL

Electronic mail, most commonly referred to as email since 1993, is a method of exchanging digital messages from an author to one or more recipients. Modern email operates across the Internet or other computer network.

What is E-mail?

Pros

• Compared with delivery of hand-written letter, email is extremely fast. The recipients can receive it as soon as you send it out.

• Email is inexpensive. We do not need to pay for the stamps and letters.

• It is convenient to use email. We can send and receive email at any place.

Cons

• If we want to send email, we need to grasp some basic knowledge about Internet.

• We need to form the habit of checking email regularly; otherwise, we will not be able to read the emails and give responses

• We should have access to computer and Internet connection. When we are in the mountain which does not have signals, we couldn’t send emails.

Twiddla

WORKSPACE

What is Twiddla?

Twiddla is an online workspace that supports multiple users and allows them to work on documents simultaneously. In the free version users can log on as guests and collaborate. The user has a whiteboard-like interface and can take screen shots and hold voice conferences.

Pros:

• Twiddla is free for anyone who wants to logon and start holding meetings.

• Easy to use, no need for browser plugins. Just need an internet connection and a computer and you’re set.

• Has the ability of multiple users being allowed to edit documents in real-time. Users can upload photos, videos, spreadsheet documents, etc.

Cons:

• Technically Twiddla is free, but users miss out on quite a few features if they don’t agree to pay a monthly fee. In the free version users cant create account or store files on the server.

• Does not have the ability to work on mobile platforms, specifically tablets. Users would need to own a laptop to do work on the go.

• Users have complained of interrupted connections and files being lost due to the inability to create accounts and store files.

Google Drive

ONLINE FILE STORAGE

What is Google Drive?

Google Drive is an online file storage option that is free of charge and cross platform. Google products work harmoniously with user’s tablets, computers, and smartphones. Users also have the ability to work and collaborate on documents in real-time.

Pros:

• Google drive is free of charge and very user friendly. Workgroups can have a joint account that users upload, download, and edit documents in real-time.

• Google Drive is cross platform in a unique way. Users can download the app on their smartphones and tablets, and even install a folder on their computers that automatically upload any changes made to files saved.

• Has similar features to Twiddla where users can work collaboratively on multiple documents at once

Cons:

• The documents feature on Google Drive is not nearly as sophisticated as many of the Microsoft Office files opened in it.

• Need a reliable internet connection to use any of Googles’ real-time features.

• Cannot password protect certain files from users on a workgroup account

“WINNERS”

Google Drive

E-mail

Skype

Skype: http://www.skype.com/en/ http://www.skype.com/en/what-is-skype/ http://www.skype.com/en/features/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/

E-mail: https://mail.google.com/mail

Twiddla: http://www.twiddla.com/ http://www.twiddla.com/Pricing.aspx http://www.twiddla.com/About/About.aspx

Google Drive: https://drive.google.com/

LINKS