Collaboration has been around for two decades now. Yet, companies who have looked over collaboration options available over the LAN, exhibit unease around the concept and seem to prefer to use email for collaboration rather than collaboration tools. But, email has its limitations as a collaboration tool. Users can collaborate with only one user at a time and a number of versions of a document may be generated as multiple users work independently on the same document and return it to storage server. The process of shuffling the documents back and forth between the users can also hamper productivity and may even prove deterministic as it allows for only one working style.
The cloud has empowered collaboration by transforming Outlook and Word into collaboration tools. The barriers for entry such as large monetary investment in collaboration tools have been removed and the pay as you go model ensures that the tools are just a click away. SharePoint servers linked to the cloud become all the more powerful as partners and contractors integrate into the workflow and remote branch office no longer feel isolated from decision making as they have access to the same tools.
Interestingly, collaboration is accommodating and absorbing a number of emerging devices/ communication modes into workflows. The mobile worker, the smart phone, the iPhone or laptop user can quickly and easily link up to the network and collaborate with their colleagues stationed across the globe. IM, Facebook, LinkedIn and other modes of communication add on to the collaborative process, creating a dynamic, buzzing business environment.
This multiplicity of collaboration tools has naturally highlighted and intensified questions around security. But, it must be remembered that the focus on security is greater with mobility and cloud vendors have made security enhancements to meet these new challenges. Moreover, documents passed around for collaboration are often hedged around with access rights, roles and privileges unlike email documents which travel as mere attachments to the mail.
We, at Backup Technology, believe that collaboration will be the way of work in the future and have strengthened the collaboration tools that are available with our software. Collaborating with the right secure software is a low risk, high reward option. You are welcome to test drive our product. Sign up for a trial and check out how our product, helps your organisation capitalise on the new opportunities that open up with collaboration.
