Project One Collaboration Tools

SFSU ISYS 363-1

Fall 2013

Hornets Group

• The five collaboration tools that we chose to analyze are: Skype, Google Docs, Evernote, Dropbox, and Prezi

• We chose these five because they cover a wide area and give us options for video conferencing, chat, sharing ideas/websites, sharing/uploading documents, and real time editing

• These collaboration tools are ones that we could all use as a group from anywhere at any time

• All the tools are internet accessible, compatible with all of our computers, and safe to use

• They are also easy for anyone to install and download

Criteria• In order for our group to consider using a

collaboration tool, it had to meet certain criteria

• We analyzed our five tools with the following criteria to help us choose our winners:

• Privacy and security: password protection, third party accessibility, and keeping our files secure

• Cost efficiency: we wanted tools that were free for individual use and still met our needs

• Ease of use: the tools needed to be user-friendly and not require a lot of time to understand how to use

• Backup: tools that we shared, uploaded, and/or edited documents on needed to have the ability to backup our work

• Communication options: we wanted to be able to choose from a variety of communication types such as text, audio, and video capabilities, as well as the ability to group message and send notifications to our cell phones

• Pros• Text, audio, and video capabilities

• Affordable and accessible

• Free to use but subscriptions as high as $4.99 are available for users that want to connect internationally

• The program can be downloaded directly to your computer in as little as 5 to 10 minutes

• User-friendly - many people are already familiar

• Group chats can also be used on cell phones and a group messaging feature can be added

• Cons• Call and connection quality are not always as good as they are on a public telephone network

• Audio and video may break up occasionally and lag

• It is possible for the instant messaging client to infect a network with malware

• Does not offer a service level agreement and only guarantees their “best effort” towards availability and quality

• Service could sometimes be down

• Pros:• Free to use with a Google account

• Can view and edit documents even if you don’t have Microsoft Office products

• Documents are continuously saved while the work is being done

• Users can work on the same document simultaneously

• Changes can be viewed in real time

• Can sync up with Google+ Hangouts so that users can have a video conference while editing documents

• Separate files don’t need to be merged into one – duplicate work is avoided since one current version is always available

• Cons:• The presentation is weak – no styles, themes,

templates, charts, or graphs

• Just the basics – not dynamic

• Internet access is required

• Pros:• Save almost everything –

documents, web sites, and ideas

• View and save items from any device with an internet connection

• Cross-platform – users with any type of device can collaborate

• Free for individual use

• Cons:• In order to allow others to edit

your notes, you need a premium subscription which is $45 per year

• Notes are not available for offline use

• There is a data cap

• Pros:• Store any type of file from any

device in one place on the cloud

• Free for up to 2 GB of storage

• Very easy to use – uncomplicated

• Many features – automatic backups, file sharing, and file versioning

• Strong security – uses the latest SSL encryption technology

• Cons:• If the 2 GB of storage is not enough,

you need to pay $19.99 a month for 100 GB

• Not secure – Dropbox staff can access your files and give them to others

• No built-in password facility, so files need to be protected before they are uploaded

• Pros:

• Great for collaborating on presentations, concept maps, storyboarding, and digital story telling

• Presentations are animated so you can zoom in on important topics and also full screen

• Stored on the cloud

• Extremely customizable – many templates are available in all sorts of colors, fonts, shapes, and sizes

• Rich media like YouTube videos can be inserted

• Unlimited space on one page, so multiple slides are not needed

• Cons:

• Can be frustrating and time consuming to move around the presentation

• Internet access is required

• Active links are not able to be used in presentations

• Images can’t be edited

Winners

• Skype

• Free for individual use

• Can use group conference calls with up to 25 people

• Can connect to our cell phones and get notifications

• Provides many different options to communicate with other individuals like texting, video chat, or both at the same time

• Google Docs• Share ideas all in one place• Edit in real time• Able to access anywhere at any time with an Internet connection• The ability to video chat• Doesn’t allow search engine spiders – applications that save search

engine keywords

References

• http://www.businesszone.co.uk/topic/technology/dropbox-pros-and-cons/42935

• http://docs.google.com/

• https://www.dropbox.com/

• https://www.evernote.com/

• http://www.makeuseof.com/answers/what-are-the-pros-and-cons-of-onenote-vs-evernote/

• http://www.onlinecollege.org/2011/09/23/12-tools-for-online-collaboration/

• http://prezi.com/

• http://prezi.com/lofhshyway5f/pros-and-cons-of-prezi/

• http://www.scholarshipexperts.com/college-life/collaboration-tools-for-students#.Uk8x2YZtj9U

• http://www.skype.com/

• http://www.smallbusinesscomputing.com/buyersguide/article.php/10729_3816716_2/The-Pros-and-Cons-of-Skype-for-Business.htm

• http://www.trackvia.com/blog/productivity/google-docs-a-good-fit-for-your-business