Collaborative Technology

Group work is essential in the business world, but sharing documents among group members is often a major inconvenience.  This is made more difficult by the expansion of the business world.  In a 2009 article, CBS reported that group work is no longer done with someone in the next cube, but help is received from someone "on the other side of the planet, or at home, or in some airport" (cbsnews.com). Sharing documents used to mean making physical copies and sending files through e-mail, but with newer innovations, such as Google Docs, sharing documents is an easy and powerful means of communication within a group.

Google Docs allows groups to create documents, which group members can read and edit in real-time.  All changes are automatically saved, and they can be viewed simultaneously by other members of a group.  These features ensure that all members of a group with Internet access can view and make changes to documents without sending files among the group.  This technology also eliminates the need of checking for the latest version of a file.  As a result, the inconvenience of sharing documents is greatly reduced.

Source:http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505125_162-51317530/managing-remote-teams-does-collaboration-technology-work/

Blogging in the Business World

Blog use among corporations has increased in the last several years.  Blogs have become popular because of the lines of communication they open.  Companies can maintain blogs cheaper, easier, and quicker than newspaper ads.  This added convenience often leads to new business opportunities for a company.

               

Companies can increase their business opportunities because blogs open lines of communication with potential customers.  For example the article mentions Sun Microsystems starting a blog.  Because of this blog, Sun Microsystems started closing deals with new customers much faster, and customers mentioned reading the company’s blog.  Soon the blog was getting traffic from its major competitors.  In this example, a blog allowed Sun Microsystems to send information to its customers quicker, easier, and cheaper than through traditional media.

In addition to being cheaper than traditional media, blogs allow companies to present information in the way they want it portrayed.  The article mentions that newspapers will take an interview and cut the content to get the message they want.  Because of this media can manipulate a story and tell it the way they want.  Companies can use blogs to bypass the media, and they can produce a message the way they want it to come across.

Blogs also increase the amount of interaction that a business has with its customer base.  Users have the ability to post comments and questions to a blog, and companies can answer pressing questions through comments.  According to the article, Michael Powell, chairman of the FCC, started a blog, and he takes the time to read and respond to customers’ comments.  This increase in communication between businesses and consumers often leads to higher sales and product awareness.

Companies realize many benefits from blogging, such as lower costs and increased communication with customers.  Blogging is an integral part of the business world, and companies should continue to utilize this tool.

Source:  http://www.businessweek.com/technology/content/aug2004/tc2004089_3601_tc024.htm