Category Archives: Collaboration

Collaboration, LiquidPlanner, Project management, Task management

LiquidPlanner 4.3 Bridges Gap Between Task, Project Management

LiquidPlanner has released new features to their priority-based, predictive project management solution to improve team performance and collaboration.  Checklists can now be added to any task in LiquidPlanner, so that all individual steps can easily be listed and crossed off as they’re completed. Checklist items can be reordered by dragging and dropping, copied between tasks, or assigned to other team members who need to review or approve the work.

“Checklists are the ultimate Swiss Army Knife for project teams,” said Liz Pearce, LiquidPlanner CEO. “They can be used for quality control, new hire training, tracking individual to-do lists, managing repeatable processes, and much more. By capturing the steps that go into tasks in simple checklists, teams can simplify their project plans and—at the same time—better ensure that the work is being done right.”

The new release also includes a complete overhaul of key collaboration features. Comments are now threaded (like Facebook) instead of streamed in date order (like Twitter), so conversations can be followed more easily. Conversation threads can be filtered by client, project, or team. Customers can also choose which types of activities or events (such as adding documents or marking items done) trigger email notification, which drastically improves the signal-to -noise ratio of email alerts.

While many PPM solutions brush off simple task management in favor of more robust scheduling and resource management features, LiquidPlanner is committed to serving the needs of both individual contributors and managers with its dynamic solution.

“To help companies be successful, Social Task Management vendors must boost employee productivity with simple task tracking and allow for more comprehensive resource planning,” said Alan Lepofsky, VP and Principal Analyst at Constellation Research. “By using predictive scheduling and time tracking in combination with lightweight checklists, teams get the best of both worlds.”

Cloud & IT Management, Collaboration, Guest Post, Project and Program Management, Project management, Project team, Project-Manager

Project Management and the Cloud

A Guest Post by Joel Parkinson, a writer for projectmanager.com

In the world of information technology, the “cloud” has paved the way for a new method for managing things on the Internet. In a cloud environment, computing “takes place” on the Worldwide Web, and it takes the place of the software that you use on your desktop. Cloud computing is also hosted on the Web, on a server installed in a “data center”, which is usually staffed and managed by people who are experts at technology management. What does the cloud mean to project management? Here’s an overview of what cloud project management is.

What Cloud Computing Means to Project Managers

Project management is defined as the “set” of activities and processes that are done to execute, and complete, a task that’s outsourced by one party to another. Project management ensures the high probability of success of a project, through the efficient use and management of resources.   So what does cloud computing mean to project managers?  According to PM veterans, cloud computing offers a greener and more sustainable project management environment, lowers cost, eliminates the use of unnecessary software and hardware, improves scalability, and eases the process of information-sharing between team managers and staff, customers and executive management.

Benefits of Cloud Project Management

In a project management environment, the cloud speeds up the whole process. As cloud services are available anytime, any day, the cloud can help a project management team hasten the process of execution, and provides improved results and outputs too.   With the cloud, project managers and staff can also easily monitor, and act without delays as information is delivered on a real-time basis. Let’s look at the other benefits of the cloud for project managers.

Improved Resource Management

The cloud’s centralized nature also allows for the improved utilization, allocation and release of resources, with status updates and real-time information provided to help optimize utilization. The cloud also helps maintain the cost of resource use, whether its machine, capital or human resource.

Enhanced Integration Management

With the cloud, different processes and methods are integrated, and combined to create a collaborative approach for performing projects. The use of cloud-based software can also aid in the mapping and monitoring of different processes, to improve overall project management efficiency.

Overall, the cloud platform reduces the gridlocks and smoothens the project management process, and makes the whole project team productive and efficient in terms of quality of service for the customer, and it also enhances the revenues of the organization.

But does the cloud project management model mean a more carefree and less-costly environment? We could say it makes the whole process less costly, but not overly carefree. Despite the perks provided by the cloud, everything still needs to be tested and monitored, and every member of the project management team must still work upon deployment, and each of them should still be fully supported by project managers, and the clients. The cloud is perhaps the biggest innovation in the IT industry because it “optimizes” the utilization of resources within an enterprise.

AvePoint, Collaboration, compliance, Information Management, Microsoft SharePoint, SharePoint

AvePoint DocAve Update Adds SharePoint Governance Automation Features

AvePoint, announced the latest version of DocAve Governance Automation Service Pack (SP) 2. DocAve Governance Automation SP2 allows business content owners to make content move or copy requests directly within SharePoint or through a newly enhanced graphical user interface that promotes a more intuitive, user-friendly experience.

Governance Automation enables organizations to close the custom code gap created by homegrown governance solutions, by providing Service Catalog Offerings such as site collection provisioning, site provisioning, site collection lifecycle management, permissions management, and now, content move or copy requests.

Through an automated approval process and execution, business content owners can now request to move, copy, and restructure SharePoint sites, content, and topology within or across SharePoint environments while maintaining valuable metadata, security and versioning.

“An organization’s SharePoint environment is only as good as its ability to govern the users and content it supports. Governance Automation SP2 provides unique business advantages that redefine SharePoint as a service, allowing organizations the ability to more effectively deliver business-critical workloads and truly monitor and track what is being done in SharePoint on a daily basis,” said George Petrou, Chief Technology Officer at AvePoint. “Governance Automation is another piece to help solve the enterprise collaboration puzzle, providing organizations with the information management solutions to meet their needs now and in the future.”

Governance Automation SP2 addresses evolving information governance policies and organizational change management by enabling end users to submit content move or copy requests through an enhanced user interface or directly within Microsoft SharePoint via a webpart, giving business users the ability to submit requests on their own, increasing ease of use and productivity.

Enhanced features include:

  • Content Move or Copy Service Request: Within a single request and through a fully auditable approval process, business content owners have the ability to comprehensively move, copy and restructure SharePoint sites, content, and topology, along with their corresponding security settings and metadata, across SharePoint farms. Governance Automation also provides developers the ability to request sample production data for in development or testing environments for increased application reliability and improved quality assurance. Requests are then automatically executed by Governance Automation, optimizing operational efficiency and proactively protecting against compliance infractions, thereby enabling your IT resources to perform higher business value activities while ensuring content is only changed by those with the proper permissions to do so.
  • Newly designed graphical user interface (GUI): Designed to mirror SharePoint 2013 and Microsoft Windows 8 style, the newly designed GUI provides users with a simple but contemporary workspace that is effective either as a standalone tool or as a webpart in SharePoint.  Governance Automation’s new GUI was designed for improved usability and intuitive user interaction in order to promote end user adoption and resolve ambiguity around requesting services from IT administrators.

DocAve Governance Automation SP2 is generally available today, March 5, 2013. For more information visit AvePoint’s website.

Android, Cloud Storage, Collaboration, Cubby, Free, iPad, iPhone, LogMeIn, Mac, Storage

Cubby cloud sync, storage service From LogMeInOut of Beta

LogMeIn Inc.  announced the general availability of its new cloud sync and storage service, Cubby. An easy-to-use, secure cloud service for sharing files across devices and with other people, Cubby offers the flexibility to turn any number of PC or Mac folders into ‘cubbies’ that can be accessed from Android phones and tablets, iPads and iPhones, as well other PCs and Macs from virtually anywhere in the world.

People can quickly share individual files or entire folders with others via a simple one-click link, or can choose to invite friends, colleagues, clients, and business partners into their ‘cubbies’ to collaborate across shared files and projects. The free version, Cubby Basic, includes Cubby’s signature sync-in-place flexibility (any folder can be a ‘cubby’), free desktop and mobile apps, 5GB of cloud storage, and the ability to share files via the cloud.

A premium version, Cubby Pro, builds on this by offering the flexibility to share content across computers with or without the cloud (via Cubby’s distinct DirectSync™ mode), additional controls for sharing your most sensitive content, multi-user accounts, and 100GB or more of cloud storage.

Collaboration, Contract Management, iPad, LoadSpringMobile, Mobile, Mobile device, Program management

LoadSpringMobile Releases Mobile Project Management

LoadSpring Solutions today released LoadSpringMobile, a streamlined, secure interface for mobile devices such as smartphones, iPads and tablet PCs.

LoadSpringMobile was designed to maximize the usability of PM applications such as Oracle Primavera P6, Contract Management 14.

It solves a prominent problem among project personnel in the field—how to view and interact with advanced PM software on a small mobile display. In the past, many mobile solutions were of limited value because they attempted to duplicate the full desktop experience on a much smaller screen. The result was a cluttered workspace with more features than needed, making them difficult to view and use.

With LoadSpringMobile, working on the fly is easier, thanks to simple graphics and the elimination of unwanted features and information. Still, every essential tool is available in a mobile setting.

According to Eric Leighton, LoadSpring’s founder and CEO, “We based our interface on ‘What You See is What You Need.’ That’s because mobile teams and contractors only require certain functions and data to do their job. Anything more would just reduce usage and lower efficiency and ROI.”

Mr. Leighton went on to say, “For those who need a mission-specific version of the interface, our Customer Services division can accommodate them by customizing LoadSpringMobile to fit their exact needs.”

Apache Solr, Collaboration, Document Management, FINRA, Solr

NetDocuments 13.1 Release Includes Secure Document Delivery

NetDocuments today announced their 13.1 release. This latest release contains more than 20 new and updated features, including document delivery via a secure link and a new search engine.

Available for the first time with this release, Secure Document Delivery enables public sharing of documents without loss of content control. Users select the documents they wish to deliver, and NetDocuments generates a secure URL for each document to be sent to multiple email addresses. This feature offers users a number of security and control options, including the ability to:

  • Password-protect the viewing of documents
  • Set document permissions, including the ability to download documents
  • Set a predetermined expiration date, after which the URL will no
    longer be active
  • Lock the original version of the document in NetDocuments, thereby
    prohibiting any changes to be made to the delivered document

Previously, third parties could only gain access to documents stored in NetDocuments by obtaining a username and password through a client portal. The Secure Document Delivery feature also improves collaboration and adds increased functionality to the suite of SEC-, FINRA- and HIPAA-compliant content management features.

As part of the 13.1 release, the NetDocuments’ NDSearch, an enterprise-class search platform embedded in NetDocuments and available to all users, now relies on the SolrTM search engine to power its functionality across 750 million documents for its global customer base in 140 countries.

Solr’s open source enterprise platform provides NetDocuments with the flexibility to adjust search functionality to meet customer needs. All previous search features remain available, including search analysis filters, find similar, dynamic filters and saved search. With Solr, users will enjoy quicker display of items in workspaces and other search result lists, an improvement in productivity made possible by Solr’s ability to index metadata for documents significantly faster.

“Collaboration has always been a main pillar of our company, and the new document delivery tool, which was highly requested by our customers, provides the easiest way for our customers to work with someone outside their organization while maintaining complete control of their documents,” said Leonard Johnson, vice president of marketing and product management at NetDocuments. “Our users have always valued our powerful search tool, and switching to Solr not only provides them with a superior search experience, but gives us greater customization and scalability as we near the billion document mark.”

Bluebeam, Business Processes, Collaboration, Computer-aided design, Partnerships, Portable Document Format, ProjectWise, Skanska

Bluebeam Revu for PDF-based Collaboration Now Available to Skanska Projects

Skanska has entered into a global purchasing agreement with Bluebeam® Software, the developer of PDF-based solutions for digital project workflows. Under this new agreement, Skanska project teams throughout the world can deploy Bluebeam’s Revu®, for digital project communication and collaboration.

Bluebeam Revu is a PDF-based solution that enables architecture, engineering and construction professionals to streamline workflows, improve communication and reduce paper use. Revu includes 2D and 3D PDF creation and a variety of industry-standard redlining tools including text, highlights, shapes, clouds, CAD symbols and measurements. Advanced features include automatic drawing comparisons, hyperlink management, integration with SharePoint® and ProjectWise®, and tablet PC compatibility. Additionally, Revu includes an integrated cloud solution, Bluebeam Studio™, for storing PDFs and other project files online and collaborating in real-time on PDFs.

Skanska’s NKS project team is currently using several of these features to electronically share information for this massive, 3.4 million gross square foot facility. Project team members are using Revu to create and annotate PDFs, enabling them to easily share detailed drawings, comments and questions with project team members downstream. The team is also organizing and managing the enormous amount of project information by using Links – Revu’s hyperlink manager – to link PDF drawings to additional project data stored in SharePoint®.

“Revu is a powerful solution that creates so many opportunities for streamlining project communication and collaboration and allows project teams to work more efficiently,” said Christian Gren, Director of Account Services, Bluebeam AB. “With this agreement, Skanska project teams can increase productivity, create significant time savings and reduce costs, ultimately having a substantial impact on the bottom line.”

“Skanska’s implementation of Revu on the incredible New Karolinska Solna project proves that anything is possible with Bluebeam,” said Kristine Hopkins, Bluebeam Software’s Director of Account Services. “Bluebeam is thrilled to enter into this purchasing agreement with Skanska, making it easier for its project teams around the globe to communicate and collaborate digitally and work without limits.”

Bluebeam Software products are available direct and through a global network of authorized resellers. For more information, visit www.bluebeam.com.

 

Business Services, Collaboration, Speakers bureau, Webinar/Webcast/Presentation

ProjectSpeaker Aims to Streamline Speaker Management, Engagement

ProjectSpeaker Inc., a cloud-based technology company, has launched its speaker management platform to save conference and meeting planners’ time and resources. Planners can search a speaker database of complete profiles, manage events and sessions and engage directly with speakers and/or their representatives through an internal communication channel.

With over 300 speaker bureaus and over 2,000,000 “professional speaker” search results on Google, the process of locating the ideal speaker and managing the engagement process is daunting. With ProjectSpeaker, planners are now able to create unlimited events and sessions, assign and review speakers and engage them directly to streamline the entire process.

ProjectSpeaker is free for both planners and speakers. It features an innovative business model in which we partner with conference industry suppliers to bid on their services in response to planners’ requests. ProjectSpeaker shares in the revenue generated.

Collaboration, Customer Relationship Management, Exafort, Google Apps, NetSuite, Phishing, Salesforce, salesforce.com

Aujas Launches Phishnix for Cloud Services

Aujas Information Risk Services today announced the launch of Phishnix for cloud services, a new product that will help clients protect their sensitive information on the cloud by strengthening their weakest link in the security chain, their own employees. The product is targeted for major cloud services such as Salesforce, Google Apps, Netsuite etc.

Salesforce.com is the most popular cloud CRM company in the world with more than 75,000 companies who trust their customer data on Salesforce. The Salesforce security guideline specifically warns against the threat and says, “As the Salesforce.com community grows, it has become an increasingly appealing target for phishers. Phishers often direct users to enter details at a fake website whose URL and look-and-feel are almost identical to the legitimate one.”

One example is a recent scam that involved an email luring receivers to participate in the beta test of ‘Dreamforce,’ promising discounts and requesting receivers to fill a form, in a fake web link. In such a case, employees who are unaware of it being a phishing attack may easily fall prey to it. Any company is likely to face heavy business loss, when employees become victims of phishing attacks. According to the RSA Fraud report 2011, global loss from phishing is estimated to be about $1 billion.

Phishnix does a behavioral analysis of employees when faced with a phishing attack. It is integrated with Salesforce and has ready Salesforce scenarios which the client can select. They can start the assessment in a matter of hours and analyze how their employees react to a phishing attack. That data is then used to create awareness and train the employees on how to respond to a phishing attack.

Speaking on the occasion Mr. Karl Kispert, Vice President at Phishnix said, “A single assessment and training cycle of Phishnix reduces the phishing fall rate by almost 35%. That is a huge reduction in the phishing risk for any organization.”

The product will be showcased by our partner Exafort at Dreamforce 2012, booth number 326 at the Moscone Center, San Francisco, on 18—21 September 2012. Stop by Exafort’s booth and ask for a demo and additional information about Phishnix. Dreamforce 2012 is the cloud computing industry event of the year with more than 50,000 attendees and 350 cloud computing companies showcasing more than 1000 solutions.

“Data security and confidentiality on the cloud is one of the biggest concerns for all our clients using cloud based services to run their business. Cloud service providers are addressing this concern to a large extent by building robust and secure applications and platforms. By adding Aujas’ Phishnix to our tool belt we can now gain valuable insights of our clients’ employees’ behavior with respect to information security and act upon them,” said  Arun Kanchi, CEO of Exafort Inc.

As cloud adoption increases within organizations, more sensitive data will be stored in the cloud. “We will see more focused phishing attacks targeting popular cloud applications. The road-map is to enable Phishnix for all popular cloud platforms, and help clients reduce phishing risk for all their cloud applications. It would become an integral part of their cloud security program,” said Sameer Shelke, CTO at Phishnix.