One of the problems with being a lone worker is that when you come to review collaborative software you can be, how can I put this delicately, stuffed! After all, if a software package has a whizzo whangeflanger facility that enhances collaboration between individuals or groups, then sitting on your lonesome can be a disadvantage.
However, once in a while you come across an offering where the obvious benefits and advantages hit you between the eyes like a blow from Mike Tyson. Such is the effect that WizeHive had when I first installed it. The main reason for this is the overlying user interface; it is simple, uncluttered and beautifully intuitive. Anyone with even the most basic knowledge of computing and workplace collaboration tools will be up and running in nanoseconds.
Let’s skip the teaching granny to suck eggs stuff and rambling on about setting up an account and go straight to the nitty-gritty. Once you are in WizeHive you can set up your first workspace or project. Once this is done you have four main modules – recent activity, tasks, files and people.
Recent activity is simple in that it provides a timeline of everything that has gone on within the workspace and additional settings allow you to have accompanying photographs of individuals within the timeline, how the date is displayed and whether or not you want the summary truncated to your own customer number of letters.
Setting tasks is again divided into a simple type in session or a more complex and thorough breakdown. With the latter you can choose to display the task by status, date range, how it is prioritised and against whom the task is allocated. You also can categorise the task with a call, meet, to do or discuss flag.
The files module has been updated recently in that you no longer have to upload files one at a time and, providing each file size is less than 100mb, multiple uploads are now allowed. This may not seem a big deal but if you have 20 or 30 files to upload into a workspace that in itself becomes a major PITA. As well as uploading files from your desk top you can create word or spreadsheet documents by seamlessly linking to Zoho. I really like the rich features of Zoho compared to Google Docs and anyone can create professionally formatted documents with the minimum of ease.
Within the people module you can add collaborators and record basic details such as email address, telephone number and their status, ie member, owner, etc. This is maybe the one weak spot I can identify with WizHive. I would like to see a mini database that includes information such as languages, skills, time zone, etc. Now I might know all of these things about people I have invited but if one of my online collaborators takes over while I take a vacation then they might need to know this sort of information in my absence.
Keeping up to date with what is going on in your workspace is as easy as choosing to receive an email as soon as anything happens in your workspace, ie a colleague completes a tasks or adds a note, and you can receive a daily digest of what is happening or what is left undone as a reminder. You can also receive an update via RSS.
Communication with your workspace is two way and you can email notes and tasks to it and you can send information via Twitter, a must have facility if you can send tweets from your mobile phone or PDA and you have a memory like a sieve. There is also a light desktop client that you can punch information into and it syncs with your cloud-based account.
Security of your data is paramount and WizeHive deals with all data via SSL and all data is backed up hourly with files stored safely on the Amazon cloud server.
At the moment WizeHive is in beta and there is free access to all facilities but when it comes out of beta there will be a layered subscription base depending on the number of people using the service and the facilities you want.
The cloud-based collaboration/project management sector is getting a little crowded but where WizeHive scores is in its absolute simplicity backed up by powerful features that are easy to use. Definitely one to try.
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