Which Top Collaboration Software Vendor Is Right For Your Company?

Carol works as a consultant for several small business clients. Her job is to prepare their annual income statements and tax forms.One of her customers has asked for her recommendations of top collaboration software. Because she is not yet so familiar with the matter, she approached and asked us for our own thoughts on this.

“ Hello. I want only the best for my clients and one of them has approached me about top collaboration software to implement for his distribution business. Any reputable vendor you can recommend, and what are the features that make them rock? Awaiting your reply.” Carol, MT

Hi Carol, when it comes to top collaboration software, big names come to mind. But don’t let it intimidate you. It just means that these big technology companies recognize the value of helping businesses move from  traditional offices to more flexible cloud-hosted solutions. Simply this means that working online, even as a large group, is now made more possible with the expertise they offer. Through the suite of features they have, b2b objectives can easily be accomplished, regardless of the challenges posed by time, geography, and borders.

Allow us to tick off a few names for top collaboration software:

1. 1.Most of us who have been using the internet since time immemorial would surely be familiar with Google collaboration tools, only that we probably know it by another name. Let’s start with the basic: with Google groups, you can brainstorm and share your inputs on a project; with Google Docs, you can show spreadsheets, calculations and Powerpoints; set tasks and deadlines with Google calendars; conduct a virtual meeting while presenting the Google Docs with Hangouts. For more demanding needs, one can also search the Google Apps Marketplace. Here, we spotted Glasscubes which is free for up to 5 users. Some of its good features include a CRM component,  a professional portal that clients can access and free conference calling.
2. Microsoft SharePoint is a web based application framework with a simple interface that  can easily be navigated by Microsoft Office users. Among the things it can do are the following:  document and file management, intranet, extranets, process integration, business intelligence and workflow automation. Because of its premium features that are suitable for large organizations, it is being used by a lot of Fortune 500 companies but there’s also  a free version available.
3. IBM Notes first gained popularity as an email platform but has gained advantage of late due to its mobile and social applications. It supports BYOD or Bring Your Own Device; likewise, data and contacts can be accessed with just one click. Some of its capabilities include group scheduling, calendaring, instant messaging, and easy deployment of business applications. IBM Notes appear to be highly-rated for its security features. The system is almost immune from viruses and it contains various access levels for different types of users.

CONCLUSION

In choosing top collaboration software, the following criteria should be foremost in mind: 1. Ease of use. It should be something users in the group can easily navigate in. 2. Mobile and social integration. These are the two trends in collaboration software worth noting. You should be able to access  data and connect with customers – anytime, anywhere! 3.Security. Those documents, discussions, presentations and other information should be be protected from spyware, hacking and all external threats because  data is the lifeblood of your business.

P.S. For further reading on collaboration software, I recommend the following helpful guides: what client collaboration software questions you should ask yourself before you buy it; top 3 collaboration software online tips to choose the best service for your small business; and why cloud collaboration software use for storage and file sharing is a good idea.

By Nestor Gilbert

Nestor Gilbert is a senior B2B and SaaS analyst and a core contributor at FinancesOnline for over 5 years. With his experience in software development and extensive knowledge of SaaS management, he writes mostly about emerging B2B technologies and their impact on the current business landscape. However, he also provides in-depth reviews on a wide range of software solutions to help businesses find suitable options for them. Through his work, he aims to help companies develop a more tech-forward approach to their operations and overcome their SaaS-related challenges.