Our groupware
We work with the world’s most advanced technologies in audio, video, networking and other areas. At places at our offices, you can see many high-tech gadgets, many of them not seen by the market yet. Strange algorithms and datasets running across displays. So you could think we are trying to use the most expensive and bleeding-edge technology wherever you can for whatever purpose, right?
]]>Not really. What all this technology teaches you is that you get tired of playing with it pretty soon, so you need to focus on what really matters and try to use whatever works for the rest of the stuff which is not at the core of what you’re doing. Booking meeting rooms is one example. There are many advanced calendaring packages on the market, but we haven’t really found one that we like. And it’s not our job to look for calendar packages, it’s our job to make Skype. So we just picked a solution that works. And has the following advantages:
* it’s multi-platform. It even works for mobile users. It supports more platforms than Skype itself.
* it’s international. The interface doesn’t need translation to be used by our multilingual staff.
* it’s extremely usable. You don’t have to click absolutely anywhere and go through menus if you want to get an overview of what’s going on. If you want to edit data, it requires just a few strokes of the palm.
* it’s multiuser — many people can use the system in quick succession without being afraid of running into locking or permissions problems.
What is it? See above — it’s two pieces of paper on the meeting room wall, for the current and next weeks, divided by weekdays and times of day. When you want a room, you walk up to it, you see what’s available, and you book it by writing in the blank space. It works on a “first come, first served” basis — you cannot edit other people’s data, so if you want to book a good time, you need to plan ahead, which is good for working habits. Pens are affordable enough that we can leave one hanging on each door. Yes, it makes you walk down the hall to book a room, but you can argue this is good for exercise 
Re-posted from Siim Teller.
I am not sure I can agree on that – The author seems a little biased towards lo-tech
* it’s multi-platform. It even works for mobile users. It supports more platforms than Skype itself.
True, but there are very strict restrictions for the underlying architecture, ie: The layer below must be dry and even, to name a few. You can’t really use the write capabilities of such a database on a wet brick wall.
Another issue comes with portability. You can only port it from one platform to another so and so often, then it wears off.
* it’s extremely usable. You don’t have to click absolutely anywhere and go through menus if you want to get an overview of what’s going on. If you want to edit data, it requires just a few strokes of the palm.
Which need to be a proprierty device, which does wear off after a time. If you use the “pencil”-binary distribution there is also maintenance involved, as well as denial of service.
* it’s multiuser — many people can use the system in quick succession without being afraid of running into locking or permissions problems.
Up to 4 or 5 simultaneous users only, I am afraid. Then the average seek-time will sky-rocket, up to “service unreachable” problems. Also, there is a serious issue with security involved here. This device, regardless of underlying architecture, does not feature write access controls. You need additional modules (idle developer, grandma) to “WatchDog” the device.
And I wont go into portability to Databases/digital form problems here – or backup solutions.
Those floppy things never worked.
It’s not in their nature.
-Christian.
I only see a plan for five days a week. Since I know that you are working on weekends as well, I think you need to expand your planning tool (i.e. upgrade to 1.1 featuring weekends)
-Tony
What about to use your perfect software. Than you don’t need to walk, just call – skype somebody who is in and ask to check availability. And you can do even more with video feature sometime in the future…
How will you provide this tool, for free, all over the world ? Directly with Ebay, on a kind of P2P mode ?
There’s no protection fror the data. A worm could destroy it, a virus could infect it with bogus data or duplicate data and fill all the storage space or worse it could be removed from the wall altogether. You need to add a firewall and a backup system.
Interesting and honest points maken here.
How come that, despite huge investments in IT in corporations around the globe, simple task such as booking a meeting room, booking a task, scheduling a conference call is so hard?
It’s all about adoption. All the solutions has no value unless adopted by everyone in the corporation. And the paper based calendar is already adopted and therefore hard to compete with.
From a corporate perspective you typically ask yourself what productivity gains you can expect from a corporate calendar with proper scheduling, tasks, contacts etc. Everyone who has worked in a company where it worked knows the value is huge – but any IT administrator that has tried to configure and set it up knows it is very difficult.
So do solutions exists? Of course they do! But if you expect it is point-and-click on a few buttons and then it is up and running you are dead wrong! Linking your business with any IT solution is tough. And it will never be an out-of-the-box type of package as your business is different from other businesses!
I’m working for a small software company where we try to solve issues like this. We just added Skype to our end-user toolbox, just like Outlook and Office, thereby enabling on-line collaboration inside the company. The challenge to get it up and running is from a technical perspective to add the “SkypeName” to your corporate active directory – so various applications can leverage this information. The simple example is the most used intranet application – the corporate phonebook – and more advanced includes sales call scheduling and conferencing (why not do it with Skype call and chat?). If you wish to read more check out http://www.intranet-skype.com or simply – SkypeMe.
Why not just use Skype conference calls from wherever you are.
You could also use a VNC shared session to display a presentation or some kind of drawing application if you need to do a live diagram for explaining something.
For other kinds of meetings where you need to sign papers, shake hands or smack people for stupidity (which I find hard to believe in such an awesome company like skype) then you can use the good all board, I would recommend a white board instead of paper, let’s save paper. It works for us and we’re also on the P2P business (although not in voice)
Gubratron – never underestimate the value of meeting people face to face. Email, chat, calls, conference calls are all good and have their place in our daily communication but meeting face to face (either just 2 persons or larger group) is the best solution for certain discussions.
Ive had payid 10 USD, but my acount is still 00,00 USD, Can sombody help me.
All of this is amazing and wonderful. Even the Frenchman have it right. Skype I am certain has every phone company on Planet Earth sleepless.
How do we get our own blogs going?
thanks
LOL!!! The best way to organize the meetings! I like too muh, and I will write today my meetings in a piece of paper! Rgds!
There is an entire movement in software using this “lo-tech” approach. It is called Agile. Google “Agile Alliance” and “eXtreme programming”. There are Agile communities all across the globe. FYI. I am the Agile Business Coach (i.e. a business analyst on a traditional Waterfall project).
Hi,…I wonder why we don’t get any Skype for Palm OS ?!
There are more then 25 million who got Palm OS PAD!