Virtual Organization / Collaboration Environment

Ann WyganowskiSept 29, 2011

Three Major Integrated Environments

• Virtual Organization / Project Collaboration• e-Learning• e-Exercise / Gaming* To include voice communications integration for conference

calls and VoIP

Immediate deliverables: Public Web presence Virtual Organization

Project Collaboration Environment

Products/ Services considered

• SharePoint (Microsoft)• ThoughtFarmer• Intranet Connections• IGLOO• Alfresco• Lotus Notes

List narrowed

• SharePoint, Lotus Notes, Alfresco, Intranet Connections– Require considerable customization– Core functionality directed to pure document

management– Collaboration features more of an afterthought– Would require hardware and software purchase,

programmers

Team Requirements• Internal Project Team collaboration• External presence as virtual community

– Collaborative environment for development of best practices– Library and information centre with many forms of rich content/ media– Real time meetings, whiteboards, screen sharing, integration of audio conferencing

• Social applications (blog, wiki, calendar, forums, folders, chat)• Content rating, tagging, following• Security levels for users and content, privacy, privileges and versions• Easy to deploy and manage (no programming expertise needed for core

team)• Hosted with technical support• Easy to integrate with e-Learning content, e-Exercise environment• Scalability• Multilingual• September 30th Deadline for Project Deliverable

SharePoint

• Download & install required for French language• Blogs, pages, forums need to be added with

extra configuration (IT skills set)• Meant for use inside the corporate firewall;

therefore security outside not a development priority

• Communities more like “islands”; hard to interconnect them (therefore many instances, versus the site with connected group spaces)

IGLOO and ThoughtFarmer• Both products appeared to include:

– Content management– Collaboration– Social networking– Integration with SharePoint if required

• ThoughtFarmer – Microsoft centric, appears to be a SharePoint build of some sort– Not flexible in Group space formats, may need multiple instances or

spaces– Privately held web app development company– Many charges for extras increasing costs exponentially

• Charges for new releases and upgrades

– Really an “intranet” solution, not really a collaborative community type of design

Price ComparisonIGLOO ThoughtFarmer

$4 per user per month for first 50 users

$10 per user per month for first 99 users, possible 20% discount

Next 51-500 users $1.80 per month, 501 – 1000 users 1.35 per month

Need over 1000 users to reach a monthly rate of $4 per month

IGLOO•Not invoiced for additional users until reach appropriate tier level•For e-Exercise / Gaming may use Guest accounts or negotiate special deal•Additional storage is $10.80 per month for 10GB• Only counts current version of documents, images, media files• Web pages, blogs, wiki pages, events, forums etc. not counted

Recommendation

• Proceed with IGLOO Jump Start, and Basic Package– Add 5 additional Group Spaces, Multi-lingual Toggle

for English & French• Ann, Laurie complete project kick off meeting• Training and site development sessions with Core

Team (need dates asap)– Develop & design Community architecture, structure,

content structure, information management

Core Team to Prepare

• Need look and feel colours, graphics (Andrea)• Complete basic training available on-line

(Learn your way around Video)• Landing page – where would your end user

want to go? Make it easy for them to find their way around

• Consider feature set for your group space; what will you want to use?