Editing Collaboration tool (section)

== Main types ==
Three aspects of collaboration: communication, coordination and cooperation can be used to categorize collaboration tools.<ref>{{Cite book|title = 3C = C3^3 = Communication + Coordination + Coordination The Kiel Approach to Collaborative Systems|last = Thalheim|first = Bernhard|publisher = Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Department of Computer Science|location = Kiel|pages = 7|url = http://www.is.informatik.uni-kiel.de/thalheim/CollaborationManagement.pdf}}</ref>

=== Communication ===
Communication tools provide exchange of information between individuals:<ref>{{Cite book|title = Collaboration Tools - A Teaching with Technology White Paper|last = Deal|first = Ashley|publisher = Carnegie Mellon University|year = 2009|pages = 3|url = https://www.cmu.edu/teaching/technology/whitepapers/CollaborationTools_Jan09.pdf}}</ref>

====E-Mail====
{{main|E-Mail}}
The invention of email as a collaboration tool changed the way we used to communicate in the workplace. It is the easiest method to make contact within an organization and is well established. Especially for organizing daily correspondence, email can reach various people with just one click.<ref>{{Cite journal|title = The Impact of E-mail Communication on Organizational Life|last1 = Derks|first1 = Daantje|date = 2010|journal = Cyberpsychology: Journal of Psychosocial Research on Cyberspace|publisher = Erasmus University Rotterdam|last2 = Bakker|first2 = Arnold B.}}</ref>

Although email is still the most common used tool in communication collaboration it is not very efficient on a big scale and other forms of communication seem to take over. Besides its flexibility it is not very good for group conversations as they grow too fast.{{cn|date=February 2019}} There is no way to be sure that a person has the latest version of a document that has been sent to them and it is impossible to always track via their email what tasks need to be done and by which deadline.<ref>{{Cite web|url = http://blogs.atlassian.com/2012/09/collaboration-best-practices-3-reasons-email-hurts-productivity/|title = Collaboration Best Practices – 3 Reasons Why Email Hurts Your Productivity|date = September 2012|website = Atlassian Blog|publisher = Atlassian Ltd|last = Anderson|first = Ryan}}</ref> As Cisco states in their Cisco Blog about the "Future of Email", emails "will improve productivity by organizing your data for you" <ref>{{Cite web|url = http://blogs.cisco.com/collaboration/the_future_of_email|title = The Future of Email|date = September 2009|website = Cisco Blog|publisher = Cisco Systems Inc.|last = Aronson|first = Doron}}</ref> and try to bring more transparency in their work with email.

==== Voicemail ====
{{main|Voicemail}}Voicemail as a collaboration tool is more and more integrated in services such as [[Google Voice]]. As pointed out in an IBM future scenario the role of voicemail could be that of what email is for us today.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Telco 2015- five telling years, four future scenarios|last = Prampolini|first = Franco|publisher = IBM|year = 2010|pages = 35|url = http://www.ieee-iscc.org/2010/keynoteslides/franco%20prampolini.pdf}}</ref>

==== Instant messaging (IM) ====
{{main|Instant messaging}}Through instant messaging as a collaboration tool we are able to reach people within an organisation in real-time. In the future instant messaging is not a [[Standalone program|stand-alone software]] anymore, but very well integrated in bigger solutions such as [[Unified communications|Unified Communication]].<ref>{{Cite book|title = 7 things you should know about Instant Messaging|publisher = Educause Learning Initiative|year = 2005|url = https://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7008.pdf|access-date = 2015-11-04|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160305052859/http://net.educause.edu/ir/library/pdf/ELI7008.pdf|archive-date = 2016-03-05|url-status = dead}}</ref>

==== VoIP (voice over IP) / video call ====
{{main|Voice over IP}}Voice over IP as a collaboration tool has quickly gained popularity among companies and is part of their communication portfolio. As a report from Eclipse Telecom is pointing out, the VoIP is moving towards the state to totally replace our telephones in our offices and also integrate in existing collaboration service environments.<ref>{{Cite book|title = SIP, Hosted VoIP, and the Future of Voice Communications|last = Dyson|first = David|publisher = Eclipse Telecom|year = 2015|pages = 2–3|url = http://static1.squarespace.com/static/521f8d3fe4b0ac1c0555fac5/t/5581a6bee4b08614acb7b3e3/1434560190501/SIP%2C+Hosted+VoIP%2C+and+the+Future+of+Voice+Communications.pdf}}</ref>

=== Coordination ===
Coordination is defined as "the deliberate and orderly alignment or adjustment of partners’ actions to achieve jointly determined goals".<ref>{{Cite book|title = TheTwoFacetsofCollaboration: Cooperation and Coordination in Strategic Alliances|last1 = Gulati|first1 = Ranjay|publisher = Harvard Business School|year = 2012|pages = 12|url = https://dash.harvard.edu/bitstream/handle/1/10996795/gulati,wohlgezogen,zhelyazkov_the-two-facets_20120430.pdf?sequence=1|last2 = Wohlgezogen|first2 = Franz|last3 = Zhelyazkov|first3 = Pavel}}</ref> Collaboration tools supporting this are the ones who allow a person to set up group activities, schedules and deliverables.

==== Online calendars ====
{{main|Online calendar}}Online calendars are part of professional behaviour at work and fully integrated in other systems. As a research paper from University of Bath explains, online calendars could in the future be much closely linked to other data such as [[social media]] and have even a larger effect.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Calendar as a Sensor: Analysis and Improvement Using Data Fusion with Social Networks and Location|last1 = Lovett|first1 = Tom|publisher = University of Bath|year = 2010|location = Bath|pages = 1–3|url = http://www.cs.bath.ac.uk/pervasive/publications/lovett-ubicomp10.pdf|last2 = O’Neill|first2 = Eamonn|last3 = Irwin|first3 = James|last4 = Pollington|first4 = David}}</ref>

==== Time-tracking software ====
{{main|Time-tracking software}}Time trackers are especially used to measure the performance of employees. Its effect on productivity is discussed as being controversial.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Time Tracking to Improve Productivity|last1 = Giersch|first1 = Peter|publisher = Cathedral Consulting Group|year = 2014|pages = 1–3|url = http://cathedralconsulting.com/files/April%202014%20TOPIC%20Financial_Systems.pdf|last2 = Zignego|first2 = Virginia}}</ref>

==== Spreadsheets ====
[[Spreadsheet]]s are like emails very popular within the corporate environment and as a collaboration tool essential for financial analysis or modelling. Although very popular, several studies found out that many spreadsheets contain inaccurate data and are therefore inefficient.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Future of Spreadsheets as Financial Analysis Platforms|last = Shaun|first = Stoltz|publisher = Data C Ltd.|year = 2004|pages = 1–5|url = http://hosteddocs.ittoolbox.com/SS110504.pdf}}</ref>{{main|Spreadsheet}}

=== Cooperation ===
Cooperation tools allow groups to have real-time discussions and to shape an idea or thought together. Trends in terms of collaboration target on helping to maintain the "main idea" within big organizations and make connections visible. Also the idea of bringing people who are not working in a company on a regular basis into the organization and make use of their knowledge.<ref>{{Cite book|title = The Future of Collaboration Software - A Qualitative Study|publisher = Mikogo|year = 2015|url = https://www.mikogo.com/downloads/docs/future-collaboration-software-trends.pdf}}</ref>

==== Video conferencing ====
{{main|Video conferencing}}In most cases video conferencing is part of the overall communication and collaboration strategy of organisations. Especially now when all services are cloud-based and therefore implementation costs became more affordable. The longterm vision for video conferencing lies in the correct usage of computer processing power, data storage or mobile bandwidth speeds to further decrease the obstacles of collaboration.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Video Collaboration and the Future Workplace|last = Jystad|first = Glenn|publisher = InFocus|year = 2014|pages = 1–9|url = http://www.infocus.com/resources/documents/ConX/InFocus-Video-Collaboration-WhitePaper.pdf}}</ref>

==== IM teleconferencing ====
{{main|Teleconference}}Bringing teams, meetings or events as close as possible is what teleconferencing solutions want to do. Apart from business environments Teleconferencing is currently used in a variety of fields, such as [[telemedicine]], where they contribute enormously to the efficiency and productivity as distance and time are limited factors.<ref>{{Cite book|title = Bridging The Future: Innovations and Value in Teleconferencing Technology and Applications|publisher = Forum Communications International|year = 2006|url = http://www.forum-com.com/marketing/bridging_the_future.pdf}}</ref>