Category: Web Office
March 9th, 2007
Davids versus Goliath: a comparison of wikis versus Blackboard CMS
[Guest Blogger Stewart Mader, Atlassian - makers of Confluence and Jira. His blog can be found here.]
In almost a decade in higher ed on both sides of the classroom (and in the middle, as a consultant helping other teachers integrate technology into their courses), I've seen an interesting shift in what's available for teachers, and what they're choosing to use. Back in the late 1990s when I was an undergrad, most teachers who were tech savvy were using standard web pages, slideware (PowerPoint), and email. Right around 1999 the course management system (CMS) started to appear on the scene, and two main choices were available, Blackboard and WebCT. The rivalry between the two occasionally sparked Mac/PC comparisons, with people who liked a slightly more refined interface advocating for Blackboard, and those who argued it had more powerful tools advocating for WebCT. Well, Blackboard won the battle. They swallowed up WebCT last year. Today, Blackboard faces big perception problems after
January 31st, 2007
Kevin Hale on the Art of Forms: Stop Asking For So Much!
Being an interface designer and someone that's created a form builder, I'm asked a lot of questions about optimizing data entry and user interaction. Specifically, people want to know why no one is filling out their forms. They want user feedback. They're ready for it. Stoked. The problem, from what I can tell, is they're asking too much.
Because we have data behind this on our servers, I can tell you definitively that the most actively filled out forms on Wufoo are the simplest ones. Mailing lists. Contact forms. One-question polls. And it's a very simple long tail curve. Most of the entries are collected by just a few forms. And what you see is that there's an inverse relationship between the most popular forms and the amount of data they want to know. Basically, you dramatically decrease the number of submissions you're going to receive every time you add another question to your survey.
January 24th, 2007
R.I.A.? S.O.A.? T.L.A.!
In yesterday's interview, I was asked about Web 2.0 apps versus desktop applications. I wanted to talk about that a little more.
Back in 1994, I cobbled together a little demo that was shown at a session at the Seybold Conference on Publishing. It was a web front end to a NEXTSTEP based Digital Asset Management product that I designed. With it, you could search for artwork using a web form, see a bunch of thumbnails representing product packaging labels. Clicking on one of the thumbnails would cause the server to render the artwork (EPS files created in Adobe Illustrator) at 200% enlargement then send the result back to the web browser as a gorgeous anti-aliased graphic. The idea was to facilitate remote approvals of print materials anywhere you had a web browser. For several years now, this has been a common practice. Back then, it was just a bleeding edge idea.
I remember at the time being both elated and disappointed. On the one hand, it was mind-numbingly cool to harness the power of a specialized server (i.e. the Display Postscript system on a NeXT computer) from anywhere in the world so long as you had a web browser and an Internet connection. On the other hand, the UI that was possible in a browser at that time was extremely crude. And therein lay the paradox. Your application could have ubiquity, at the cost of elegance
November 20th, 2006
Web Office Widgets
Now that office software is becoming a big part of the Web landscape, we're starting to see widgets (i.e. mini web apps) appear that have office functionality. The personalized start page Pageflakes has just introduced a couple of new office "flakes", which is their term for widgets. The new ones are a Calendar Flake and a Notepad Flake. They also have an existing Mail Flake, as well as flakes for Writely and iRows. So it seems they're working their way towards a little widget office suite!
That may sound odd at first, but when you think about it - componentized web apps are potentially very useful on a company Intranet.
October 10th, 2006
Google Docs & Spreadsheets: More pieces of Google Office
The new combined Writely and Google Spreadsheets interface has just gone live, under the name Google Docs & Spreadsheets. The Writely.com site now re-directs to http://docs.google.com and the Writely brand has been replaced by the usual no-frills Google brand. The homepage allows you to tag and sort your files. There are also common functions, like import and export. The new doc and spreadsheet pages now look almost identical, with similar tabs and layout.
CNET has an early review:
"Today's release of Google Docs and Spreadsheets is a step forward, and I trust that Google will continue to improve the feature set, usability, and integration of these two products. At a preview for bloggers earlier today, we heard about some future plans like integration with Gmail (when you get a word processing file or a spreadsheet as an attachment, you'll have the option to open the file in Docs and Spreadsheets). The team is also working on APIs, so other programmers can access the functionality of the applications. Also, Google is going to "take a shot" at a disconnected version, for users who want to access files when they are offline. And they're working on other applications, too."
While I still think this is a piecemeal solution, it looks like Google is putting a lot of effort into web-based office. Kudos to them.
October 10th, 2006
ZohoX: New Web Office Suite (post includes Image Gallery)
Zoho will release a new version of its Zoho Virtual Office (aka ZohoX) at tomorrow’s Office 2.0 conference. I've compiled an image gallery showing all the products that will make up the suite.
Techcrunch reported today about ZohoX:
"Virtual Office, or ZohoX, will integrate most of the 10+ Zoho services already available and add several more. It will be unveiled on Wednesday [...] The service will be free for individual use and cost $9 per user for SMBs. Users across multiple locations can access the same workspace with their own admin and user list; the ability to collaborate across organizations will be available soon."
CEO Sridhar Vembu told me a few days earlier:
"We are moving towards a full WebOffice suite. We already have the Writer/Sheet/Show covered, and those are getting updated at a rapid clip. We also have Zoho Virtual Office, which offers full Sharepoint style collaboration features. We are working on integrating these services in a better way, and single sign-on is the first step towards that integration. Zoho Creator brings Access/VB like database & scripting to the mix."
Sridhar also said that Zoho Projects and Zoho CRM will be part of the Web Office Suite mix, as they "provide more breadth and depth to the product offering."
Zoho's intent is "to offer a fairly comprehensive suite for businesses, as they move their data to the web." Sridhar also noted that Zoho will offer a downloadable version of their Office Suite product "once the services mature." So it won't be limited to a browser-based offering.
In my tests of Zoho's product range, I've found it to be a very slick and full-featured web-based office offering.
Check out what Zoho is like by taking this image gallery tour of the main Zoho office products.
September 26th, 2006
Why Google apps will stay inside the browser
Ryan Stewart makes the case for Google to develop more RIAs (rich internet apps). He says:
"If Google wants to deliver applications to main stream users, they need to adopt a Rich Internet Application strategy. They need to use their talent and their web knowledge to build applications that bridge the gap between web and desktop."
Over time Google probably will do this, but as long as the web browser is the lowest common denominator Web platform - then Google will develop mainly for the browser. Here are my other reasons why I don’t see an RIA Google any time soon:
* The browser itself is a ‘desktop app’ - most people forget this. The browser is the ultimate desktop app in many ways, used as a platform by giant companies like Google, eBay, Amazon and Yahoo.
* There are viable - and popular - open source versions of the browser. Mozilla’s Firefox and Flock being two examples. Adobe’s RIA platforms are not open source, nor are Microsoft’s.
* Browsers mostly support open Web standards - belatedly, in some cases! Web standards are crucial for ensuring the Web remains a largely democratic development platform.
September 22nd, 2006
Microsoft to put Works Suite onto Web
In the clearest sign yet that the big guns are preparing to step up the battle for Web Office, Microsoft has said it is considering releasing a version of Microsoft Works (the poor cousin of Microsoft Office) as a web suite. The desktop version of Works retails for $50 and includes a calendar, word processor, spreadsheets, Web Browser and e-mail. While its currently positioned as a home productivity toolset (to do your accounts, write letters, etc), it could pretty easily be re-positioned as a (small) business web office suite.
In any case - because Works includes basic word processing and spreadsheet software, to web-enable that and bundle it as a suite would be a step above what both Microsoft and Google currently offer. Right now Microsoft has Office Live (web hosting, email, project collaboration) and Google offers Apps For Your Domain (email, IM, calendar and website creator).
Microsoft’s planned web-based Works would be a free package, supported by advertising.
September 17th, 2006
Web Office will be much different than Microsoft Office
There’s been a lot of talk about the pros and cons of a web-based office lately, prompted by Nick Carr’s excellent post entitled Office generations. In it he suggested the following timeline for office software:
Office 1.0 (1980s): a set of discrete and often incompatible applications for word processing, spreadsheets, presentation creation, and simple database management. Archetype: Lotus 1-2-3.
Office 2.0 (1990 - present): integrated suites of PPAs, with expanded, if still limited, collaboration capabilities. Archetype: Microsoft Office.
Office 3.0 (present - early 2010s): hybrid desktop/web suites incorporating internet-based tools and interfaces to facilitate collaboration and web publishing.
Office 4.0 (c. early 2010s): fully web-based suites.
I was at first quite surprised that Nick Carr thinks a fully Web-based office suite will be common place by the early 2010s. The key point about the current and near future generation of office software is that Web technology is driving the change I had kind of pinned him as a ‘Web/desktop hybrid’ guy - but no, he’s convinced (like me) that the office suite will be fully web-based in 5 or so years. Of course I’ve been banging on about Web Office for some time on this blog. Indeed my most popular post ever here was a September 2005 piece entitled The Web-based Office will have its day. Although I have learned much more about Web Office apps since I wrote it a year ago, I stand by the main message from that post:
"The time for the web-based office will come, mark my words. When broadband is ubiquitous, web functionality is richer, issues of security and reliability have been put to rest, and most importantly of all - when Corporates are ready to make the jump. It may be 5-10 years down the track, it may be longer."
So I generally agree with Nick Carr’s timeline of a Web Office suite being commonplace by early 2010s. I don’t think it’s worthwhile arguing over version numbers (Office 2.0, 4.0, etc), as some commenters have done. The key point about the current and near future generation of office software is that Web technology is driving the change.
On that point, it’s important to remember that with new technology comes new functionality. A term I use for this is ‘Web native’, meaning that the next generation of office software will not necessarily be the same as the past PC-based generation (typified by Microsoft Office). The new generation will have Web native functionality - including, but not limited to, collaboration. Rod Boothby likes to say that blogs and wikis are the first major ‘office 2.0′ apps, but I think a web-based suite will be so much more than publishing and collaboration features.
One new feature that I think will be common place is ‘mashups’, whereby data is sourced and combined from a variety of internal and external sources. Imagine an online spreadsheet for a marketing report where you gather data from all over the Web and across internal business units too.
September 14th, 2006
Yahoo Mail Beta released - new Ajax features
Today Yahoo is releasing the new Ajax-powered version of Yahoo Mail to all users in the US and across 18 international markets. I spoke to Ethan Diamond, director of product management for the new Yahoo! Mail, to talk about the product. Ethan was previously the founder of Oddpost, a pioneer in Ajaxian web email, which got acquired by Yahoo in July 2004 - so he is the perfect person to speak to when it comes to web email.
New Features
The new features include an integrated calendar timeline (including mashups with Yahoo Maps), drag and drop e-mail organization, message preview, tabs for messages, plus an integrated RSS reader. There are also plenty of links to other Yahoo properties, such as this one just above the inbox: "Start your own blog here" (which leads to Yahoo360).
In my testing of the product, my favorite feature so far is a seemingly simple - yet surprisingly effective - one: the ability to have multiple e-mail messages open at the same time using tabs. Given that I virtually live in my email inbox and often am conducting a few email conversations at a time, this feature comes in very handy!
SponsoredWhite Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads
- Customer-Hosted Volume Activation Guide (Using KMS) Microsoft Microsoft? Volume Activation helps Volume Licensing customers automate and ... Download Now
- Responding to Today's Demands with a Dynamic Infrastructure IBM Corp. Listen to this webcast to hear IBM executives and clients discuss a host ... Download Now
- Live Webcast: The Power of Centralization in Distributed Development CollabNet Distributed teams are common in software development today. However ... Download Now
Recent Entries
- Getting enveloped by the potential of Cloud computing
- Demonstrating the value of SPARQL to the Semantic Web
- Amazon’s latest web service? A database
- Hulu, News Corp, and the Web (2.0?)
- Who is afraid of the GGG?
Blogs From Our Sponsors
Top Rated
Premier Vendor Content Whitepapers, webcasts & resources from our Power Center Sponsors
- Topline - A Dashboard for IT Leaders
-
Visit the one-stop destination for IT decision-makers to learn more about the top issues that you face every day. Find cost-effective solutions to real-life IT problems. Search the valuable repository of the resources and tools you need every day to keep your IT infrastructure running smoothly.
- Learn more >>
Archives
ZDNet Blogs
- A Developer's View
- All About Microsoft
- The Apple Core
- Between the Lines
- BriefingsDirect
- Collaboration 2.0
- Dev Connection
- Digital Cameras & Camcorders
- Ed Bott's Microsoft Report
- Emerging Tech
- Enterprise Web 2.0
- Forrester Research
- Googling Google
- GreenTech Pastures
- Hardware 2.0
- Home Theater
- iGeneration
- Irregular Enterprise
- IT Project Failures
- Laptops & Desktops
- Lawgarithms
- Linux and Open Source
- Managing L'unix
- The Mobile Gadgeteer
- On Sustainability
- The Semantic Web
- Service Oriented
- Smartphones and Cell Phones
- Social Business
- Social CRM: The Conversation
- Software & Services Safari
- Software as Services
- Storage Bits
- Team Think
- Tech Broiler
- Technology and the Global Supply Chain
- Tom Foremski: IMHO
- The ToyBox
- Virtually Speaking
- The Web Life
- ZDNet Education
- ZDNet Government
- ZDNet Healthcare
- Zero Day
White Papers, Webcasts, and Downloads
- Enabling Device-Independent Mobility with Dynamic Virtual Clients Intel Intel IT is investigating a model where users can access their ... Download Now
- Enterprise social software IBM Corp. In June 2009, IBM sponsored an interactive webinar to explore the ... Download Now
- Sole-sourcing BI from your ERP vendor: IT convenience or strategic business decision? IBM Is sole-sourcing BI from ERP vendors delivering on its promises? See what 100 companies worldwide had to say about this increasingly common practice. Download Now
Popular Sanity Saver Videos
