Overview

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  With the increased use of the Internet for businesses, virtual collaboration tools are a popular way to do long-distance business. Virtual collaboration tools allow businesses to work on projects simultaneously, even when they are not in the same room. These programs have a number of different features that make collaborating online much simpler. In many cases, the collaboration software works well for small business and larger corporations alike.
  
  

Axigen

• Gecad Technologies created the virtual collaboration brand Axigen in September 2004. Axigen offers businesses several different ways to create and edit projects collaboratively over the Internet. Companies running Windows, Linux, BSD, Solaris or PPC server platforms can run Axigen. Axigen features email and calendar collaboration for employees of a company. Using Axigen, companies can send out mass emails, create charts, collect data and use personal organizing tools like notes and task lists. The program creates backups of any files to keep lost information to a minimum. In addition to collaborative software, Axigen also comes with security features to prevent spam or viruses.
  
  Axigen.com
  
  

Basecamp

• The Basecamp collaboration tool is used by several well-known companies such as Adidas, USA Today and Best Buy. With Basecamp, companies can create and manage numerous projects on an extranet system. Basecamp features a dashboard upon signing in with a list of projects, the latest activity on those projects and any projects due soon or overdue. Basecamp lets employees create to-do lists, share any important files and make note of company milestones. There is also a message board integrated into the program. On top of the collaboration features, Basecamp’s design is highly customizable, with users having the ability to change the look of their account and upload a company logo as well.
  
  Basecamphq.com
  
  

Huddle

• Disney, Nokia and Toshiba all use Huddle, a program that describes itself as social networking for business. Huddle features project management, online file storage and sharing, document editing and creation, and group discussions. Users of Huddle can take part in phone and Internet conferences as well as work together on whiteboards or wikis. Projects within Huddle can have alerts attached in order to be reminded of their due dates. Areas of the dashboard for users can be arranged according to a user’s preference. Files on Huddle can be shared securely with users of Huddle or clients outside of the Huddle system.
  
  Huddle.net
  
  

ProjectSpaces

• ProjectSpaces is an online workspace that makes virtual collaboration easier. The interface of ProjectSpaces is set up so that users can view their projects and work on them accordingly. The home page shows users any special work announcements, a calendar and recent documents. Users can upload documents to share, organize and share files, and email within the extranet. Contact organization, text searching and commenting are also a part of the ProjectSpaces experience.
  
  Projectspaces.com