Leader: Collaboration - do it right or not at all

Using computers for collaboration is hardly new - it goes back to the first networked PCs.

And let us not forget that the killer app for the platform - email - is collaborative in nature.

One could question whether, with email, IM, the telephone and basic file-sharing features in office suites, workers need anything more. Some probably do not. Small companies, in particular, tend to do quite a bit of collaboration face-to-face.

So why have we at silicon.com dedicated our latest special report to collaboration technologies?

Because it's an area where companies - especially large ones with remote workforces and multiple partners and outsourcers - have a lot to lose. They already have a system in place that accomplishes the task at hand, albeit in a cumbersome or time-consuming way. Changing that system could throw a wrench in the works and bring work to a halt. Think of what happens when your company's email goes down.

Collaboration has to be done right - or not at all.

That's why the first piece in our series focuses on best practices. In it, author Anthony Plewes stresses the importance of training employees on how to use these new technologies - lest their considerable investment be flushed down the toilet for lack of use. Employees need, in particular, encouragement to collaborate with individuals and groups they do not know.

The article also instructs companies to choose solutions that facilitate interactions that already take place and to implement solutions on a small scale before rolling them out to the whole organisation.

As part of the report, we also look at the complex task of calculating ROI for collaborative technologies - since without a strong business case, your business is unlikely to invest.

Then there's mobile collaboration - an area with lots of potential but currently held back by the networks and high hardware prices.

In the coming weeks we'll explore further aspects of this topic, including Microsoft's play in the space, working with partners 'outside the firewall' and the development of instant messaging for the enterprise.

Finally, we'll be getting a reading from our CIO Jury on the importance of user training to the success of collaboration solutions.

Computers have a lot to offer in the collaboration realm but companies have to get it right. Keep an eye on our special report page for our continuing coverage: http://www.silicon.com/collaboration.