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Future Platform Plays

In the future, the web office will also be a framework in which other applications create composite tools via widgets and mashups to help workers collaborate in a broader context. Some of these capabilities can be seen in SaaS platforms such as Salesforce' AppExchange and Cisco's WebEx Connect.

To elaborate, a real estate management firm's web office might include a mashup of a project management application to help share project management capabilities between a client, the real estate management firm, and the general contractor. The rights and privileges associated with users from each company will give them different views into the applications.

The web office may only be shared between the management company and the lease holder. The general contractor may be the primary user of the project management application, share different subsets of data with the management company and the client -- and the real estate management company and the general contractor could share architectural drawings and invoices while the client would only see the project timeline and progress reports.

As the types of collaborative capabilities available through the web browser change it is important users consider the basics that will help them work effectively as well as the security model.

Ease for IT and Ad Hoc Team Management

For any kind of collaboration to happen efficiently and securely, the web office needs underlying administrative and security tools that are trusted across all sectors of your business. It should not just be easy to share a document with an entire team; you need to have as little ramp-up time for your team possible across the range of applications in the suite.

One of WebEx WebOffice's strengths to highlight in this area as a workgroup solution for small to medium businesses and individual departments, or ad hoc project teams in larger enterprises, is in not requiring the assistance of IT to set up a WebOffice to reach beyond the firewall and involve customers, and partners in projects.

Summary

The evolution and volume of features being built into browser-based apps from a competitive landscape around the web office is exciting innovation for everyone. Whether you are a small business looking to create and share documents online, or have project management set in your sights, the above information should better outline what can be completed via online office productivity suites.

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