Internet-based collaboration in 2010

Abstract

Imagine a common scene: a small group of people from different organizations meets and decides to engage in a cooperative project. These might be people working on a business deal, people sharing technical information, or a social group planning a future function. They decide to use the Internet to facilitate their interaction. What technology are they likely to use? E-mail is certainly available, but there is currently little else. The only other widely used collaboration technologies are AIM (AOL's Instant Messenger service) and ICQ, which are quite useful but primarily for short interactions. They provide no tools for recording the interaction or connecting the communication with the users' other files. Fortunately, coming developments will trigger dramatic changes in collaboration technology and systems. As 1999 ends, the author sees five technical developments that are laying the foundation for a radically different future for Internet based collaboration: security; bandwidth; voice and IP convergence; appliances and handheld devices; and wireless connections. Group interactions will take many forms. Within the next decade, the author expects to see widespread sharing of documents, sharing of real-time drawings on whiteboards, voice conferencing, and perhaps videoconferencing.