Wonderful New Collaboration Service From Skype

The latest upgrade from Skype now enables users to share the view of their desktop with other people on a Skype conference.  This helps make Skype an even more useful tool in support of collaboration. 

In many cases, collaborators are geographically spread out, and Skype is often a good way to keep in touch with instant message and no- or low-cost telephone calls.  Skype has offered video links for some time, which can be helpful.  But what is even more useful is the ability to share a presentation or jointly create or edit a document while looking at the same screen.

I go one step beyond that with my Wacom Bamboo tablet.  This USB-connected tablet sits on my desk, and enables me to use the pen function to highlight areas on a powerpoint slide, scribble notes on a slide, or draw a diagram as on a whiteboard.  It really is the next best thing to being in the same room.

Upgrade your Skype client, try out the sharing function, and check out the Bamboo.  My bet is these tools will make you much more effective and save a few more airplane flights.

Update on 24 December 2010 by Lokesh Datta

See Related Posts:

• A Taxonomy of Collaboration Tools
• Use Visuals to Improve Collaboration Effectiveness

Comments

[Lokesh Datta]

A relevant post on Why collaboration is strategic for Skype: http://skypejournal.com/2009/10/why-collaboration-is-strategic-for.html