Photo credit: Slantsixx

1. Online collaboration space integrates best groupware features, IM and file sharing while turning the traditional filing approach on its head
2. Conferencing software enables you to share voice, video and data over the Internet
3. Real-time chat with people who are browsing the same web pages you are on
4. Spreadsheet sharing editing and online hosting
5. Social networking and sharing hub provides the tools to build your own social web

Hi, this is a new, weekly post, devoted to highlight some of most interesting and innovative new online collaboration tools that have recently become available.

Online collaboration, file sharing, P2P, web and video conferencing, groupware, instant messaging, social networking, e-learning, privacy and security are the key interest areas on which I will maintain strong focus on.

Most of the tools and services reviewed in this column are free or extremely cost-effective, unlike their closely related traditional enterprise conferencing and collaboration solutions. It is in the small, efficient, well designed and easy to use solutions that I am most interested in, as these will be the ones that will shape the many ways in which we will soon interact and work together online.

Here is what I selected for you this week:

1. Foldera
   
   
   Foldera is the new way to organize and access your work and its related applications. By using Foldera, you invert the sorting and filing paradigm that happens daily on your computer. To make Foldera work you create a dedicated Activity Folder for each distinct project or activity that you have. Email, instant messaging, and all your other applications are now accessed from within this folder instead of their original disconnected and unstructured state and Foldera instantly sorts and files your sent and received email, instant message dialogs, tasks, documents, and calendar events into Activity Folders on a project by project basis while you work. This organizational structure also keeps everything in context; for example, all your email conversations and instant message dialogs stay right inside their assigned Activity Folder, so everything related to that project always stays together. Foldera provides effective document management for the individual user including file sharing with secure storage, version control and locking of individual docs and also integrates task management, a shared calendar, a contact manager. As a matter of fact Foldera captures each email, instant message, document, task or event as a unique digital object within its associated folder. The great thing is that all such objects can be easily reopened, shared, edited, copied, moved and saved at will. Foldera also supports alerts (for instant notifications of changes to selected documents or project folders) as well as comments and instant messaging too, by integrating its own Foldera's Instant Messenger capable of providing you immediate access to MSN Messenger, Google Talk, AOL Instant Messenger (AIM), iChat, and Yahoo Messenger contacts, all from one interface and no matter on which type of computer or perating system you are working from. Foldera encrypts all data exchanges, provides 250 MB of free storage to all users and allows you to customize the branding of your login page. Free sign-up to Beta pre-release.
   http://www.foldera.com/





2. Bridgit
   
   With Bridgit conferencing software, you can hold a meeting with anyone across the office or around the world, as it offers a simple and affordable way to share voice, video and data over the Internet. With just an Internet connection, you can write over any application or take control of other participants' desktops and talk to them. Bridgit also allows users to see video from up to four participant sites and has a built-in VoIP system. Bridgit conferencing software 3.0 for the Microsoft Windows operating system is available on a subscription basis starting at US$29.99 per user, per month. Try it free.
   http://www2.smarttech.com/...





3. Chatsum
   
   Chatsum is an add-on for your web browser that lets you chat live with other people who are looking at the same website you are on. Through Chatsum you can find out what other people think about the websites you're looking at, leave messages on any website you visit and read messages left on websites by other Chatsum users. You can also participate to online treasure hunts with other Chatsum users. Chatsum is currently available as a beta for Mozilla Firefox and will shortly be available as a dashboard widget for use with Apple's Safari. Free to use.
   http://www.chatsum.com





4. iRows
   
   iRows is a web-based service that allows you to create, store and access your spreadsheets from any computer with a browser. With iRows you can upload, edit and save Microsoft Excel, CSV and OpenOffice files: the data is stored in one place. Users who are allowed to see your data, all see the same latest version. You don't need to remember who got which version by email, no need to send updates, no need to merge changes. iRows also enables to share data among small communities or worldwide and allows you to display a spreadsheet on any web page. iRows is free to use an works with every operative system and web browser.
   http://irows.com





5. Ziki
   
   Ziki is your place on the web to tell people about you, piece together your online content, keep in touch with the people you know and make new connections. Ziki can use the information about you to suggest people, businesses and groups you might want to connect with. Ziki also recommends digital content you may enjoy reading, watching or listening to. Ziki provides the tools you need to build your own social web, create your personalized search engine, easily find relevant information and make new and useful connections based on your needs. Ziki supports Microsoft Internet Explorer 6.0 and Mozilla Firefox 1.5. Web-based. Free to use.
   http://www.ziki.com