Backboard
http://www.getbackboard.com/
Share and get feedback on documents (Word, Excel), Powerpoint, images (including Photoshop PSD files), webpages and free-form text. Backboard also features multiple versions of a project, email integration – you only need to send an email with the file for review – there is also the option for desktop upload and SSL encryption.
Box
http://sites.box.net/simple/
Share any content from anywhere, you can see versioning of docs, who did what and when and you don’t necessarily have to have a naming convention. You can upload any file type, share individual files as well as folders and it has a really simple interface. You can also access content on the move, on any device from the iPad to the Android which could be useful. Password protected sharing, document sharing history and google apps integration are also included.
Diary
http://diary.com
Free software which organizes all your diary events and synchronises them as well as linking to google apps it can also synchronise with Outlook, Google calendar, Facebook and Twitter. If you have a google app account you can use this with single sign on.
Dropbox
http://www.dropbox.com
File sync from anywhere with a web interface, download the app for your PC, gives you instant access from a desktop icon where you can “click and drag” files from your pc to the drop box for sharing. Or just access the files from the web interface. Upload files of any size or type, it automatically detects when changes have occured and keeps a history of every change that has been made to a file, allowing you to undo any mistakes and even undelete files. The default is 30 days of history for all your files.
Several people can collaborate on the same files and see instantly any changes that occur, it also has FREE Mobile apps for iPhone, iPad, BlackBerry, and Android to allow dropbox access on the move.
Similar to box.net but perhaps not as user friendly and there is a space limitation
Edmodo
http://www.edmodo.com/
This looks interesting as a very basic collaboration area, see what you think at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nHtwgZEHzNs&feature=player_embedded?
Glogster
http://edu.glogster.com/
Is a type of blog where posters can be created and shared. You can set it up for a group of students who can then embed it into their blog. All you need to do is create an account, say how many students you need it for and it will create areas for each student to create their posters. It’s private and allows students to embed any type of resource into their design.
NB: for each account you would need a different email address! (Guide available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=80NISdsoouE&feature=player_embedded)
Manymoon
https://www.manymoon.com/auth/login
A Google Apps for project planning & collaboration, very cool and you get a lot for the basic package. If you already have the apps then this is a very useful addition as you can create projects and assign tasks to different collaboators,clients or users.
Onstage
http://www.onstageportal.com/tour/
This could be useful as it is not only a file upload and collaboration tool but also a project planning tool as well. It has an in built mail system where files can be sent as attachments to members of the team for discussion and annotation. You can also allocate tasks and collaborators.
ProofHQ
proofhq.com
Like Backboard, ProofHQ has the ability to annotate a variety of document types – PDFs, PSDs, JPGs, Word, Powerpoint – and webpages. It also includes email integration, version control and the ability to create workspaces. You can customize the look and feel to give it some branding.
ReviewBasics FREE
http://www.reviewbasics.com
Upload different document types, review online, share, annotate and mark up images, videos and documents.
Stixy (Beta) FREE
http://www.stixy.com/
This is quite cool for collaboration and you can tag and sort images, unfortunately you can only load one file at a time.
Zoho and google docs
http://www.zoho.com
Are very similar to drop box, but zoho and Google can be linked together. The FREE Google account has a maximum file upload size of 1024MB and up to 50 users.
Alternatively, you can obtain a Google Apps for business http://www.google.com/apps/intl/en/business/index.html but there is an annual cost of $50/user/year with unlimited users.
Other sharing options
- DimDim: http://www.dimdim.com/
- Slide share: http://www.slideshare.net/
- Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/
You can set up closed groups for academic purposes, invite your own members to the group and there are 3 settings to provide flexibilty for the groups – which you can decide on. - Airset: http://www.airset.com is good for scheduling and contact collaborators.
Wiki’s and Blogs
- PBWorks: http://pbworks.com/
Is often used in the academic community and it is FREE - Wetpaint Wiki: http://www.wetpaint.com/
FREE but with lots of advertising - WordPress Blog: http://wordpress.org/
Has a very simple user interface with loads of resources and template designs all FREE - Ning: http://www.ning.com/
Are removing their FREE product (http://tcrn.ch/bVAjrv) but it is still good and worth considering. - Buddy Press: http://buddypress.org/
Open source and FREE - Eduspaces: http://eduspaces.net/index.php
Is a site dedicated to education and educational technology
Others, more for personal use, like Facebook
- Spruz: http://www.spruz.com/
- Socialgo:http://www.socialgo.com/
FREE and easy to build - Grou.ps: http://grou.ps/