The Search for the Perfect Collaboration Platform

We have thus far evaluated and are looking at eRoom by EMC. Next, we will be reviewing eGroupWare: Enterprise Collaboration.

What makes the Perfect Collaboration System? This is the criteria we have set for ourselves:

Necessary:

1. Web Based (obviously)
2. Platform Independent – end users should be able to use it fully via any browser (this is where SharePoint fails)
3. Open DB – we can create our own reports.
4. Scalable
5. Has the built-in support for us to add Clients and Vendors as users, and give them access to ONLY the parts we need (pain in the ass with SharePoint)
6. Inexpensive to add potentially hundreds of users (eRoom and SharePoint carry per-user licensing costs)
7. Should be Searchable via the Google Search Appliance
8. Has to be enterprise-class. No single-user bull.

BONUS Features: (not required, but nice to have)

• LDAP Integration
• Supported by RSA Authentication Manager
• Compatible for import-export with MS Project
• Web 2.0 Features like Wiki’s, RSS, etc…
• Can be something we can customize
• Can be something we can sell/host for others.
• Proactive Notification about changes in the system

What’s NOT Important:

• Any timesheet features (ultimately, time will be kept in CRM – I hope, or Great Plains)
• CRM Features – not important, we have MS CRM for that.
• Linux vs. MS platform, or DB
• Any cost-accounting features – again, this is for GP and CRM.

We’ll be reporting our findings, as time progresses.