Verizon's Collaboration Center for Small Business
Opinions expressed by BIZ Experiences contributors are their own.
The internet is littered with online collaboration tools that do everything from facilitating virtual meetings like Protosphere to full-on real time document creation and editing like Google Wave. To wit, Verizon recently launched its own small business-targeted collaboration tool called the Verizon Collaboration Center.
"Small businesses need a lot more than e-mail and internet access to stay competitive," says Monte Beck, Verizon's vice president for small-business product strategy. He adds that the Verizon Collaboration Center is a tool to help small businesses grow, run more efficiently and reduce costs.
The first thing I asked when I found out about the Verizon's new Collaboration Center was, "What makes it different?" Powered by Cisco's WebEx software, the collaboration center facilitates video conferencing, document and calendar management and sharing as well as project management. Seems to me, the only real difference is that it's Verizon-branded. That said, after having a chance to play around with the collaboration center, I can say that the interface is sleek, user-friendly and geared for the business user.
Tomorrow, Verizon launches TheBetter Way Challenge (contest launchesat 12 a.m. EST), a contest in which small to medium sized businessowners can submit a video describing the challenges of making sure youteam's goals are aligned. The contest winner will receive a $2,000American Express gift card and a free consultation with best-sellingauthor and business expert Guy Kawasaki. Second and third place winnerswill receive a $1000 gift card and one-time consultations with otherbusiness experts in the Cisco Internet Business Solutions Group.
To enter the contest, you must either sign up for a free 30-day trial ofthe collaboration center or be a current subscriber. Either way, I'd say the 30-day trial is worth it to play aroundwith the interface and decide for yourself if Verizon's newCollaboration Center is actually a better way for you to do business intoday's new information age.
