Published in: Smart City

Boom to use platforms for remote collaboration

The exceptional measures taken by the Italian government to deal with the coronavirus epidemic have forced many schools, universities and companies to quickly adopt alternative methods to continue carrying out their business.

This adaptation process in exceptional conditions has led to a boom in the use of platforms for remote collaboration, software and apps.

The most widespread and transversal tools between the private and professional world are Zoom and Skype, widely used both to make friends and family meet online and to organize meetings or follow distance lessons.

• Zoom, a web platform that allows you to make video conferences, business calls, webinars, online educational courses.

• Skype, to make calls, video calls, start chats or send messages online all over the world and for free.

 Image: Freepik.com

Obviously, WhatsApp is added to these, the messaging app currently most used in the western world and which for years has been the most immediate communication environment also from a working point of view.

• G Suite and Microsoft teams offer a suite of software and productivity tools for cloud computing and collaboration. They include instant messaging, document and calendar sharing, cloud storage space, integration with office package apps, and other collective utility features;

• Slack is a messaging software that was created specifically for work groups. In fact, Perette created several contemporary and parallel channels;

• Trello, on the other hand, offers users the possibility of creating cards for areas of activity on multiple columns to monitor the progress of work on several levels and in different areas: the columns are organized in stages or stages of the activity plan: to be done, in progress, already done.

Do not forget Dropbox, or iCloud for Apple users and OneDrive for Microsoft users, which make the cooperation of multiple users in a single document and the archiving of documents very simple.

Finally, there are programs that provide for second level interaction during online calls, to make the virtual environment more dynamic and keep the attention level of the participants high:

• Socrative, is a system that allows you to carry out tests in the classroom and provides the teacher with the opportunity to interest his students with a series of verification exercises also in the form of a competition or game.
• Answer Garden, is designed to obtain real-time feedback. It is also often used for brainstorming or during group lessons.