Collaborative ICT Development

 Web Portals

A Web Portal is a specially designed website that provides information catered from various sources such as emails, online forums, search engines on one platform, in a uniform way. It is a personalized and customized library that helps in navigation and personalization of notifications that provide well-integrated information from diverse sources with advanced features such as task management, collaboration, business intelligence, etc.

An example of a web portal is the Microsoft Network! (www.msn.com). MSN is a collection of Internet services and apps for Windows and mobile devices, provided by Microsoft where news, email, weather, etc. are found on one page.

Sometimes the terms "website" and "portal" are used interchangeably, and this usage isn't entirely inaccurate but do you know the difference between website vs portal? By definition, a website is a location on the internet that is unique and which is accessed via a web browser using a specific URL (web address). Portals are also accessed via a web browser and specific URL, but the content is login protected and user-specific (Sukta, 2015).

Online Collaborative Tools

Collaboration is the situation of two or more people working together to create or achieve the same thing. More and more people, especially at this time are going digital and enabling partially or completely remote workforces. Wikipedia defines collaboration software as, "An application software designed to help people involved in a common task to achieve goals." And for benefits, it goes on to say: "A collaborative working environment supports people in both their individual and cooperative work thus evolving into a new class of professionals, e-professionals, who can work together irrespective of their geographical location."

Online Collaboration is the process of connecting users digitally to communicate in an online space. Online collaboration is usually supplemented using a software system that lets team members chat using video, audio and text. There are many great online tools available, which can help your team accomplish its goals, manage workflow, and provide the most recent version of files in real-time, so work can get done any time of the day.

Here are some of the collaboration tools available:

1.Facebook

You can use Facebook groups to create a group page that will allow people in your group to communicate your ideas and send files.

2.GSuite(Google Suite)

It is a suite of cloud computing, productivity and collaboration tools, software and products developed by Google. G Suite comprises Gmail, Hangouts, Calendar, and Currents for communication; Drive for storage; Docs, Sheets, Slides, Keep, Forms, and Sites for productivity and collaboration

3.Microsoft Teams

MS Teams is a unified communication and collaboration platform that combines persistent workplace chat, video meetings, file storage, and application integration.

4.Dropbox

It is a simple, reliable file-syncing and storage service with enhanced collaboration features. Dropbox lets anyone upload and transfer files to the cloud, and share them with anyone.

5.Lark

Lark combines a multitude of essential collaboration tools in a single interconnected platform, including Chat, Calendar, Creation and Cloud storage.

6.Trello

Trello offers an online to-do checklist for your team. Users can create their task boards with different columns and move the tasks between them. Typically, columns include task statuses such as To Do, In Progress, Done.

7.Wordpress

The open-source software that allows multiple contributors to easily create a beautiful single website or blog.

8.Yammer

Yammer is a freemium enterprise social networking service used for private communication within organizations. Access to a Yammer network is determined by a user's Internet domain so that only individuals with approved email addresses may join their respective networks.

Advantages of using online collaborative tools

1. A Centralized hub for files, announcements, calendars, etc. Collaboration solutions innately offer a centralized hub wherein all data is located and from which it is all accessed by the team. It also makes things more effective such as announcements and calendars, as everyone can coordinate deadlines, milestones, appointments, and personal availability without fail.

 2. File Sharing. Since everyone with access can write in the same document together in real-time, instant change reflection is possible across all shared documentation.

3. Host Online Meetings. Online tools promote better participation in collaborative decision-making. Arranging these meetings requires only marking the calendar and announcing them once. People can attend the meetings via their laptop, their mobile device, or even their smart TV.

4. Live Chat. Chat and messaging tools are built-in features of most collaboration platforms currently on the market. With real-time communication tied directly into the platform, it's easy to coordinate properly and all conversations are properly and securely logged for later recall.

Tips to have a successful collaborative tool:

1. Choose easy, intuitive online collaboration tools to increase adoption. 2. Pick a collaboration tool that supports all communication methods.

3. Ensure your choice has scheduling features to help keep projects on track.

4. Choose a dynamic file-sharing solution.

5. Choose a product with real-time collaboration.