HipChat: Communication for Teams, Made Easy!

If you are managing a web design or development project, you must already be aware of the fact that collaboration is the key to the success of the project. If your team fails to interact and collaborate well, the project will fail as well.

This is especially important if you manage a distributed team across different countries and time zones. In such cases, the role of a proper communication channel becomes paramount.

Allow me to introduce you to HipChat, a new tool that offers instant messaging, group and private chats, file sharing and a lot more to help your team members interact and collaborate effectively.

What is HipChat?

HipChat is a simple tool for team chat and instant messaging purposes. It helps your team members collaborate and discuss the key points of the given project at hand. As such, HipChat can help you get out of that cluttered email inbox, and be more productive.

Apart from IM and chat functionality, HipChat also offers file sharing capabilities, and a lot more.

Features

Here is what HipChat brings to the table:

• HipChat provides IM, group chats and private chats.


• Just in case you are wondering, it also offers video and voice calls.


• Users can share files and videos, etc.


• HipChat is free, irrespective of the number of users your team might have.


• It offers native apps for virtually every operating system that you can think of: iOS, Android, Mac, Windows, Linux… you name it!


• HipChat uses 256-bit SSL encryption and is fully secure.


• You can even deploy HipChat on your own server!


• Beyond that, HipChat can also integrate with third party services, such as Asana, Google Hangouts, and Heroku. See the full list here.

Pricing

All sounds cool? Wondering how costly it might be?

Well, HipChat offers a very simple pricing structure. The Free plan is totally free for life, and the Paid plan is per user/month. The difference between the two is straightforward: the paid plan offers video and voice calls, as well as screen sharing.

Furthermore, the free plan storage space is capped at 5 GB, whereas the paid plan offers unlimited storage.

Appraisal

HipChat seems to be an indispensable tool, for both distributed and non-distributed teams.

Collaboration via email has, time and again, proven to be ridiculously cluttered — and people fall for the “reply to all” button even today! Plus, most team collaboration tools tend to offer IM or discussions as a side note — their primary focus is on task management and/or content management, and you are at best left with a small chat applet or a discussion thread to help you sort your interaction issues.

Thus, HipChat is trying to fill a void that does exist, and by and large, can prove to be a really beneficial product for both big and small teams. With its free plan, you get a taste of the basic features, but even the paid plan is too easy on the pocket, and you should surely give it a try! Most certainly, HipChat will help boost the overall productivity of your team by fostering easier communication and collaboration.

This post has been sponsored by Syndicate Ads.

The post HipChat: Communication for Teams, Made Easy! appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.

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HipChat: Communication for Teams, Made Easy!

Enterprise Productivity Apps for Remote Teams

It’s an exciting time to be a designer. With almost unlimited connectivity, designers and firms can work together without needing to inhabit the same space. Many designers and web professionals love the ability to be mobile, and luckily for them, more and more companies, particularly startups, are starting to embrace a remote workforce.

Especially when outside of an office environment, staying on task and completing projects on a deadline can be difficult for even the more pragmatic creative. It’s essential, however, that both companies and workers are able to track progress and communicate effectively on a daily basis. It is also imperative that individuals can work as a team, even if they are hundreds of miles apart.

These needs have led to the emergence of some valuable productivity software and apps, in recent years. One part internal social network and one part project management software, these new apps allow everyone involved in a project to communicate and work together effortlessly, no matter where they are physically located. Whether you are a company owner who is trying to track and promote internal productivity or a worker trying to stay ahead of the game, an enterprise mobile app could ultimately be the answer for you.

Check out our roundup of the top 5 enterprise mobile apps that boost productivity, and unleash your potential.

Trello

If you’re looking for a great project management tool, Trello is a great option as it allows for anyone to create “Trello Cards” that can be assigned to different groups or individuals.

Trello also utilizes queues, so you can track a project from concept to completion. It’s easy to use and the design is on point, making for a user-friendly experience. Trello’s mobile app is among the least convoluted we’ve seen, making for a seamless transition from desktop to mobile.

SignEasy

A document signing app, might not be the first thing a designer thinks of in terms of helping productivity, but it is hugely valuable for employees who are working abroad, or freelancing.

SignEasy is a mobile, cloud-friendly software that allows clients, employees and higher-ups to sign off on documents no matter where they’re located. This eliminates the hold-up of receiving things in the mail – or the hassle of trying to find a fax machine anywhere these days.

Syncplicity

It’s immediately obvious that their mobile design team put user experience first when creating Syncplicity’s file sharing and management app. It’s easy to manage any files from the touch of your phone or tablet with Syncplicity’s sheet stack interface.

It allows you to easily and securely send and share documents, as well as access them from any device, without missing a beat. When you have a team working on a large project with multiple files that need to be downloaded and uploaded quickly and effortlessly, Syncplicity is an awesome choice.

Sapience

Sapience is a mindfulness enterprise app that allows for proficient time management, ensuring businesses can maximize efficiency with both on and offsite employees.

The app analyzes your smartphone usages and give you a clear visual on how your day was spent. It allows you to tag your phone calls, app-usage and work-related travel effortlessly. Sapience helps individuals and businesses see where they spend their time the most, so they can schedule and allocate budget appropriately.

Evernote

From your computer to your smartphone, Evernote allows you to seamlessly work on projects from initial notes to completion, and even presentation. Think of it as a super-hero notepad.

It allows you to save inspiration from around the web, journal, take notes and work on full-length project – all in one platform. It is also a great organizing tool. If you are working on a number of creative projects at one time, Evernote will be one of your go-to apps for keeping everything on track.

Finished!

Everyone can always use a little bit of productivity push, and the apps above actually make it easier to go the extra mile. Give them a shot and let us know what you think!

The post Enterprise Productivity Apps for Remote Teams appeared first on Speckyboy Web Design Magazine.

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Enterprise Productivity Apps for Remote Teams