The Internet has certainly made life easier. We can digitally hug our families from across the globe, access information that had once been limited to only the most premiere libraries and universities, and we can let everyone know how outraged we are at the latest clickbait at the drop of a hat. For businesses and creative ventures, however, it has created a digital highway for collaboration.

To maximize the plethora of tools available online for team projects, we have isolated some of the best alternatives in select categories below:

1. Direct Communication –the foundation of successful collaboration is communication. When face-to-face isn’t an option, today’s digital world offers various routes to connect. Whether through online chat programs (LiveChat, Olark), instant messaging services (Jabber, Slack), or conference call or video providers (Skype, Google Hangouts), there are many choices available with each providing several advantages depending on your team or project.
    
2. Project Management, Task, and Calendars – having set the foundation of communication, the next step is to build upon that through the utilization of project management programs, apps, and/or platforms to set task planning and calendar work. Popular options include Wrike, Asana, Jira, and Smartsheet. If you’re strictly looking for a good calendar planning variant, Apple, Google, and Microsoft offer popular programs that can be easily set up and distributed.
    
3. File Sharing – thanks to the greater availability of high-speed internet and large online cloud storage, file sharing has never been more convenient! From Microsoft OneDrive to Dropbox, there are many paid or free versions available depending on the scope of your team project.
    
4. Company Wiki, Forums, and Blogs –setting up a company wiki can be very useful as a central location for all related documents, communications, and news. Crafting a wiki interface through services such as Wikidot, WikiFoundry, or Tettra can provide a simple catalogued resource for all aspects of running your business and create easy-to-use venues for team projects. Furthermore, the provision of company forums and blogs can work to keep useful parties informed and galvanize useful discussion, group problem solving, and overall communication.

For more information on how BlueTie can help with creating more collaboration using innovative and protected technology go to www.bluetie.com