Different types of collaborative technologies are used by the organizations to improve and utilize the potential of the employees and the associates. Electronic conferencing tools such as video conferencing, internet forums, electronic meeting systems, data conferencing and online chats are employed by small and multi million business houses to increase the productivity.

The electronic meeting systems or rooms are the large meeting rooms with all the cameras, microphones and interlinked computers. These are used to conduct meetings with the clients and the officials in the subsidiaries across the globe. The internet forums on the other hand are also called as the discussion boards or message boards. These forums provide a virtual meeting ground where the participants share their views and ideas.

Collaborative management tools are used to facilitate such meetings. Online spreadsheets, extranet, knowledge management systems and electronic calendars are some form of collaborative management tools. The electronic calendars schedule events and inform the different members about the schedules. It is also called as time management software.

The knowledge management system on other hand collect, share, manage, store and update all the relevant information of the employees and the business.

A type of tool called as the prediction market help a group of participants to participate and predict the future course of events. This helps the organization to formulate the strategies and policies for the organization.

The online spreadsheets help the employees to collaborate and share the information among them. The extranet system on the other hand help the management to collect, organize and share the information related to the different projects undertaken by the business.

The electronic communication tools such as e-mails, faxing and voice mails help the executives in the organization to share the relevant information. With these tools the executives share the files, documents, important papers among them.

The different collaborative technologies thus help the individuals involved in common task to collect share and organize the important data and information among them so that they can achieve their objectives.

With these technologies the organization utilizes and manages its human resources and knowledge resources more effectively. These technologies also reduce the overall cost of servicing the clients. The businesses thus save on different expenses thereby increasing the profits.  With the technologies in hand the organizations are now able to reach a wider number of prospects dispersed worldwide.

But using too much of such technologies reduce the personal contact. It is advisable that the businesses organize personal meetings with the clients and customers occasionally besides using the collaborative technologies on a large scale.  This way they will be able to tap the benefits of both the forms and increase their profits substantially.