Security Issues

Business users who place a high value on their information are unlikely to utilise the forums provided by such ubiquitous and public channels as Google, Yahoo and MSN.

At least not for serious collaboration required by Project Teams and geographically dispersed business units. Especially when they want to work with data that is strictly retained for their own organisation's "eyes only" while working with outside organisations with whom they want to share other information. In these circumstances, for their own personnel, it's important that all the information can be accessed from the one place with security in place to ensure that 3rd parties can only see the information they are allowed to see.

For example the Project Manager will have discussions with his own staff about the client that would not be in the best interests of the Project for the client to even be aware of. If the personnel are not able to get together face to face for such discussions, then a secure electronic resource needs to be in place to capture them - and keep them available for the team members that need to be aware of them. At the same time, the pertinent acpecst or outcomes of such discussion should be there for the client.

Such robust security is vital in business and should be managed smoothly from all users perspectives. The public domain might provide some of this, but it will be clumsy and always potentially fraught with the potential for leakage.

I liken it to having a project team meeting on client premises, with the door open, while issues are discussed that would ordinarily be kept within the project team.