Now we're able to work remotely using our smartphones and tablets and are still able to collaborate effectively. In this article, I'm going to share some of my favorite collaboration apps for my Android devices.
TeamViewer for Meetings – TeamViewer isn't just for remote desktop support. It also provides Linux supported online meeting capabilities. You can share your desktop, discuss things face to face in video and even record your meetings. In addition to those basic features, you'll also find you're able to schedule meetings and run a whiteboard within the app as well.
Licensing is fairly liberal. For casual users, the software is completely free to use. For businesses, however, you're expected to pay the license fee. Is it worth it? As I use the casual usage license myself which is free of cost, I certainly think so. Not only is it a great Linux app (despite its odd WINE wrapper built-in with the package), it runs like a champ on Android as well.
Filechat – When it comes to collaboration with a variety of different types of media, it's tough to beat Filechat. Collaborate on images, documents and even videos from your Android device. Bundle this with group chat and upvoting capabilities and you have yourself one solid collaboration app.
What wins the day in my eyes is that I'm free to sync my collaborative documents up with either Google Drive or Dropbox. And with its free registration, there's nothing from stopping mobile collaborative teams from working outside of the office.
Cisco WebEx Meetings – This certainly isn't my favorite way to participating in meetings, but it's a common enough standard for collaboration that it needs to be included. Cisco WebEx Meetings is usually utilized by medium to large companies looking to get their staff included in their regular web meetings.
For Android users, the app allows you to come in as a meeting participant and as the host. It also allows you to share video of yourself with others in the meeting while also viewing the presentation content. Additional benefits include private and group chat, along with access to the meeting attendee list.
One feature I really like about this software over some other titles is the ability to mute participants. It's usually not needed, however, if they have a lot of background noise and you're hosting a meeting, this level of control is important.
Skype – It's been my experience that Skype is a commonly overlooked collaboration tool for Android users. Despite the fact that Skype isn't as full-featured as other Android software titles available, it does allow you to video chat and share files back and forth.
Perhaps the biggest advantage to using Skype is that just about everyone has it available. Many Android users already have it installed and are using it for wifi phone calls. For me, Skype is a solid goto application when I need to collaborate with one other person directly.
Cloneboard – I consider this to be the best whiteboard application for collaborating in person. Using your Android device, simply draw or write down your thoughts using Cloneboard and it'll appear in the PC web browser of your choosing.
Cloneboard supports multiple colors for your creations, so now you can whiteboard a presentation without boring everyone to death!
Dropbox – If you simply want to share files and avoid lengthy conversations with your collaboration group, then Dropbox is a quick solution. Compatible with just about everything, it's also easy to install and use on Android. Using software like Microsoft Word for Android, you're able to save documents and share them with others in real time by providing a public link.
If using public links isn't what you want, you're also able to use the same account and let the files sync back and forth. This might not seem all that appealing, however for the price of a basic account it makes a lot of sense – both financially and from a practical standpoint.
Owncloud – If you like Dropbox, but would prefer to host your own solution –then you're going to love Owncloud. Like Dropbox, Owncloud provides you with a central location to sync your data and access it on your Android device. What makes Owncloud powerful is that once you get back to the office, you're able to create or edit documents using the Owncloud Documents feature. Sort of like Google Drive, minus the prying eyes.
You can sync up your contacts and calendars, plus your Owncloud server can also act as a gallery as well. The Android app allows you to access all of these features, and makes collaborating by sharing files dead simple.
Telegram – Encrypted, mobile friendly communications are made easy thanks to an app called Telegram. The software runs on your Android phone and acts a lot like SMS. The added benefit – besides the encryption – is that you're able to run the software on your Linux box as well.
You're able to collaborate in chat with groups and mute the chat sessions if needed. Unlike regular SMS, you can send just about anything through telegram. This includes documents and PDF files. Perhaps the most impressive thing about using Telegram is that it's faster than anything like it.
Freshdesk – There are a lot of support ticket systems out there. And like with most ticket systems, this means working with others administrators to handle new tickets as they come in. Obviously there will be instances where you need to handle a ticket on the go, and the Android app makes this possible.
You also want to make sure if you need to reassign the ticket or collaborate with others to resolve the ticket's contents, you're able to do so easily. Freshdesk makes this very easy. Not only can you manage the tickets from within the Android app, you're able to handle ticket related calls as well.
Tasker – In my humble option, Tasker is the most under-used app on the Android platform. Setup correctly, you can enable Tasker to make collaboration easier. From special handling of SMS, email and calls during specific events to being able to send out meeting reminders as you walk through the office door...automatically. After sharing specific documents and backing them up to your SD card, Tasker could then be used to send messages to all involved that the docs have been sent.
Tasker makes collaborating easier and far more effective. The hardest thing about using the app is learning how to use its complex functionality. But once you've mastered it, this application will turn you into a multitasking ninja.
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