This document summarizes and rates various tools and apps that can help virtual teams with productivity, social connection, and content curation. Productivity tools reviewed include Harvest, CloudOn, Basecamp, Eventbrite, and Prezi. Social tools discussed are Yammer, Ning, and Klout. Content tools summarized are Pinterest, Paper.li, Scoop.it, Pearltrees, and Infogr.am. Each tool is rated on a "Pierogi scale" of 1 to 10 pierogi for its usefulness for virtual teams.

1. Tools and apps for virtual teams
Ian Clifford
@ian_cli
21-22 May 2013

2. “One day every town in
America will have its own
telephone”
US town mayor, 1880

3. Tools & Apps for Virtual Teams
Productivity
– Harvest
– CloudOn
– Basecamp
– Eventbrite
– Prezi
– Outcomes Star
Social
– Yammer
– Ning
– Klout
Content
– Pinterest
– Paper.li
– Scoop.it
– Pearltrees
– Infogr.am
• New measurement scale…

4. Pierogi Scale
• 1 pierogi: sucks
• 3 pierogi: not enough, want more
• 5 pierogi: some good filling, still want more
• 7 pierogi: great, almost full!
• 9 pierogi: awesome! Want for nothing!
• 10 pierogi: gone to heaven! Food coma!!

5. Productivity tools

6. Harvest http://getharvest.com
• Virtual team factor: remote time management
• Cost: free 1 month free trial, thereafter dependent on
size
• 1 user €9/month, 5 users €37/month 10 users
€75/month €7.5 per extra user
• Setup time: 5 minutes.
• Training required: five minutes
• Key points: easy to create trackable timesheets,
manage time across multiple projects, higher cost for
larger teams
• Overall rating: 7 pierogi

8. CloudOn http://cloudon.com
• Productivity: MSFT Office on your tablet
linked to Dropbox.
• Cost: free, ‘freemium’ coming
• Setup time: 2 minutes.
• Training required: none
• Key points: Word, Excel, Powerpoint on
iPad, plus other tablets
• Overall rating: 10 pierogi !!!!!!

10. Basecamp http://basecamp.com
• Virtual team factor: collaborative work space
• Cost: 60 day free trial. Starter: 15gb, 40 proj
€38/mth
• Setup time: initial 5 mins, longer to fully develop
• Training required: few minutes familiarisation
• Key points: easy set up, powerful, scalable, no gantt.
• Alternative: Freecamp.com
• Overall rating: 9 pierogi !!!

12. Eventbrite http://eventbrite.com
• What is it? Online event ticketing & promotion
• Cost: free for free events. 1% plus credit card
fee for paid events
• Setup time: 10 minutes.
• Training required: none
• Key points: run professional ticketed events
• Overall rating: 8 pierogi

14. Prezi http://www.prezi.com
• Productivity: zooming presentations
• Free subscription accounts mean that all your
presentations will be available to the public
• Setup time: 5 minutes.
• Training required: takes a while to get used to it
• Key points: create stunning presentations… can
make people dizzy!
• Overall rating: 7 pierogi

16. Outcomes star
http://www.outcomesstar.org.uk
• Productivity: impact measuring methodology
• Cost: offline basic ‘community star’ free,
online c€40 per user
• Preparation time: significant
• Training required: yes
• Key points: great evaluation process, costly
• Overall rating: 5 pierogi

19. Social Tools

20. Yammer http://www.yammer.com
• Virtual team factor: corporate social network
• Cost: free small networks, corp €2.3/per user/
month (https://www.yammer.com/about/pricing/)
• Setup time: 5 minutes.
• Training required: 5 minutes
• Key points: Like Facebook! Mobile and
desktop apps, super easy to set up, scalable
• Overall rating: 9 pierogi!!

22. Ning http://ning.com
• Virtual team factor: private, fully functioning social network
• Cost: Free 14 day free trial, thereafter dependent on scale,
– 1,000 users, 2 admin €21/month
– 10,000 users 5 admin €47/month
– 100,000 users 10 admin €88/month
• Setup time: 1 hour plus
• Training required: dependent on experience, good to have
CMS experience
• Key points: easy to create social/ professional network
open to anyone
• Overall rating: 7 pierogi

24. Klout http://www.klout.com
• Social media impact analysis, Tw, FB, G+, LI, …
• Cost: Free
• Setup time: 5 minutes.
• Training required: none
• Key points: easy to see where you can improve
your social media presence
• Alternative: Kred.com
• Overall rating: 7 pierogi

26. Content Tools

27. Pinterest http://pinterest.com
• Virtual team factor: common interest pinboards
• Cost: Free
• Setup time: 5 minutes
• Training required: none
• Key points: easy video and photo content
curating, collaborative, easy to set up, promote
• Overall rating: 9 pierogi

29. Paper.li http://paper.li
• What is it? Automated hashtag, youtube,
facebook daily/ weekly newspapers
• Cost: free, €10/mth branded, custom address
• Setup time: 5 minutes.
• Training required: none
• Key points: really easy to set up, builds audience
engagement, collaborative
• Overall rating: 8 pierogi

31. Scoop.it http://scoop.it
• Virtual team factor: curated news content
• Cost: Free
• Setup time: 5 minutes, ongoing commitment
• Training required: none
• Key points: great for expert teams to build
collaboratively, builds audience engagement
• Overall rating: 7 pierogi

33. Pearltrees http://pearltrees.com
• Virtual team factor: collaborative visual favorites
• Cost: free
• Setup time: 5 minutes.
• Training required: none, ongoing development
• Key points: great for expert teams to build
collaboratively, builds audience engagement
• Overall rating: 7 pierogi

35. Infogr.am http://infogr.am
• Virtual team factor: easy to make infographics
• Cost: free
• Setup time: 5 minutes.
• Training required: none, data presentation skills
• Key points: really easy to use, slightly limited in
scope, makes dynamic infographics
• Overall rating: 7 pierogi

37. Thanks
Ian Clifford
Twitter @ian_cli
Be.LinkedIn.com/in/ihclifford
ian@ianclifford.co.uk