Google Rides Collaboration Wave

Collaborating with co-workers can be challenging enough when you’re all in the same office, but even more so when you’re scattered across the state, the country or the globe. Troy Dreier at Intranetjournal.com takes a look at Wave, a collaboration application and one of the latest innovations from the folks at Google.

Imagine you need to brainstorm with coworkers about promotions to run for your site. Instead of creating a document, writing an e-mail, or jotting an instant message, you create a wave, which is a bit like all three put together.

You start at the Google Wave inbox, where you create a new wave and add the coworkers you want to see it. Everyone you add is a full collaborative partner on the wave. You then write your ideas and ask for input.

Once you're done, your coworkers will be able to comment and you can even view their comments and work collaboratively with them in real time. You'll be able to edit their work, and they yours. Everyone can add links, notes, or attachments.

That wave, and others that you've either created or have been added to, live in your main Google Wave inbox, where you can see which waves have new comments. Presence indicators let you know which contacts are currently online.