Webex - Your Online Office

Creating a magazine is a big job. Creating one when the people involved - writers, layout artists, graphics experts, sub-editors and others - are scattered from Perth to Brisbane to Sydney, Melbourne regional areas and beyond is even more difficult. In fact, without the Internet, it almost couldn't be done.

Even then, files sent via email go astray for many reasons (the most usual being Microsoft Outlook's "intelligent" SPAM filter trashing them - grrr!) or they're inadvertently overlooked. Time zone differences can cause grief and let's face it - communication isn't as good as it could be.

We've tried using ftp servers, a neat utility from WINZIP called YouSendlt and as mentioned, email, but now we are trialling another method, that while it isn't free, seems to have finally, if not solved, certainly minimised previous errors we were getting using other systems. This method uses a new breed of software and is called WebOffice WebEx.

What is it?

WebEx is a totally web based system that's made up of a series of intermeshed components to give you complete control over the communications aspect of a business. So while there's no, for example, word processor or upmarket text editor (I can hear all the anti-Microsofties going "damn" right now!), there is the ability to create databases, online polls, store and distribute documents, task lists, contacts, appointments, online discussions, expense sheets and much more. There's even an optional email module turning the system into a sort of Internet based Intranet - if you get my drift.

The interface is very well laid out with a standard menu bar down the left hand side (by default), however you can modify and customise to a very large degree with logos being added, colour schemes being modified and so on.

How does it work?

To a large degree that depends upon your individual needs as to which modules of the overall office system are the most important to your requirements - and in truth, I'm finding that the more we use it, the more of the other modules we find have a specific use.

For us, the initial attraction was the ability to upload documents - stories written for both AusCam and PC Update - to the storage section and creating a document/folder hierarchy that allows us to quickly see what has been written and by whom, whether it had been sub-edited, been converted to a Press Ready PDF or then re-subbed after it had been placed into the total layout. Our "flatplan", a graphical representation of the magazine, including ad placements as well as stories, is also online and lets anyone quickly see for what elements of the magazine they're responsible for and whether these have been completed or not.

Because everything is stored logically in a single repository, using an intelligent interface instead of the more complex ftp type structure, much time is saved and many errors are eliminated at this stage of a Magazine edition's evolution.

As mentioned, as is often the way, we've been trying out WebEx based on a specific need we had, but other areas have popped up that we'll also try out. For example, the contacts system was initially looked at by each of us from a personal point of view, however, for me at least, I already have a bucket load of contacts in Outlook, and don't really see any advantage of duplicating this list online. There is the argument that no matter where I am, I have access to this list if I can get net access, but in truth, this list is also duplicated in my smartphone which negates that to a large degree.

However where it is useful, is that a percentage of my contacts are people in the media, PR representatives, vendors, advertisers and so on. Now these people ARE valuable to other members of my writing and production team. You'd be surprised at how much time is spent by technology journalists asking other technology journalists who is the PR rep for such and such a company, or where can I get a hi-res image on xyz product!

Another module with potential is the Poll section. Between the major senior production/writing team, we tend to thrash out ideas from time to time and then run these past a few people for their thoughts. Using the polling system, simple questions with options can be placed online and from the results, an analysis made of what direction we may take on something.

For example, the cover of a magazine is a Very Important Part; this is the first thing that most people see on the newsstand and can to a large degree, dictate a sale or not.

Aspects that make up the cover include the colour scheme used, the headlines (also called shoutlines), imagery and so on. These aspects could all be polled to get a consensus of what the cover should be like.

For more free form think-tanking, WebEx also has a discussions section. Here you can build up threads of discussion much like a web online forum would be but only accessible by those you want to see specific areas. This again allows far flung colleagues to indulge in meaningful dialogue over whatever is important at the time.

Security

Which leads on to a very important part of WebEx - security. As the system is self contained, only people who are invited and have the levels of permission to do so, can get into the sections of your "office" they are allowed to. So inside your virtual office, you can build smaller virtual sub-offices - in our case say, contributors, production, advertising and a communal space available to all.

Permissions can include allowed to read, allowed to post, allowed to modify, allowed to download, allowed to upload or no access at all. This is all implemented in an easy to use way with a designated Administrator (or Administrators) allowed to change permissions on the fly as they wish.

Drawbacks

The biggest single drawback of the system is also its biggest benefit in effect, and that is the simple fact all data is stored online. If you have no access to the net due to a power failure or location (such as on an aircraft), then unless you've previously downloaded copies of documents, you're effectively locked out.

Also potentially a problem is the system's speed. There are two major things that affect this - one is the speed of the server storing your data, and if there are a lot of people online this can slow down dramatically, and the second is the speed of your internet connection. In real terms, forget dial up.

I would have liked to see an online word processing package available as this would remove any reliance on Microsoft Office to a large degree, accepting there are some very good low cost , or even free, editors available.

A good one to look at is JDarkroom. There is no Presentation package available either — and for this from a personal point of view, I think the gods should be thanked! In my opinion, PowerPoint is the most overused application on the planet.

The final drawback is the cost. You "buy" WebEx - more correctly rent it, starting from US$59.95 for 5 users a month excluding the email component. Ten users is US$99.95 a month and it climbs from there. You can also pay an annual fee which is the same payment x12 but with a 10% discount.

Whether your needs can justify that expense remains to be seen, but in order to ascertain this, WebEx does allow a 30 day trial of the system. I recommend it - you may be pleasantly surprised at how many ways you can bend your system into this one to make a large gain in productivity.

You can learn more or get the free trial from http://www.webex.com.