Near-Time Launches New Hosted Service
Near-Time, Inc. has officially launched the beta version of its namesake hosted collaboration service. With Near-Time, users can quickly launch workspaces that tap into the power of Weblogs, Wikis and group scheduling, giving groups an easy and secure way to share ideas, information and files over the Web. Near-Time was recognized in a recent industry report as one of the most promising Web 2.0 applications for 2006.
Near-Time combines the non-linear, ad hoc collaboration of Wikis with the time sensitive, broadcast nature of blogs, bringing these two distinct but important types of collaboration together. It gives small and mid-size businesses an easy and low cost way to collaborate via familiar metaphors that require no IT "care and feeding" or infrastructure investment. Larger enterprises can take advantage of Near-Time's standards-driven architecture to integrate with other collaborative tools and build interdepartmental and inter-enterprise collaboration hubs in a loosely coupled, agile way.
Users of Near-Time can create a collaborative community within seconds. Members of a workspace can privately collaborate and make some or all of their content publicly available. Approachability is ensured with an intuitive interface and a standards-based architecture. Users can access Near-Time via any modern browser, making it easy for organizations to collaborate externally and internally within existing environments.
Near-Time's support for standard Web organization schemes, including hypertext links, categories, and tags, gives users an easy way to discover, reuse and remix group content. Near-Time also leverages existing technologies such as Weblog APIs, email, RSS and Atom feeds, and XML to provide interoperability with existing applications and systems. For example, in addition to an internal notification system, email notifications and RSS feeds give teams a way to stay in synch on the latest developments.
"We are believers in the power of the new Web to transcend email and give groups a better way to work together," said Near-Time CEO Reid Conrad. "Our hosted model enables us to integrate powerful Web collaboration tools like Weblogs and Wikis in an approachable way, providing a better platform for organizations to share ideas, files and information. By creating a more interactive community that integrates content and context, we are giving people the tools they need to improve and accelerate service delivery, product development, information tracking and idea generation."
Near-Time has received positive feedback from early users of the service. These users were from 40 countries, and market segments spanning business, academic, governmental and non-profit.
For example, Doug Hudiburg is a Louisville, Colo.-based marketing consultant who uses Near-Time. Doug said in a recent email to the Near-Time staff: "I wanted to take a moment to tell you how happy I am with Near-Time as a communication and collaboration tool. I started with just one project and am rapidly making Near-Time a required component of all of my projects. It allows me to efficiently manage projects and helps me keep all of the information on a specific project in one central, accessible location. Since using Near-Time I have found that my personal productivity is enhanced, but more importantly, my clients are much more responsive in doing their part of projects. I no longer have to worry about my messages, updates, and requests getting lost in their overflowing email inboxes!"
Barbara K. Iverson, a professor of journalism at Columbia College in Chicago, uses Near-Time to enhance communications with students and other teachers. "Near-time is a critical hub for several of my classes," she said recently. "I use it to post assignments, answer questions from students and give them a forum to publish their stories online. Teachers use Near-Time to create shared resources and assignments. As someone who works online all the time, I like the fact that Near-Time lets me manage a number of spaces under a single framework and easily move from one space to another. Its free trial, low price point and ease-of-use are real wins for time and cost-constrained academic environments." Iverson is a specialist and recognized authority in blogging and online publishing.
About Near-Time
Near-Time is an innovator in advanced collaboration solutions. Near-Time leverages existing and emerging standards to deliver best of class collaboration services. Near-Time is in use in over 40 nations by hundreds of businesses, academic institutions, government agencies and non-profit organizations to maximize internal and external collaboration. www.near-time.com
Is An Online Degree Right for You?
(ARA) - With the ever-changing job market and increasing competition for stable, well-paying jobs, more and more adults are seeking additional education to help them in their current professions or to prepare them for a career change. For people who are working full time, online learning, sometimes referred to as distance learning, can be a great choice.
Taking courses online enables you to pursue an advanced degree without sacrificing the time you spend with your family or the momentum you have in a career track. Online programs allow learners to take courses when it's convenient for them. Without set classroom time, learners can work on assignments from home, the office, or on the road -- as long as they have access to e-mail and the Internet.
The practicality and convenience of online learning has helped it become a popular choice among busy adults. Currently, there are hundreds of thousands enrolled in online degree programs. University of Phoenix, the largest accredited university in the United States - and leading online university -- helps more than 180,000 working adults achieve their academic and career goals every year.
Online learning offers many benefits. Most programs have rolling admissions and courses begin frequently so students can get started quickly. Going to school online means no hurried commute to make it to class in time. Students can log on to their course any time of day. And online programs typically cater to adult learners, so courses focus on material that's important and practical.
Choosing the right school is key to a positive and rewarding online learning experience. Prospective students should understand the options available and investigate which programs best suit their needs.
Here are some guidelines from the experts at EarnMyDegree.com that will help you make an informed decision:
1. Is the institution accredited? An accrediting agency evaluates such things as financial stability, admissions and student services, student learning and more.
2. Does the institution have both an online and traditional brick-and-mortar presence? This gives you the option of attending some classes on campus.
3. Does the institution have adequate student support services? Can they help you with choosing the right program? If you have technical problems with the online systems, can they help you resolve them?
4. What are the qualifications of the instructors? In addition to academic credentials, instructors may also hold high-level positions within their field of expertise, enabling them to share valuable, real-world experience which can be immediately applied to your career success.
5. What is the success rate of alumni? Ask about the program's graduation rate and job placement assistance.
The cost of online programs varies widely. The good news is that students enrolled in online degree programs are often eligible for the same types of financial assistance as traditional students, including scholarships, federal loans, grants and tuition reimbursement.
Online learning programs give adults a chance to go back to school to pursue their educational and career goals. To research accredited online universities, visit www.EarnMyDegree.com.
Copyright © 2006, ARA Content
(ARA) - With the ever-changing job market and increasing competition for stable, well-paying jobs, more and more adults are seeking additional education to help them in their current professions or to prepare them for a career change. For people who are working full time, online learning, sometimes referred to as distance learning, can be a great choice.
Taking courses online enables you to pursue an advanced degree without sacrificing the time you spend with your family or the momentum you have in a career track. Online programs allow learners to take courses when it's convenient for them. Without set classroom time, learners can work on assignments from home, the office, or on the road -- as long as they have access to e-mail and the Internet.
The practicality and convenience of online learning has helped it become a popular choice among busy adults. Currently, there are hundreds of thousands enrolled in online degree programs. University of Phoenix, the largest accredited university in the United States - and leading online university -- helps more than 180,000 working adults achieve their academic and career goals every year.
Online learning offers many benefits. Most programs have rolling admissions and courses begin frequently so students can get started quickly. Going to school online means no hurried commute to make it to class in time. Students can log on to their course any time of day. And online programs typically cater to adult learners, so courses focus on material that's important and practical.
Choosing the right school is key to a positive and rewarding online learning experience. Prospective students should understand the options available and investigate which programs best suit their needs.
Here are some guidelines from the experts at EarnMyDegree.com that will help you make an informed decision:
1. Is the institution accredited? An accrediting agency evaluates such things as financial stability, admissions and student services, student learning and more.
2. Does the institution have both an online and traditional brick-and-mortar presence? This gives you the option of attending some classes on campus.
3. Does the institution have adequate student support services? Can they help you with choosing the right program? If you have technical problems with the online systems, can they help you resolve them?
4. What are the qualifications of the instructors? In addition to academic credentials, instructors may also hold high-level positions within their field of expertise, enabling them to share valuable, real-world experience which can be immediately applied to your career success.
5. What is the success rate of alumni? Ask about the program's graduation rate and job placement assistance.
The cost of online programs varies widely. The good news is that students enrolled in online degree programs are often eligible for the same types of financial assistance as traditional students, including scholarships, federal loans, grants and tuition reimbursement.
Online learning programs give adults a chance to go back to school to pursue their educational and career goals. To research accredited online universities, visit www.EarnMyDegree.com.
Copyright © 2006, ARA Content
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