General

About colaab

What is meant by 'real-time' collaboration?

The basic gist of real-time collaboration is that you and others can work on a Resource in colaab, much in the same way as you could if you were all sitting together at the same table.

For example, if someone makes a comment on a Resource you are viewing, it will appear straight away in front of you. No need to refresh the page or go backwards and forwards. You can also use our Discussion Hub to chat to each other, view Resources as they are being created, and even comment on video and text documents in real time.

With this in mind, it's easy to imagine the incredible time-saving possibilities that colaab has to offer. Sign up today for your free 30-day trial.

How much does colaab cost?

colaab comes in four packages; Ultimate, Plus, Starter and Free. These cost $99, $49, $24 and $0 a month respectively with no hidden charges, and you can cancel, upgrade or downgrade at any time at no extra cost. To find out more about these packages, check out our pricing and sign-up page.

What are the benefits of colaab?

There are many benefits to using colaab in your working environment. Listed below are just a few:

• Real time collaboration cuts down wasted hours and money spent in meetings, sending emails back and forth, and making long distance phone calls.
• The rich, simple interface is incredibly secure, fast and easy to use, increasing your productivity even more.
• Create, share, comment and discuss a wide range of Resources including office documents, images and video.
• 4 different packages to suit your needs.
• Upgrade, downgrade or cancel at any time at no extra cost.
• No hidden charges, anywhere. Not now, not ever.
• A free 30-day trial on all of our price-plans. Nothing to pay upfront, nothing to lose.
• Audit trail - track changes and see who's created, deleted and commented on what.
• Managing your account online couldn't be simpler.

Who can use colaab?

colaab is so easy to use, almost any business, club, group or organisation can benefit from its many functions. For example:

• Creative Agencies - Review designs with clients and get feedback in real-time
• Study Groups - Swap lecture notes and test each other on exam questions in real-time
• Internal Communications - Review meeting minutes, discuss to do lists and collaborate on a wide range of Resources in real-time
• Health Practices
- Discuss patient notes, diagnoses and test results quickly with colleagues in real-time
• Consultants - Share your wisdom with your clients in real-time
• Recruiting - Discuss CV's, interviewer notes and potential candidates in real-time
• Retailers - Create and review pricing for your latest brand in real-time
• Advertising Firms - Confer over the latest promotion brief from head office in real-time
• Event Organisers - List and confer on potential sponsorships in real-time
• Editors and Publishers - Review the latest sample of your cover story in real-time
• Artists - Post lyrics, potential album art and upcoming gigs in real-time

If you too can see the many uses that colaab could have for your business or organisation, sign up today for your free 30-day trial.

What level of support do you offer to users?

As well as this extensive FAQ and help section, we offer support via email - support@colaab.com.

What if I think anything could be done to improve colaab? Is there any way to leave feedback?

If you have any comments or suggestions about how we could make colaab better, please drop us a line at team@colaab.com or use the feedback panel inside the application itself . While we can't guarantee we'll implement your ideas tomorrow, we really value and appreciate any feedback that we receive from our customers while using colaab, and strive to take your suggestions and comments on board.

Can I install colaab on my own server?

Currently, no - but if this is something you'd be interested in, please get in touch - team@colaab.com

How easy is it to get set up? How much technical ability do I need?

If you've managed to get this far reading the FAQ, then getting set up should be a doddle.

It's very easy to register for a colaab account. Even if you get stuck, we have handy instructions along each step of the process to guide you. Simply register, choose your price plan, and then you'll be collaborating in minutes.

Which browsers does colaab support?

colaab is available cross browser and cross platform. We currently support the following:

Operating System	Internet Explorer 7	Internet Explorer 6	Firefox 1.5	Firefox 2 / 3	Safari
Windows Vista
Windows XP SP2
Windows 2000
Windows Server 2003 (excluding IA-64)
Mac OS 10.4.8+ (PowerPC)
Mac OS 10.4.8+ (Intel-based)

Security and Data

Is our data safe and secure on colaab? Where is this data stored?

Data added to and uploaded into colaab is stored on our secure server or on Amazon's servers as we partner with them for our storage needs.

Is our data backed up automatically?

All data and resources are backed up or stored more than once to provide redundancy.

Workspaces

Using Workspaces

What is a Workspace?

A Workspace is where you keep Resources (such as images, documents and videos). Think of it like a folder on your computer which stores files. It is mainly a way of organising your Resources, and controlling who can collaborate on and view them. You can view all of the Workspaces you can enter on your dashboard.

If you create a Workspace then you are the organiser for it, allowing you to name the Workspace, create and delete Resources, control who can collaborate on and view the Resources, amongst other privileges. A Workspace which you have been invited to makes you a participant; allowing you to add comments, create and comment on resources, chat to other Workspace users, and various other participating activities. You can be an organiser of some Workspaces, and a participant of others, depending on what Workspaces you have created, and what ones you have been invited to.

Can I make Workspaces private?

When adding or managing a Workspace, you will see 2 options: make the Workspace public or private.

Making it public means that any user invited can access the Workspace and its Resources, as well as anyone else (logged in or not) who is given the Workspace or Resource URL.

Making the Workspace private will only allow those invited access to it.

Discussion Hub

How does the Discussion Hub work?

The Discussion Hub is a built in instant messenger. Each Workspace has a Discussion Hub unique to it, and all users of that Workspace can contribute to the discussion. If the user you wish to talk to is online, simply type away in the message box, click send, and then wait for a reply in the same place. All messages are stored so you can view the entire discussion history at any time, even if you weren't logged in when the messages were sent.

Who can see my conversations?

Everyone on the Collaborators list for the Workspace will be able to see every message on the Discussion Hub. So if you want to moan about your annoying clients in a Workspace they've been invited to, send a private message to your colleague instead.

Actions

What is the actions list?

This handy little feature lets you view all the comments that have been created in your Workspaces. You can filter these comments by type, date and keyword to keep track of who's saying what.

Collaborators

How does the Collaborators list work?

The Collaborators list appears at the bottom right of the screen whenever you are inside a Workspace or Resource. It shows a list of users who have access to that Workspace. There are various functions to the Collaborators list:

• Beside each user, you can see their screen name, their login status (a green person is logged in, a grey person is not) and what they are viewing in colaab.
• If you hover over a user, it will highlight what Workspaces and Resources they have created (if you are in the Dashboard or Workspace), and will also give you options to view their profile, send them a private message, or even send them an SMS text message if they have it enabled.
• You can also start a conference call by clicking the button at the top right of the Collaborators list.

Can I send someone a private message?

If you want to send a private communication for their eyes only, simply click on the mail icon next to the user's icon, type in your message and an email will be sent to their inbox.

How much does a Conference Call cost?

We provide conference calls through a third party partner, see here for rates and more details.

Other

What are the different levels of access for users within a Workspace?

There are 3 different levels of access for users within a Workspace:

• Viewer - This is the lowest level of access. Viewers, like their title suggests, can only view Workspaces and Resources they have been invited to. They can however interact with other users through the Discussion Hub, private messaging and SMS messaging.
• Participant - This role allows the user all the privileges of a Viewer, plus some added Resource functionality. Participants can create, comment on and annotate Resources.
• Organiser - The highest privilege setting for a Workspace. The Organiser can do everything a participant can do, as well as add and delete Workspaces, delete Resources, start a Conference Call and change the roles of other users.

How many Workspaces can I have?

The limits vary depending on which package you have signed up to. With Free, you can have just 1; with Starter, up to 10; with Plus up to 40; and with Ultimate you can have an unlimited amount of Workspaces.

Is the account limit on Workspaces just for Workspaces I've created? Or does it include Workspaces I can participate in?

The account limit is for Workspaces that you and other organisers in your organisation can create. You can participate in as many Workspaces as you desire.

What is the News Feed?

The news feed is an application on the Dashboard which displays all recent activity from Workspaces that you’re involved in. If you wish, you can subscribe to your news feed via RSS, by clicking the orange button at the top of the news feed. You can also set your notification preferences here.

Resources

Using Resources

What is a Resource?

You can create a Resource in colaab from a text document, an image, a video, an XPS file or even a screen grab from a web page. In colaab, you can view, collaborate, comment and annotate on Resources.

Resources are stored in Workspaces, much like files are stored in folders in your computer. They are what you'll likely be spending most of your time looking at on colaab.

Can I make Resources private?

Resource permission settings are defined by the Workspace they are stored in. When adding or managing a Workspace, you will see 2 options: make the Workspace public or private.

Making it public means that any user invited can access the Workspace and its Resources, as well as anyone else (logged in or not) who is given the Workspace or Resource URL.

Making the Workspace private will only allow those invited access to it.

Creating a Resource

What types of Resource can I create in colaab?

You can create the following types of Resources in colaab:

• Documents - .DOC, .DOCX, .PPT, .PPTX, .PDF
• Images - .PNG, .JPG, .PSD, .GIF
• Video - .WMV
• XPS files - .XPS

In addition, you can specify the URL of a web page and colaab will take a screen grab of it.

You can also store any file type in colaab, although you will not be able to collaborate on it.

Is there any way to upload a file that is not supported by colaab?

If the file you wish to upload to colaab is not part of our supported file types, you can always convert it to and upload it as an XPS file. Our concise guide lets you know how to convert almost any file into this format with minimal fuss.

In the file you wish to upload, click print. In the list of printers, check if you have a printer called Microsoft XPS Document Writer.

If you do, simply select this as your printer, click print, and then upload the XPS file that you have just created. If you do not have this option, you'll need to download the Microsoft XPS Document Writer first.

The Microsoft XPS Document Writer comes as part of the Microsoft .net download, which is free and easy to install. It doesn't interfere with your web or computer browsing experience in any way whatsoever.

Click here to download the Microsoft XML printer driver. Once the file has downloaded, double click on it to open up the installation. Simply follow the onscreen instructions, and you'll soon be ready to convert your files to XPS.

How much file space does my account have?

It depends entirely on what package you have signed up for. Free allows 50MB worth of storage; Starter allows 1GB; Plus 10GB; and Ultimate will give a whopping 25GB worth of Resource space.

Is there a file size limit on Resources?

Currently, the file size limit on an individual Resource is 100MB. If you feel that this is a problem for you, please contact us at team@colaab.com .

Can I download a Resource?

You can download a resource from colaab by clicking on the share icon in the Resource or on the Resource item in the Resource list. This will provide a download link.

Viewing and Collaborating with Resources

How do I use the Resource Viewer?

There are many ways in which you can collaborate on a Resource:

• There is the tidy button, which centres the Resource, fits the Resource to the screen size, and tidies comments.
• You can view the document at its original size by clicking the Zoom to actual button.
• You can also add comments and annotations.
• You can even share or download the Resource by clicking the globe icon.

How do I add/delete comments?

You can add a comment by clicking on the Add comment button (green plus icon) at the top of the Resource. You can then give your comment a title, description, action required and use the comment connector to refer it to a single point on the Resource.You can even move the comment to wherever you desire on the Resource.

Once you've finished editing your comment, click the save button (disk icon) to retain changes. To edit a saved comment, click the edit button (blocks icon).

You can delete comments by clicking on the delete button (red cross icon) in the top right corner of the comment.

How do I respond to a comment?

If you wish to respond to a comment, rather than creating a new one, click on the open responses button (white square icon). Here you can view responses to the comment or add your own by typing your message into the box and clicking send. You can close the responses by clicking on the open responses button again.

How do I add/delete annotations?

The annotation tool is a handy way of highlighting parts of a Resource. To open it, click on the annotation tool button (palette icon). Here you can annotate, by clicking on the add annotation button (palette icon) and then drawing on the Resource. You can also highlight in much the same way, by clicking the highlighter button (palette with sun icon). Deleting annotations is also very simple. Just select the delete button (palette with red cross icon) and draw over which annotation you wish to delete.

Users + Companies

Registration

How do I register?

It's very easy to register for a colaab account. Simply register, choose your price plan, and then you're good to go. Even if you get stuck, we have handy instructions along each step of the process to guide you along.

What is Silverlight? Why do I need to install it?

Microsoft Silverlight is a small browser plug-in which colaab uses, much like Adobe Flash. It allows for the real-time collaboration that colaab has to offer, as well as the rich, simple and friendly user interface. In other words, Silverlight is an essential cog of the colaab machine.

Silverlight is free, easy and quick to install, and doesn't interfere with your web or computer browsing experience in any way whatsoever. If you get stuck at any point during installation, our on-screen instructions will be there to guide you.

30 days free? How does that work?

With every price plan, you get a free 30-day trial. Unlike most other ‘free' trials on the web, this one is 100% guaranteed free. You will still get access to all the great features you would normally get from a package once you begin paying for your account. No hidden charges, no strings attached.

The 30 day free trial is great, because it means that you simply cannot lose, whatever your situation. Did you choose the wrong package? Simply switch during your trial to a new one for free. 1 day left on your free trial and you want to cancel? Just let us know, and we'll cancel your colaab account for free.

If you choose to give us your credit card details before your 30-day free trial runs out, we will begin charging you the normal monthly rate for the package you have been using at the end of 30 days. If you decide not to supply us with your credit card details during registration, your colaab account will be frozen at the end of the 30-day free trial until we receive your card information.

How can I pay for colaab?

Visa or Mastercard is currently the method for paying your monthly colaab fee.

What other fees are there besides the monthly payment?

None. Nada. Zip. Zero.

Do I receive monthly invoices?

You can download each monthly invoice from the payment area of ‘My Account'.

Access

How do I invite other users to my Workspace?

Click the manage Workspace button (blocks icon) on the Workspace thumbnail you wish to invite another user to. Type the email address of the user you wish to invite into the ‘Manage Users' list, and click invite users. We will then send them an email with an invite to your Workspace.

How do I remove a user from a Workspace?

You can manage user access by clicking on the manage Workspace button (blocks icon) on the Workspace thumbnail you wish to set permissions to. Here you will find a list of users within that Workspace, from which you can delete users.

How do I set who can view and participate in my Workspaces and Resources?

You can manage user access by clicking manage Workspace (blocks icon) on the Workspace thumbnail you wish to set permissions on. Here you will find a list of users who can participate in your Workspace, from which you can invite, delete or change the roles of users.

What are the different levels of access for users within a Workspace?

There are 3 different levels of access for users within a Workspace

• Viewer - This is the lowest level of access. Viewers, like their title suggests, can only view Workspaces and Resources they have been invited to. They can however interact with other users through the Discussion Hub, private messaging and SMS messaging.
• Participant - This role allows the user all the privileges of a Viewer, plus some added Resource functionality. Participants can create, comment on and annotate Resources.
• Organiser - The highest privilege setting for a Workspace. The Organiser can do everything a participant can do, as well as add and delete Workspaces, delete Resources, start a Conference Call and change the roles of other users.

My Account

Billing

How do I upgrade or downgrade?

Upgrading and downgrading your price plan is free, easy and can be done at any time. Go to My Account at the top right of the colaab screen. Click on Manage Subscription, and then click on change My Package. There will be some handy onscreen instructions to guide you through the rest of the process.

How do I cancel?

Cancelling your account is free, easy and can be done at anytime. Go to My Account at the top right of the colaab screen. Click on Manage Subscription, and then click cancel at the bottom of the screen. The onscreen instructions will then take you from there.

How can I pay for colaab?

You can pay for your monthly description using a Visa or Mastercard.

How much does colaab cost?

colaab comes in four main packages; Ultimate, Plus, Starter and Free. These cost $99, $49, $24 and $0 a month respectively (and with no hidden charges). To find out more about these packages, check out our pricing and sign-up page.

What other fees are there besides the monthly payment?

None. Nada. Zip. Zero.

30 days free? How does that work?

With every price plan, you get a free 30-day trial. Unlike most other ‘free' trials on the web, this one is 100% guaranteed free. You will still get access to all the great features you would normally get from a package once you begin paying for your account. No hidden charges, no strings attached.

The 30 day free trial is great, because it means that you simply cannot lose, whatever your situation. Did you choose the wrong package? Simply switch during your trial to a new one for free. 1 day left on your free trial and you want to cancel? Just let us know, and we'll cancel your colaab account for free.

If you choose to give us your credit card details before your 30-day free trial runs out, we will begin charging you the normal monthly rate for the package you have been using at the end of 30 days. If you decide not to supply us with your credit card details during registration, your colaab account will be frozen at the end of the 30-day free trial until we receive your card information.

If I upgrade will I be charged twice this month? If I downgrade do I receive a discount?

If you upgrade during the month, the additional amount you have to pay per month will be added onto next month's invoice.

For example, if you have a Plus account, you have just paid $49 dollars for the month of March. Halfway through March you decide to upgrade to Ultimate. At the start of April, you will be charged $149. This amount is comprised of $99 for use of the Ultimate account during April, and $50 for the difference between Ultimate and Plus accounts, for use of the Ultimate account during March. You will then be charged normally from this point.

If you downgrade during the month, you will start paying less at the beginning of next month.

For example, if you have a Plus account, you have just paid $49 dollars for the month of March. Halfway through March, you decide to downgrade to Starter. At the start of April, you will be charged $24 for use of the Starter pack during April. You will then be charged normally from this point.

If you upgrade and downgrade several times a month, you will only be charged once for the highest package you upgraded to that month.

What is an account owner? How can I change the account owner on my account?

The account owner is the person who registered with colaab first from your company. Their account will have been used while choosing the package and giving credit card details.

Why are there only upgrade options in my account?

This is because your account currently exceeds the parameters for a lower package.

For example, you will see no downgrade option if you have a Plus package and currently have 25 Workspaces. This is because the limit of Workspaces for the lower package, Starter, is only 10. You will have to delete the excess Workspaces before the downgrade option can appear.

Signing In

How do I change my password?

While using colaab, go to My Account at the top right of the screen, and then click ‘Manage my Profile'. Here you can change your password.

What do I do if I've forgotten my username or password?

At the sign in screen, click ‘I've forgotten my password'. We will then send you a reminder to your email address.