Collanos Blog

Collanos Workplace is featured in the May issue of  The Writer magazine. Unfortunately, the article “Great Software For Writers That Won’t Cost A Dime -And you don’t have to be a techie to put these applications to work” by Scott Rhoades is not available online to nonsubscribers.

It mentions using Collanos for three things:

• a writers group,
• collaboration between two or more writers on a project,
• and synchronizing files between computers such as a desktop and laptop.

“What writers groups do in places like Yahoo! Groups can be done in a more organized and secure fashion in Collanos Workplace. A critique group or collaborators can share their files, exchange messages, work together on tasks, and track changes. Even if you don’t have a writers group, you can use Workplace to keep your projects current on more than one computer.

Perhaps best of all, you’re not tied to your desktop. If you use a laptop or dial-up connection, or if you simply want to avoid the barrage of distractions from the Internet, you can work off-line. Any changes that you or others in your group make while you’re writing offline will be updated next time you go online.”

At CeBIT 2009, Collanos and Translumina Networks will be launching LumiMagic, which is a cost-effective Linux box combining the functions of a VoIP telephone switchboard, network router, and WLAN access point. When integrated into a Collanos collaboration network, it offers companies and their partners a comprehensive communications and collaboration platform. The latest versions of Collanos Workplace and Collanos Phone will also be on display. Making its first appearance at the CeBIT (Booth A56/Hall 13) as part of the “Triple Play & more” consortium, Collanos will be exhibiting its software for electronic team collaboration among multiple organizations.

Collanos and Translumina Networks launch the LumiMagic telephone switchboard for SMBs

LumiMagic epitomizes the SMB (small and medium-sized businesses) telephone switchboard of the future. Oriented to the needs of SMBs, the compact, cost-effective Linux box combines the services of a VoIP telephone switchboard, network router, and wireless LAN access point in a single package. The innovative integration of the telephone switchboard into a Collanos collaboration network provides a company’s employees with the most direct communication paths and comprehensive teamwork support – all at low cost and regardless of their individual locations.

Every employee and every Collanos user at a supplier, partner, or customer location can be integrated into the company’s communications and collaboration network. Employees can thus be reached via their company phone number, and when it comes to their collaborative work with others within or outside the company, they can take advantage of functions geared toward team information sharing, instant messaging, telephone conferences, and project management. In doing so, telephony as well as Internet-based collaboration with every other employee and Collanos user worldwide is free of charge. Phone connections to the public telephone network are very inexpensive thanks to the typical low-cost VoIP telephone rates.

New Collanos Version

To be introduced at the CeBIT, Collanos’ latest Version 1.4.0.2 features many new functions and enhancements. New Premium services have been added to Collanos Workplace and Collanos Phone. For example, all users can now be reached at their own Collanos phone number from any public telephone.

Collanos Receives Dual Nominations for the 2009 IT INNOVATION PRIZE.

Collanos has been nominated for the “2009 IT INNOVATION PRIZE” at this year’s CeBIT for its innovative solution geared especially toward small and medium-sized businesses. That puts Collanos in the top three in the “Unified Communications” and “Special Awards – Switzerland” categories. The winners will be announced on March 5 at the official CeBIT awards ceremony.

Prices and Availability

Collanos Software products are free of charge and can be downloaded at http://www.collanos.com. Prices for LumiMagic vary depending on the package ordered and start at Euro 129 plus a monthly flat rate of Euro 19.

About Triple Play & more

”Triple Play & more” is a consortium of companies operating in the telecommunications and multimedia industries. Their areas of activity include construction, operations, maintenance, and financing of multimedia platforms as well as the development and sales of telecommunications and interactive multimedia services that are consolidated on telephony, broadband Internet, and television end devices.

In addition to companies of the Translumina Group (Translumina Networks, Comitas, Lambdastream, three60mobile), Triple Play & more also includes Collanos Software, CTModule, NetModule, AareNet, MHM and BlueBit.

Collanos und Translumina Networks lancieren mit LumiMagic auf der CeBIT 2009 eine kostengünstige Linux-Box, welche die Funktionen von VoIP Telefonzentrale, Netzwerkrouter und WLAN Access Point kombiniert. Integriert ins Collanos Collaboration Netzwerk bietet sie Unternehmen mit ihren Partnern eine umfassende Plattform für Kommunikation und Zusammenarbeit. Weiter werden die neusten Versionen von Collanos Workplace und Collanos Phone gezeigt. Im Rahmen des Zusammenschlusses „Triple Play & more“ präsentiert sich Collanos, Anbieterin von Software für die firmenübergreifende, elektronische Zusammenarbeit von Teams, erstmals auf der CeBIT (Stand A56/Halle 13).

LumiMagic VoIP PBX

Collanos und Translumina Networks lancieren die LumiMagic Telefonzentrale für KMU

LumiMagic verkörpert die KMU-Telefonzentrale der Zukunft. Ausgerichtet auf die Bedürfnisse von KMUs kombiniert die kleine, kostengünstige Linux-Box VoIP Telefonzentrale, Netzwerkrouter und Wireless LAN Access Point. Die innovative Integration der Telefonzentrale ins Collanos Collaboration Netzwerk ermöglicht den Mitarbeitenden eines Unternehmens unabhängig von deren Standort einfachste Kommunikationswege und umfassende Teamworkunterstützung bei geringen Kosten.

Jeder Mitarbeitende und jeder Collanos Nutzer bei Lieferanten, Partnern und Kunden, kann in das Kommunikations- und Kollaborations-Netzwerk der Firma integriert werden. So wird er weltweit über seine Firmen-Telefonnummer erreichbar und profitiert in der Zusammenarbeit mit anderen, innerhalb der Firma oder firmenübergreifend, von Funktionen für Team Information Sharing, Instant Messaging, Telefonkonferenz und Projektmanagement. Dabei ist für jeden Mitarbeitenden sowohl die Telefonie als auch die Zusammenarbeit im Internet mit jedem anderen Mitarbeiter und Collanos Nutzer weltweit kostenlos. Telefonverbindungen ins öffentliche Telefonnetz sind dank typischen VoIP Telefonkonditionen sehr kostengünstig.

Neue Collanos Version

Collanos weist in der zur CeBIT veröffentlichten Version 1.4.0.2 zahlreiche neue Funktionen und Optimierungen auf. Neue Premium-Services ergänzen Collanos Workplace und Collanos Phone: Jeder Nutzer kann nun über seine individuelle Collanos Telefonnummer von jedem öffentlichen Telefon erreicht werden.

Collanos zweimal für den INNOVATIONSPREIS-IT 2009 nominiert

Als innovative, speziell für den Mittelstand geeignete Lösung ist Collanos für den an der CeBIT 2009 vergebenen „INNOVATIONSPREIS-IT 2009“ nominiert. Collanos erreicht damit in der Kategorie „Unified Communications“, wie auch für die „Sonderauszeichnung Schweiz“ einen der ersten 3 Plätze. Die Sieger werden am 5. März, im Rahmen der offiziellen Preisverleihung auf der CeBIT bekanntgegeben.

Preise und Verfügbarkeit

Die Produkte von Collanos Software sind kostenfrei und können unter http://www.collanos.com heruntergeladen werden. Die Preise für die LumiMagic variieren je nach Umfang des Angebotes und beginnen bei CHF 199 zuzüglich einer monatlichen Pauschale von CHF 29.

Über Triple Play & more

Triple Play & more ist ein Zusammenschluss von Unternehmungen der Telekommunikations- und Multimediabranche. Ihre Tätigkeitsfelder umfassen Bau, Betrieb, Unterhalt und Finanzierung von Multimedia-Plattformen sowie Entwicklung und Vertrieb von Telekommunikations- und interaktiven Multimediadiensten, die auf  Telefonie-, Breitbandinternet- und TV-Endgeräten zusammengeführt werden. Neben den Unternehmungen der Translumina Gruppe (Translumina Networks, Comitas, Lambdastream, three60mobile) gehören Collanos Software, CTModule, NetModule, AareNet, MHM und BlueBit zu Triple Play & more.

Get the illustrated PDF version of the Collanos Workplace 1.4.0.2 Release Notes (15 pages, with many screen shots).

This is a combined release note. It covers three different Collanos products and services, all being released at the same time.

• Collanos Workplace 1.4.0.2 is a maintenance releases of our flagship solution Collanos Workplace. It contains primarily bug fixes and various enhancements, but also a small number of new features. The focus of this release was to fix defects discovered since releasing the last major versions of Collanos Workplace and the functionally integrated Collanos Phone 1.4.0.1 in December 2008 and to further improve the system for best user experience.
• Dial-In Phone Numbers is a new premium service. Users can now subscribe to real phone numbers, making their Collanos Phone reachable from the outside, from any regular phone. Initially this service is being launched for Swiss numbers and available to Swiss residents only. Additional countries will be added gradually in the coming months.
• Web Application for Text Resource Translations is a comfortable web application for all Collanos Translators, which are Ambassadors who signed up to translate Collanos Workplace into their languages. A simple to use Web application makes it very easy to translate text resources into any language of the planet.

Collanos Workplace 1.4.0.2 – Release Highlights

• Much improved presence system – now faster, more reliable, and consistent
• New delivery status message in Chat window
• New Technical Page with system information (for technical users only)
• Combined start option for Collanos Phone and Collanos Workplace (when Workplace starts, Phone is also started)
• Collanos Phone now works also with older versions of Macintosh OS X (10.4.x “Tiger”)
• The Phone application can now also be updated automatically via the web
• Email address verifier in user profile, helps to reduce problems with mistyped addresses
• Various bug fixes related to system stability and operating systems particularities
• Several bug fixes related to functionality and user permissions, especially in area of Task Management
• Many GUI fixes related to drag-and-drop, working with links, window sizes, and other visual tweaks
• Exit from Workplace operation now works always
• Fixes and improvements in Installer and Uninstaller
• New and improved “Date picker” GUI element
• Corrections to text translations (mainly for German)

This was just the summary, get the detailed release notes for Collanos 1.4.0.2. Please download the newest Collanos Workplace 1.4.0.2.

Collanos Phone 1.4.0.2 is functionally integrated into Collanos Workplace and automatically installed with Collanos Workplace 1.4.0.2. For Collanos Phone only users a separate installation program is available.

We are constantly being asked about new features, if and when they would be incorporated into the solution offering. Additionally, we are getting also many great suggestions and features requests, posted directly to the user forum.

In the hope of relieving you at least partly from your anxiety, we decided to compile a “short list” of areas that we will very likely address in the next one or two Collanos Workplace releases.

• Calendar, including simple synchronization with popular web calendar(s)
• File system integration (synchronizing folders of the operating system)
• Search functionality across all your workspaces
• Organizing and grouping of all your workspaces with keywords-based tagging or categories
• Saving objects like Emails, Contacts and Calendar Events from popular Groupware applications
• More transparent synchronization, show content replication details and new options to influence
• Support of multiple devices with only one unique Collanos Name
• Workspace templates, incl. template Web publishing to exchange with others
• Further improvements in task and project management
• Additional contact management and user profile improvements
• Expand historical change logs, to include all system objects and user actions

Please continue to tell us what you would like to see incorporated next in our releases. Feature requests stemming from real, daily, and intensive practical use take precedence from long theoretical “wish lists” of possible features. In any case, any and all ideas, suggestions and votes are welcome. Please post directly to the feature request section on Collanos Forum. Thank you for your contributions.

Collanos Workplace 1.4. integrates Collanos Phone’s voice functions. Three voice services are now available to teams.

1. Call Your Contacts/Members for Free

You can call any other Collanos user for free, if the connection can be established directly over the Internet. These direct calls can be set up in a number of ways. Generally, the command is contained in the context menu if you click on the contact or member directly. Sometimes you will also find a “Call” button in Collanos Workplace’s tool bar. When such a direct free call is established between two Collanos users, the Collanos Phone application will open automatically on both sides.

2. Call Your Contacts’/Members’ Regular Phone Numbers (Dial-Out Premium Service)

If you have purchased dial-out credit, you can call Collanos Workplace contacts and members on their regular phones. To do this, use again the context menu, but select “Dial-Out” and then one of the available numbers “Office”, “Home” or “Mobile”.

Phone Numbers in User Profile
Each Collanos user can set and change his regular phone numbers in his or her own user profile. Fill out these fields so that your contacts and friends are able to contact you even when you are not in from of your computer.

Purchase Dial-Out Phone Credit (Premium Service)
Dialing-out to regular phone numbers is a premium service. To be able to use this service, users need to purchase dial-out credit on Collanos’ secure web shop, using a VISA or MasterCard credit card.

Voice Box and Redirect Feature
Quite interesting especially for traveling users are the voice box and the call-redirect feature. Settings for these features can be made on the user’s account pages on Collanos’ secure web site.

Voice messages left for the user on his voice box are automatically forwarded to the user’s email.

Call Redirect redirects calls intended for Collanos Phone to a regular phone number, for instance to a mobile phone. Your team members and contacts will still be able to call you for free on your Collanos Phone, but the calls will be redirected to another number after a defined time. This feature is automatically available for all users that have a positive phone credit balance on their account.

3. High-quality Team Calls

There are two different kinds of team calls available in Collanos Workplace.

• The first is based on the central conference service and supporting up to 10 participants.
• The second is working between Collanos Phones only (no central server involved), but is limited to 3 participants.

The advantage of the central service is that conference call details such as “Subject”, “Description” and “List of Participants” are being sent by Workplace message as well as by Email to all participants. The Collanos Phone based conference on the other hand is directly calling the other two participants.

You can start a conference call by clicking on the button in Collanos Workplace’s toolbar at any time:

Central Conference Service
To establish a call based on the central conference service, use the first tab and fill in the form, such as:

• Conference call subject
• Conference call description (e.g. an agenda or the goals of this call)
• PIN code to protect the call
• Delay before the call starts (a good idea is to give a 5 or 15 minutes advance notice before starting)
• Desired participants

After starting such a conference call by clicking on “Start” button, all participants will receive a notification message, both in form of a Workplace chat message (system generated) and email notification. The email notification has one additional element, it contains a web link to automatically join the call.

Collanos Phone Conference
To establish a Conference Call that is started directly from your Collanos Phone, as well as the audio mixed on your local computer, use the second tab.

Swiss startup Collanos Software receives prestigious award in San Diego

Collanos Software, the developer of Collanos Workplace that allows teams to collaborate electronically over the Internet, was a winner of the Red Herring 100 Global award. Red Herring, an international media company, thereby recognized Collanos as one of the world’s top 100 startups.  In addition to Collanos, the Swiss companies Axes Systems, CarryQuote, Museeka and Secu4 were also prize recipients.

Innovation, management, global strategy, financial performance, and environmental integration are the criteria Red Herring, a media company, uses to rate promising, up-and-coming companies in bestowing its Global award. The fact that Switzerland serves as a prime location for innovation was highlighted by five Swiss startups receiving the Red Herring 100 Global award. Besides Collanos, these included  Axes Systems, CarryQuote, Museeka and Secu4.

In professional circles, the awards are considered the ultimate prize for innovative technology and are thus highly coveted. Peter Helfenstein, CEO of Collanos Software, was highly pleased with the outcome and said, “Being recognized by Red Herring 2008 in Europe and now globally as one of the most promising companies makes us very proud. It proves to me that when it comes to the current international software and Internet markets, Zurich and Switzerland hold a place in the middle of the ‘virtual Silicon Valley’. The fact that four other Swiss companies besides Collanos received awards is testament to Switzerland’s role as a technology center.”

In December 2008, Collanos launched the latest version of Collanos Workplace 1.4 as a comprehensive unified collaboration solution. Shared use of information and project management processeswithin teams is now supplemented by new voice and video functions. Recently, the company announced it had registered its 25,000th active Collanos user.

For additional information about the Red Herring 100 Global, please go to http://www.herringevents.com/global08/index.html

Schweizer Start-up Collanos Software in San Diego mit dem prestigeträchtigen Award ausgezeichnet

Collanos Software, Anbieterin von Collanos Workplace für die elektronische Zusammenarbeit von Teams im Internet, hat den Red Herring 100 Global Award gewonnen. Das weltweit tätige Medien-Unternehmen Red Herring zeichnet Collanos damit als eines der besten 100 globalen Start-ups aus. Neben Collanos wurden in San Diego die Schweizer Unternehmen Axes Systems, CarryQuote, Museeka und Secu4 geehrt.

Finanzielle Leistungsfähigkeit, Innovation, Management, globale Strategie und Integration ins Ökosystem – anhand dieser Kriterien bewertet das Medien-Unternehmen Red Herring vielversprechende aufstrebende Unternehmen für seinen weltweiten Award. Wie positiv sich die Innovationskraft und der Standortvorteil der Schweiz auswirkt, unterstreicht die Auszeichnung von gleich fünf Schweizer Start-ups mit dem Red Herring 100 Global Award. Neben Collanos sind das Axes Systems, CarryQuote, Museeka und Secu4.

Die Awards gelten in Fachkreisen als Ritterschlag in der Innovationstechnologie und sind entsprechend prestigeträchtig. Peter Helfenstein, CEO von Collanos Software, ist hoch erfreut: „Von Red Herring 2008 zunächst in Europa und nun sogar weltweit als eines der zukunftsträchtigsten Unternehmen gesehen zu werden, erfüllt uns mit Stolz. Es ist für mich der Beweis, dass für den heute globalen Software- und Internetmarkt Zürich und die Schweiz mitten ins „virtuelle Silicon Valley“ gerückt sind. Dass neben uns noch vier weitere Schweizer Unternehmen ausgezeichnet wurden, spricht klar für den Technologiestandort Schweiz.“

Collanos lancierte die neuste Version von Collanos Workplace 1.4 im Dezember 2008 als umfassende Unified Collaboration Lösung. Gemeinsames Nutzen von Informationen und Projektmanagement im Team werden neu ergänzt durch Voice- und Videofunktionen. Kürzlich konnte der 25′000ste aktive registrierte Collanos-Benutzer vermeldet werden.

Weitere Informationen zu Red Herring 100 Global unter http://www.herringevents.com/global08/redherring100.html

Swiss startup nominated for prestigious international award

Collanos Software, the developer of Collanos Workplace that allows teams to collaborate electronically over the Internet, was nominated as a finalist for Red Herring 100 Global Award. In April of last year, Collanos Software was selected as a 2008 Red Herring 100 Europe winner. With five other Swiss startups besides Collanos being nominated for the award, Switzerland can truly be considered a prime location for innovative, up-and-coming companies.

In professional circles, the awards given out by Red Herring, an international media company, are considered the ultimate prize for innovative technology and are thus highly coveted. Red Herring 100 winners and finalists from North America, Europe, and Asia of the last three years are eligible for the prestigious “Global” award. Using an elaborate process and drawing from a pool of eligible, promising companies, Red Herring’s editors select 200 finalists for this award. Their assessments are based on quantitative as well as qualitative criteria, including financial performance, innovation, management, global strategy, and environmental integration. The finalists, elite executives, and venture capital decision makers will meet in San Diego, California from January 14-16, 2009 for the presentation of the Global 100 awards.

Red Herring nominated five other Swiss startups besides Collanos. These six nominations put Switzerland in 9th place – an outstanding ranking – on the Red Herring list for the Global 100, after the U.S., China, U.K., India, France, Germany, Finland and Canada.

Exceptionally pleased to have his company on the list of finalists, Peter Helfenstein, CEO of Collanos Software, said, “For us and five other emerging companies to represent our country and Europe in San Diego makes me very proud of Collanos and Switzerland as a technology location. Collanos’ nomination highlights our innovative strength and confirms course we have taken using our special, highly attractive freemium business model.”

In December 2008, Collanos launched the latest version of Collanos Workplace 1.4 as a comprehensive unified collaboration solution. Existing teamwork support services are now supplemented with new voice, video, and project management functions. The company also announced that it had registered its 22,000th active Collanos user.

For additional information about the Red Herring 100 Global, please go to: http://www.herringevents.com/global08/index.html

Schweizer Start-up für prestigeträchtige weltweite Auszeichnung nominiert

Collanos Software, Anbieterin von Collanos Workplace für die elektronische Zusammenarbeit von Teams im Internet, wurde als Finalist der Red Herring 100 Global Awards nominiert. Collanos Software gewann im April 2008 bereits den Red Herring 100 Europa 2008 Award. Neben Collanos sind fünf weitere Schweizer Start-ups nominiert, was den Standortvorteil der Schweiz für innovative aufstrebende Unternehmen unterstreicht.

Die Awards des weltweit tätigen Medien-Unternehmens Red Herring gelten in Fachkreisen als Ritterschlag in der Innovationstechnologie und sind entsprechend prestigeträchtig. Red Herring 100 Nordamerika, Europa und Asien Gewinner sowie Finalisten der letzten drei Jahre sind für diese begehrte Auszeichnung wählbar. Red Herring Redaktoren wählen anhand eines ausgeklügelten Prozesses aus diesem Pool der förderungswürdigen, vielversprechenden Unternehmen die 200 Finalisten für die globale Auszeichnung. Die Bewertungen werden sowohl anhand quantitativer als auch qualitativer Kriterien abgegeben. Dazu gehören unter anderem finanzielle Leistungsfähigkeit, Innovation, Management, globale Strategie und Integration ins Ökosystem. Die Finalisten, Elite-Führungskräfte und Venture-Capital-Leader treffen sich vom 14. bis 16. Januar 2009 in San Diego (USA) für die Verleihung der Global 100 Auszeichnungen.

Neben Collanos sind fünf weitere Start-ups aus der Schweiz nominiert. Mit diesen sechs Nominationen liegt die Schweiz in der Red Herring Liste für die Global 100 nach USA, China, Grossbritannien, Indien, Frankreich, Deutschland, Finnland und Kanada auf dem hervorragenden 9. Platz.

Peter Helfenstein, CEO von Collanos Software, freut sich: „Zusammen mit Vertretern von fünf weiteren aufstrebenden Unternehmen unser Land und Europa in San Diego vertreten zu dürfen, erfüllt mich für Collanos und den Technologiestandort Schweiz ganz allgemein mit Stolz. Die Nomination von Collanos unterstreicht unsere Innovationskraft und bestätigt den eingeschlagenen Weg mit unserem speziellen, attraktiven Freemium-Geschäftsmodell.“

Collanos lancierte im Dezember 2008 die neuste Version von Collanos Workplace 1.4 als umfassende Unified Collaboration Lösung. Gängige Dienste zur Unterstützung der Teamarbeit werden neu durch Voice- und Video- sowie Projektmanagementfunktionen abgerundet. Gleichzeitig konnte der 22′000. aktive registrierte Collanos-Benutzer vermeldet werden.

Weitere Informationen zu Red Herring 100 Global unter http://www.herringevents.com/global08/index.html.