Teambox: A collaborative Web application with many uses

What is Teambox?

Teambox is an internally hosted and secure Web-based application that you can use to communicate, share documents, and work on projects. Teambox is open-source software and is already in use by teams within the college. You can watch their video tour for an overview of its features, and examples of how it can be used..

Benefits of Teambox

• Conversations are kept in chronological order to promote ease of reading and future reference.
• Any person with a Penn State ID (including friends of Penn State) can join Teambox for free. Collaborate with colleagues from other colleges or even other universities!
• No software is required except a Web browser, and the application is mobile-friendly!
• The interface is simple and is similar to adding updates on Facebook or Twitter.
• You can share and collaborate on content in a secure environment.
• Anyone in the college can create a project and invite others with a Penn State account to join.
• It keeps conversations context-sensitive and separate from unrelated topics.
• It can notify you of new conversations and when your name is mentioned in a message. You can also opt out of a conversation with a click of a button.
• A dashboard homepage aggregates all of your project and recent team site updates.
• It works with any Web browser or mobile device (unlike SharePoint).
  

Teambox vs SharePoint

Teambox may seem a lot like SharePoint, but each tool has pros and cons. SharePoint is really good at complex task management, workflow, and integration with Microsoft Office tools. If you are looking to hold many virtual conversations and share thoughts with your team, then Teambox is for you! Teambox is also very simple and also can be used with people outside the college with the use of "Friends of Penn State" accounts.

How to get started

The following are instructions on how to join Teambox and get started making your inbox and projects much more manageable.

• Joining Teambox
• Creating a project or team space
• Inviting others
• Holding conversations
• Creating pages and content (meeting notes, agendas, web content, etc.)
• Basic text formatting in conversations and pages

Getting Help

If you have any questions about Teambox, please contact the college's web services group, which is part of the communications and marketing unit.