To Google Wave or not to Google Wave…

Yesterday finally saw the “invitation only” period for Google Wave end. Now everyone can dive into the latest Google Labs project and see what all the fuss is about.

So… What is Google Wave?

Google Wave is a combination of communication, collaboration and business tools built into one platform to allow businesses that work in teams to be more efficient and effective. It integrates various tools we are already familiar with such as emails, instant messaging style chat apps, Wikipedia based contributions, video, mapping and project management elements such as timelines and flowcharts.

As Google puts it: “Google Wave enables session-based collaboration that creates a lasting online record of collaboration, information aggregation and project histories.”

As soon as you log into Google Wave you will see a list of Gadgets / Extensions that can help you gain productivity for various different business oriented tasks. From organising the inter-office coffee run right through to large scale mind mapping and product management there is a Google Wave extension for your office.

So… Will anyone use this?

Just because Google has poured large sums of money into a tool designed specifically for businesses to be more productive does that mean people will use it? Only time will tell. The fact the core team behind the concept are Australian is enough of a reason to try it and see if it helps your business workflow.

The feature case study for Google Wave usage on the homepage is Deloitte. The case study reveals the major benefits of using Google Wave for this particular project was the ability for team members in different countries to have the ability to participate on the project in real-time sessions on their own schedules. This gave them the benefits of face-to-face interaction while reducing unnecessary time and travel expenses.

So… What now?

It’s Google, the core team are Australian, it’s free and if you need a collaboration tool or have employees located in different areas then you may as well try it out.

Feel free to share your comments and thoughts below.

Benjamin Nicoll is a founding partner of GoDigital Media, one of Australia’s best value digital media agencies, which provides up-to-date, affordable products and services for SMEs.