Rapid advances in Internet and related communications technologies coupled with a round-the-clock business environment; require team members to be in closer contact to achieve their objectives and their organization's goals. Distributed workforces are an integral part of modern business, yet effective collaboration, though more important than ever before, is often difficult to achieve. Technologies such as portals, team workspaces, e-mail, presence awareness, instant messaging, and Web-based conferencing comprise a portfolio of collaboration and communication services that connect people, information, processes, and systems both inside and outside the corporate firewall. These IT resources help to solve key information worker challenges, such as:

• Finding information more easily.
• Working more productively in teams.
• Connecting more effectively with others.
• Providing a consistent user experience.