What tools do you use to collaborate internationally?

Check out TechSoup's article Overcome the Challenges of Distance with Free Online Tools -- and share your favorite free and low-cost Web sites, software, tools, and articles for helping nonprofits work more effectively across long distances.

Check out Zoho.com

Zoho Virtual Office
Zoho Virtual Office is a groupware that provides a virtual collaboration platform using which individuals and groups can communicate, collaborate, organize and share information seamlessly using number of useful applications like E-mail Client, Virtual storage for Documents, Personal and Group Calendar, Task Scheduler, Contacts Manager, Instant Messaging, Discussions board, etc. Zoho Virtual Office allows users to create multiple groups, and use all of these components within groups unleashing the real power of collaboration. This helps you increase the efficiency and overall effectiveness of your business."

Nice suite of products, mostly free. Easy to use.

hth,

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One more to add to the free translation tools -- poltran.com -- in case you want to translate between Polish and English. Recently the site has been down, but since I can't find another free Polish-English-Polish translator I guess it's worth waiting for.

I recently discovered Wikitravel, which, as its name suggests, is an online travel guide in wiki format, meaning anyone can edit or add to it.

The wiki has entries for countries and cities around the world, from East Asia to South America, and provides all sorts of cultural and practical tips for those planning to visit. One item I found particularly helpful (and interesting) was the "respect" category, listed under many of the entries, which offers local etiquette tips.

Best of all, if you've traveled to a particular location and have some insights to share, you're free to add them to this growing wiki.

The organizations I work with, not just in the developing world but in the USA as well, do not have the latest and greatest technologies, and they won't be able to afford them anytime soon. So many, if not most, of the software listed here aren't options for them.

A tool that has proven invaluable to me in working with organizations across distances has been YahooGroups -- because it an work on just about any web browser, including older browsers, because it's free, because it offers so many features, and because it's so easy to use. From long-term collaborations to short-term online events, it's made a lot of sharing possible in my work that never would have happened otherwise.

I've been experimenting with ivisit.com (my id: jcravens.4947), as a Skype alternative, since its much more compatible with a wider range of computers and platforms. But I'm still not impressed enough to give up my phone. Plus, most nonprofits I work with lack the tech knowledge to know how to install and use this software themselves.

One great tool for collaborating internationally is Taceo. It's basically an email anti-theft tool used to encrypt documents stored in your computer and also those that are sent to and from your inbox. That way, if you have any sensitive information that you would like to send through email, domestically or internationally, it will be protected from snooping eyes. Great for anybody who's in the healthcare, legal, or financial industry.

Do you know of any nonprofit orgs that are currently using this tool, mroonie, considering that is the audience of this forum?