Today we’re launching a new service in our ongoing support of creative collaboration: an online app we’ve dubbed “Collaborate Now”. While our primary Cozimo application is designed specifically to support creative professionals with ongoing projects in private workgroups, the idea behind Collaborate Now is to make image collaboration as easy and convenient as possible. No account is required – just upload an image, share, and collaborate. As with our main application, you can give feedback either individually or work together in real-time. For example, if you use Skype (or another IM/VOIP application) you can upload the image you want to talk about to Collaborate Now, cut and paste the URL into the Skype Chat and immediately start to “whiteboard” on the image to help communicate your discussion points. In addition to images, our new Firefox extension also lets you screengrab and collaborate on any web page – great for web designers.

Our goal with Collaborate Now is to introduce people to the benefits of online collaboration on visual media and the simplicity of using Cozimo by providing a simple, practical (and free!) application. By allowing Collaborate Now to be embeddable, we’re also looking to use it as a way to explore and support new approaches to creative collaboration and education through integration with existing web services and social/professional networks. So check it out at http://collaboratenow.cozimo.com  and let us know what you think. We’re eager to hear your feedback on the functionality as well as the ways in which you use it. As we hear about new ideas we’ll share them here with the community.

A new customer was recently asking about how to make Cozimo as easy as possible for their clients to use. Here are a few recommendations:

1. Use messaging. The integrated messaging system is one of the more powerful features of Cozimo. When you post content that you want reviewed, the easiest way to direct your clients to the content is to use “Post Message”. The client will receive an email with a link that will take them directly to the item in the collaboration workspace. If you want your clients to review a series of items then send a message from the first item in the folder with instructions that they should go through all the items posted, navigation between items is easy with the next and previous arrows.

2. Create the client accounts for them. There are two ways to add a new client to a workgroup. One way is to send them an invitation. If they don’t already have a Cozimo account they will have to create one at the time they accept your invitation. You can streamline this process by creating an account for your client when you add them to the workgroup. They will receive an email with their login information and a link that takes them directly to your login page.

3. Give them an introduction. The first time you use Cozimo with a client, it’s always a good idea to get on the phone and take them through their first experience with the service. Post an image or video and show them how to navigate to it and use the annotation tools. It can make a big difference in their attitude towards using the tool if you help them get started on the right foot.

We’ve made a few improvements to our print tool. To start with we’ve made it more visible and accessible with a new link on the collaborate page. The print function will format a report showing the displayed item together with the annotations. The notes will be printed with their time stamps below the image and numbered to correspond with the pin on the image. Any chat thread will also be included after the notes. If the item contains multiple pages or video then all the pages or frames with annotations will be included in the report. Annotations and notes of collaborators that are “hidden” will not be included in the report.

On a Mac you can print the report to a PDF file if you’d like to save the report and archive an offline record of the feedback you’ve received. On a PC there are a number of free tools available (such as www.pdf995.com) to do the same.

To enhance Cozimo’s scope and effectiveness for reviewing documents we’ve added a number of new formats to the Cozimo lineup. Now you can upload MS Office files in their native Word (.doc), Excel (.xls) and Power Point (.ppt) formats for online review and collaboration.

To facilitate the annotation of MS Office documents (and PDF files as well) we’re also introducing a new tool for highlighting text. Simply select the Text Highlight icon from the tool palette and then click and drag your mouse over the text you want to highlight. You can then add a note or new text to indicate any specific changes or instructions you would like to make to the text you’ve highlighted.

Pete Kane is the Senior Project Coordinator for Neoscape – a leading innovator in “Experiential Design Visualization”. Neoscape’s team of over 60 digital artists, designers, filmmakers, architects, and photographers in Boston and New York studios combine artistry with technology to produce unsurpassed results across a range of visual and experiential media. From 3D illustrations and signature films to marketing environment design, websites and print work, they offer a complete and integrated palette of creative services.

Hi Pete. Why don’t you start out by telling us about how Neoscape is using Cozimo?

Our primary use of Cozimo is to manage the review process of our deliverables. These include such items as 3d renderings, website designs, movies and videos we put together that incorporate 3D environments. We have two offices in Boston and New York so we use it between our two offices as well as outside of the office. If any of the creative directors are traveling they still have the ability to review the images and comments with the rest of the team.

Do a lot of people in your office use it?

Yes, quite a few. It’s really become a core tool for us. We use it now on nearly all of our projects.

How have the clients reacted to using it?

Very positive. Before we were mostly using email back and forth. The client would receive attachments from us, print them out, mark them up, scan them, and send them back. So using Cozimo is much easier for them.

Did you experience any problems getting started with Cozimo?

Actually, it turned out to be a very smooth process. It’s very intuitive. The tools are similar to a lot of the applications people use. Even for our clients who don’t work with those types of programs, it was pretty self-evident how to use it.

Do you use the messaging system?

That’s a primary feature for us. Once we upload the files, we use the message board to notify the clients that the files are there along with any notes about those files that they need to be aware of. It’s great because while they’re looking through the images they can always just click on the message tab to see any specific instructions.

What do you feel is the greatest value that Cozimo brings to your business?

Its greatest value is its ability to keep the whole team up to date and on the same page. You have one repository where both the client and the production team can see all the feedback in one place. You don’t have 10 different emails with comments that are sent to different people and possibly lost or deleted. This is important because changes and development can easily be tracked within this one system. The client knows all his instructions are there, and I know they are going to be followed up on and that what we’re doing is correct. It really helps to avoid the type of errors that come from miscommunication. Since we’re always on a tight schedule, we just can’t afford to make those types of mistakes.

Have you been happy with the support you receive from us?

Oh yes, definitely. Whenever things have come up, you guys have responded very quickly and when we’ve made suggestions they’ve actually been implemented pretty quickly as well.

Thanks for the interview, Pete.

My pleasure.