Tool #2 - Skype

Skype allows people from different countries to interact on a real-time basis. This would facilitate personal innovation by allowing the transferring of ideas across geographic borders! Say for instance, my friend over in the United States has just discovered a new software that allows me to better organize my lecture notes or has even discovered a new method of cooking a dish. He or she would be able to transmit that knowledge to me over Skype, aided with the use of the web-camera which will allow me to see how the software is used or how the dish is cooked. It is almost as if I was REALLY there!

A few users conversing over Skype will help to improve efficiency by capturing different ideas simultaneously and pushing it out to the other team mates fast. For example, if I’m working on a project which requires a video shoot and we are trying to find locations for the perfect place to shoot, several members of the team can actually scout out different areas at the same time while using the webcam to display the respective areas to the other members at other places. This will reduce the time taken for the team to travel to all places together and makes work faster.

However, one challenge that Skype poses would be the ‘lag-time’, especially when using the webcam. It makes conferencing kind of a hindrance and it feels funny to see the other part always staring at the webcam because he/she is trying to establish eye contact while the other party stares at the screen. Although the webcam adds a little more personal touch, the overall effect is still far from great.