As the project extranet nears extinction, alternatives,
such as e-mail, peer-to-peer computing and messaging are all viable
alternatives, says Alec Milton.
Within five years, the project extranet could be dead.
This is particularly true for IT professionals in architecture,
engineering and construction.
The arguments for collaborators on a project to use an extranet
are that it provides a single location and a point of data
maintenance - avoiding data duplication - and overcomes confusion
between different departments and organisations. However, to remain
useful it has to be secure, reliable, acceptably priced, future
proof, stable and easy to use, which may history prove
otherwise.
In addition, once an extranet is bought into, it is very
difficult to disengage from for financial, legal and practical
reasons.
If you decide to cease the contract with your supplier you could
lose all your communications via the extranet.
Furthermore, legal requirements force wholesale duplication of
all information that is exchanged across an extranet, including
whiteboard conversations, instant messaging and forum
conversations.
An alternative might be an electronic postal system with the
data encrypted over the web and stored on your own servers.
Luckily peer-to-peer systems look set to provide complementary
solutions and meet all of the core requirements that could be asked
of an extranet. In this model, users directly access files saved on
each other's computers. As a result, there is no one to pay for
storage and no problem with stopping payment for the service.
Groove Networks produces simple software that integrates
Microsoft Office and Outlook files to allow, for example, joint
editing of Word or Powerpoint files. In fact, the logical
conclusion of what Groove is doing could be the extinction of the
project extranet.
An unusual alternative for smaller projects is Microsoft Instant
Messenger. At present, this would not be a viable alternative to an
extranet. However, it has the potential to develop into something
highly useful if combined with Microsoft's forthcoming
database-driven operating system Longhorn. With version control and
audit trails, and some .net magic to blur the boundaries between
applications, file systems and the internet, it is difficult to see
why you would want a project-hosting service.
Despite all of this, there is no question that project extranets
are useful and will continue to be used for the moment. However,
the future for project collaboration could be an interesting mix of
e-mail, peer-to-peer communications and instant messaging.
Alec Milton is managing director of
engineering software specialist Oasys