Collaboration solutions from Microsoft have changed significantly over time. The newest offerings can be a bit overwhelming if you have not been following their release over the past several months (and part of the blame for that goes to Microsoft for not doing the most effective job of making people aware through their marketing, IMHO... The television commercials are “cute“ but don't actually tell anyone anything about the new products, so unless you've gone looking for the new technology proactively on your own, you're not too likely to be aware).

But the advertising is not an indicator of the quality of the actual products - these are some really powerful tools. A quick article over at MSDN sorts out Microsoft's collaboration technologies, and provides a basic, decent and not-too-deep view of where it started and how it got where it is today. It also helps make some sense of what's here now and how it can be effectively applied.

Make no mistake: The way of the future has been seen, and this is the path. If you have not invested in some sort of collaborative technologies, it's worth a look - you can get a lot for a relatively small investment, and the next age of computing applications will - I am telling you now - be centered around mobility and collaboration, the two technologies these new products are taking to the next level right now.