Joint Contact Makes Use of Twitter for Business Communication

Online Project Management Tool Supported Through Social Media

Seattle, WA (EMWNews) July 16, 2008 — As of today, users of the online project management system Joint Contact can “Twitter” project statuses and other project related messages to their team members. Arbutus Software Inc., the creators of Joint Contact, is the first company to integrate Twitter, a free social networking and micro-blogging service, into a project management system.

Business professionals are increasingly using social media technologies to communicate. Examples are blogs, wiki’s, and social networks, like Linkedin. Twitter, however, is still thought of as a fun, casual way to stay connected with friends and co-workers. “While early adopters use Twitter as a social communication tool, we acknowledge Twitter’s potential as a business communications platform,” said Wayne Bishop, CEO of Arbutus Software.

Social Media Applied to Online Project Management

By integrating key aspects of Joint Contact with Twitter, Arbutus Software Inc. marks a new trend of weaving social media tools into software-as-a-service applications (SaaS). “Plans to integrate other social media tools into Joint Contact are currently in works,” said Wayne Bishop. Joint Contact enables virtual and distributed project teams to work together by accessing data via the Internet.

Twitter Enhances Communication among Project Teams

Sending project related messages through Twitter is a significant addition to communicating solely by e-mail. “Project team members typically standardize on e-mail for project notification. Now that Joint Contact works with Twitter users will have more communication options to choose from,” said Wayne Bishop. Twitter messages can be accessed from cell phones, PDA’s, and computers, which makes it even easier to keep team members in the loop.

How to Twitter from Joint Contact

Joint Contact users can post entries from discussion groups directly to Twitter. The subject line of a discussion group doubles as a Tweet – a small Twitter message limited to 140 characters. In addition, Joint Contact account holders can update their work status using their profile. “For example, a team member can type ‘finalizing presentation; ready for review at 4:00PM,’ send that to Twitter, and other team members can access the Tweet using their cell phone, PDA, or computer,” said Wayne Bishop.

Joint Contact users can organize Tweets into logical project folders. Tweets can also be combined with other actions, like e-mail notifications.

About Joint Contact

Joint Contact provides businesses with an easy-to-use online project management tool that helps them collaborate with their customers, partners, and employees. Joint Contact enables project teams to track and manage the entire communication and information flow associated with a project. Users can link ongoing discussions to content, such as documents, images, spread sheets, presentations, contacts, and tasks.

About Arbutus Software Inc.

Established in 2003, Arbutus Software Inc. is a Seattle-based software development firm that provides custom software applications and internet systems for businesses of any size. Arbutus has developed web-based scheduling, supply chain, inventory management, and content management solutions for private companies and government organizations. Arbutus’ vision is to help shape technology to meet business challenges by increasing workplace productivity and streamlining automation.

For more information about Joint Contact visit jointcontact.com.

For more information about Arbutus Software Inc. visit arbutusinc.com.