What is new on CGXchange 2.0

CGXchange has always been about helping CGIAR staff connect with people, share knowledge and collaborate online, and it will continue to do just that. However, users can now connect, share and collaborate with the support of a rich set of easy-to-use collaboration tools. While remaining faithful to the spirit of the CGXchange project, we have switched from a sophisticated platform to a simplified, powerful set of applications to facilitate collaboration. CGXchange's core online collaboration tools (Docs, Sites, Talk, Mail) are now based on Google Apps Education Edition.

We've sharpened the focus of the project and this is what's new:

CGXchange 2.0 is the new name, CGX 2.0 for short
CGXchange 2.0 now has a public face
You no longer need to sign in to explore the site; it is now a Global Public Good. As such, CGXchange 2.0 is open to anyone, anywhere, who can benefit from learning how non-profit institutions such as the CGIAR are taking advantage of tools for improving communication, sharing and collaboration.
Openness is our main driving principle.
Anyone with a Google account can be invited to collaborate and view the information CGIAR staff will create with Google Apps. However, the CGXchange team will create and manage accounts for CGIAR staff only; there will be no more accounts for partners, consultants, or colleagues from other institutions. If you need to share or invite people from outside the CGIAR, just ask for their Gmail address.
Freedom of choice is our other driving principle.
We aim to inform you and show you the possibilities that the Web offers to share knowledge and collaborate more efficiently online. We will also provide practical tips about online knowledge sharing and collaboration to support you in deciding which toolkit is the most suitable for your collaboration needs. The tools we propose can be safely used for closed and/or geographically distributed groups. Although we can guide you through the tools available, you will make the final decision as to what is best for you.
It's no longer about Intranets.
Experience has shown that Centers and Programs have their own priority requirements when it comes to establishing a content and collaboration framework for their Intranets. However, the typical Intranet project requires sustained commitment from inside an organization. CGXchange 2.0 based on Google Apps is about enabling CGIAR staff and partners to share information and work with groups (wherever they are located) or with the world. Plus, the platform is easier and less costly to maintain, has lots of user documentation, and smoother interaction across the tools. There is also no (or hardly any) developer's assistance needed to set up a collaborative environment around documents, sites, calendars, etc.

If you and your team need to:

run projects across countries and time zones,
work with people in the field,
write, share and collaborate on documents,
organize meetings, events and training programs,
make your work available and accessible to a broader public,

Why we switched to Google Apps

In 2008, we at the ICT-KM Program began exploring collaboration alternatives that could help us reduce the total cost of ownership (TCO) of large proprietary software platforms and at the same time allow us to innovate with improved collaborative hosted platforms and services for the CGIAR. A joint initiative involving the ICT-KM Program and the CGIAR IT Managers successfully explored Google Apps Education Edition through a case study that included participation from more than 250 members of staff from the CGIAR Centers. The participants expressed satisfaction with Google Apps and recommended these tools for the CGIAR. As a result, the ICT-KM Program decided to implement Google Apps as an efficient and cost-effective replacement for the former CGXchange plaform: BEA Aqualogic.

Google Apps is a package of online applications that makes communicating and collaborating easier and more efficient. The hub of information exchange is Gmail (Google’s web-based email program), which integrates with Google Docs to create and share documents; Google Calendar to coordinate schedules; and Google Chat to keep in touch with colleagues. Since all these services are hosted online, they are always accessible from any computer, anywhere. In addition, Google Sites, another Google Apps feature, allows users to create simple wikis and sites that can either be shared with a small group or made public.

We are grateful to the numerous Google Apps case study participants who tested Google Apps and believed that the CGIAR needed such a platform to facilitate virtual team working, knowledge sharing and collaboration.

More than just the Apps

Google Apps is the centerpiece of the new platform, with direct technical support provided by the CGXchange Team.

Using the lessons learned from more than two years' experience with the ICT-KM Program's Knowledge Sharing projects, and by feeling the pulse of staff in the CGIAR, we will point you to the tools that we have tried out, tested and used in real-life cases. We walk the talk and share the lessons by doing our best to test the tools in our context and share the circumstances in which they proved to be suitable and useful.