Get ready for Real-Time Co-Authoring: Part 1
Conclusion: In this note, IBRS defines real-time co-authoring, and outlines the factors hindering its adoption. Real-time co-authoring has been available for almost a decade via products such as Google Apps, and in the past few years, web-based Microsoft Office 365. However, the uptake of this capability has been lacklustre due to immature collaboration environments and, more significantly, deeply held preconceptions about the nature of documents and work.
The introduction of real-time co-authoring in the Microsoft Office 2016 (Word) desktop client removes some barriers to the end user adoption of real-time co-authoring. However, it does not directly address the cultural aspects that hinder adoption. Even so, organisations should expect the use of real-time co-authoring to rise, but in a fragmented, infectious manner.
