PBworks Launches Project Edition, With Free Access for Clients & Guests
PBworks (which recently changed its name from PBwiki) has announced a new option for those seeking a hosted collaborative workspace, Project Edition.
On top of the basic free wiki, PBworks will now have five specialized products available. The enhanced project management features of the latest edition is just one reason why PBwork's revamped offerings are making headway in the enterprise.
In addition to the collaborative workspaces (i.e. souped-up WYSIWYG wiki pages) you're likely to be familiar with, Project Edition adds traditional project management features like tasks and milestones. Workspaces can also be linked together in Networks, allowing easier compartmentalization and coordination on a per-project basis.
But an even greater innovation for Project Edition is the combination of the pricing with granular access controls.
The base price of Project Edition is $20/user/month, but licenses for guests and clients are completely free. Clients can engage directly with relevant projects, allowing them to get status updates, make comments and do design reviews. Contractors or partners can be given accounts in order to collaborate on a limited basis. All guests can view and edit only what workspace managers grant them access to.
For several years, PBworks was a (if not the) leading wiki host on the web. But only a tiny minority of those signed up for a free SaaS wiki are ever converted to paying customers, even with the promise of substantial perks. Thus, by dropping the wiki portion of their brand and rolling out custom tailored editions with enhanced feature sets, PBworks is making a decisive shift towards cutting a bigger slice of the enterprise pie.
1 TrackBacks
TrackBack URL for this entry: http://www.readwriteweb.com/cgi-bin/mt/mt-tb.cgi/11685
Facebook
Sponsored by
-
French Government Chooses Mozilla To Replace IBM and Microsoft For 130,000 Desktop PC's
October 30, 2009 / 12 Comments -
Is the Relational Database Doomed?
February 12, 2009 / 111 Comments -
Proton Media: The Most Advanced Collaboration Technology in the Market?
October 30, 2009 / 11 Comments -
Netvibes Goes From Web 2.0 To Enterprise 2.0 In Partnership With Sage Software
November 3, 2009 / 5 Comments -
Microsoft Embraces Open Source (in the Online Ad Business)
November 2, 2009 / 8 Comments
-
French Government Chooses Mozilla To Replace IBM and Microsoft For 130,000 Desktop PC's
October 30, 2009 / 12 Comments -
Novell Pulse: Security and Backup to Google Wave
November 4, 2009 / 5 Comments -
Second Life Goes Behind The Firewall
November 4, 2009 / 4 Comments -
Box.net Partners with Salesforce.com: The Next Step for SaaS and the Enterprise
October 22, 2009 / 7 Comments -
Is Enterprise 2.0 A Crock?
November 4, 2009 / 2 Comments
Comments
Subscribe to comments for this post OR Subscribe to comments for all ReadWriteEnterprise posts
A fine set of individuals at PB. Well, you know. Except for that one guy.
Thanks for the piece, Steven!
You're right on with your analysis. While we continue to be one of the leading wiki hosts by number and volume, our enterprise business generates a far greater amount of revenue.
And most of those customers don't think of us as a wiki. They think of us as an easy and affordable way to make their work lives easier.
I can say that I am currently using multiple workspaces on PBWorks, both for business and personal purposes, and their product is fantastic in its simplicity and elegance. I am particularly chuffed that it works so well on Safari. As for customer service, it is second to none in quality. I have always received prompt and cordial service and my issues have always been solved in a timely manner. I have looked at many wikis before settling down with PBWorks, and I am happy that I did. Once again, if you are looking for simplicity and elegance, that is it. Lastly, I have yet to experience any downtime or slowness.
@ Chris, why a minimum of 5 users? Does your pricing model really mean $1,200 per year for up to 5 users?
That's like saying $0.10 per french fry (@ McD's) minimum purchase 15 fries instead of $1.50 for french fries.
For solopreneurs (there must be lots of designers, illustrators, writers, photographers) that work alone apart from guest users/clients they have to pay for 5 x the number of licences they need to use your product.
If you make a profit on 1 user then why bother with the minimum number of users? I think your product would meet my needs, however there is only one of me and lots of clients. No need for 5 users. The best one of your sales reps could do was 3 users. But I still only need one.
Will this change in the future so consultants like me can benefit from project edition?
Thank you for your sharing.!
PBworks is also changing the name of its general purpose collaboration product from Professional Edition to Standard Edition.