Socialtext

SocialCalc (in private customer beta)

What is SocialCalc?

• A fully-functional spreadsheet from Socialtext
• Math, formulas, spreadsheet formatting
• Use SocialCalc on its own or include all or part in any other wiki page
• Multiple worksheets per page
• Import and Export .cvs and .xls files

SocialCalc enables users to embed spreadsheets into Socialtext's wiki pages. The tight integration means users avoid having to share spreadsheet documents, which maintains version control and a single reference point for data and increases accuracy by 80%. The technology was developed by Dan Bricklin who started the open source spreadsheet movement with Visicalc.

Ross Mayfield writes:

"I'm proud to finally see our partnership with Dan Bricklin come to fruition (see his post, and the history of the project) -- and the result is something truly new and solves real distributed multi-group collaboration problems."

How is it different from other spreadsheets?

1. SocialCalc is part of a wiki doc vs. a stand-alone spreadsheet editor
2. SocialCalc is built for collaborative use
3. SocialCalc plays nicely with others working across multiple platforms and multiple groups – transcends geographic, organizational and temporal boundaries.

SocialCalc is available for free during beta with an existing Socialtext license. Besides the obvious value of calculation for reports, SocialCalc allows users to leverage a spreadsheet as a canvas to create calendars, charts, and matrices. While users have been able to use tables in a similar fashion before, SocialCalc has a more robust WYSIWYG editor and the ability to port data in and out from other sources. Compared to a traditional spreadsheet sent via email, a file from a shared drive or document management systems, SocialCalc can break projects into pieces and provide a closer to synchronous serial process. Individuals can work on their own part(s) and have a rolled-up dashboard, with an audit trail of changes and simple notifications.

Does it include Excel functionality? Can I import from Excel?

Yes. It follows the ODF definition of formula functions, precedence, etc. (like Excel and OpenOffice), which means as we expose more features we can add the extra pieces. We are also working on an Excel importer that will allow users to bring existing resources onto the Socialtext platform with minimal effort.

We don't expect stand alone users to relinquish their Excel licenses with this version of the technology but this program is ideal for accountants and CPAs, project groups and those that like programs like iGoogle but don’t want their info to be datamined. We do think many teams will appreciate the ability to not only present tabular data, but to also power it with the kind of formulas we get from dedicated spreadsheet solutions without having to play email volleyball.

SocialCalc makes core spreadsheet functionality available in a collaborative way as part of the Socialtext platform. As part of our dedication to our four solution areas, we will plan to provide examples, best practices, and anecdotes about how to leverage SocialCalc. Long-term our goal is to enable our customers to connect with one another to share ideas about how to use SocialCalc.

Where do I start?

You can request a demo of the service, which is a great way to see how it functions and ask questions during the demo. SocialCalc is currently in private Beta on the Business Social Software platform with Socialtext customers and will be commercially available within 90 days. Further information is available on the press wiki www.socialtext.net/st-press/

More about SocialCalc

May 16, 2008
Boston Business Journal
Social Network: Local techies take cue from West Coast to mix parties and business
By Jackie Noblett
http://www.bizjournals.com/boston/stories/2008/05/19/story3.html?b=1211169600%5E1636322

April 4, 2008
CNET News (video)
Dan Bricklin: From VisiCalc to WikiCalc
By Dan Farber
http://news.cnet.com/8301-13953_3-9911449-80.html