Zoho Projects 2.0 Adds Wikis, Chat, and Microsoft Project Integration

(MoneyWatch)  Back when I worked for Faceless Giant Corporation, LLC, I was part of a team that desperately needed a project-management tool. We were all over the place -- Excel, Lotus Notes, countless PDFs and Word documents -- to the point where the project simply couldn't be managed efficiently.

Oh, how I wish I could go back in time -- and take Zoho Projects 2.0 with me. (I'd also have to convince the IT department to let us use a Web-based tool, which would be impossible -- but so is going back in time. A man can dream, can't he?) Watch this quick video highlighting what's new in Projects 2.0, then meet me at the next paragraph for some details:



So here's a recap of the new stuff:

• Project Stream is a visual representation that lets users see the latest activities pertaining to their project.
• Group Chat and "always on" Chat Room give users a single place where they can go to quickly discuss issues. Multiple chat rooms can be opened to discuss different issues.
• Project Wiki lets users maintain all the project-related content in a centralized place where other project members can contribute easily.
• Revamped UI provides quick and easy navigation. New dashboard includes user status, team information, and other project data.

Other noteworthy features include Zoho Office integration, built-in timesheets (which can generate invoices to be sent via Zoho Invoice), and support for Microsoft Project (MPP) files.

You can sign up for a free Zoho Projects account that includes 100MB of file storage, wiki and chat capabilities, and unlimited users -- but only one project. If you need to manage multiple projects, plans start at $12 per month.

Anyone interested in Web-based project management should also check out Basecamp, which I think has a spiffier interface but doesn't come close to matching Zoho's features.