Want to make this tool really useful and get a leg-up on the competition?

Workspaces needs voice chat.  When you log into a workspace, a list of group members and current visiting members should be displayed or made available.  Members could have meetings and discuss ideas, problems, opinions, solutions, etc using voice, text, and video.  One member is selected as the moderator and can select one or more members to talk at any given time (1 - All).  In addition, members can talk one-on-one directly in private or public mode to the group.  Also, text chat may be implemented the same way. 

Finally, I would recommend a video solution.  With video, hundreds of thumb video windows could be displayed.  The moderator would have a special color border to standout from everyone else.  A person that wants to speak would have a different blinking colored border.  Blinking border is similar to raising your hand to talk.  If blinking becomes too distracting, the moderator has the control to turn it off, but the waiting color border remains unless the moderator turns that off too.  The moderator should have lots of control - lots.

Example: I'm showing a PowerPoint presentation to a group of 50 members. I am talking during the presentation and all members can hear me.  As I go through the presentation a member raises their hand (can be done in text, video, or voice chat).  I pause the presentation and allow the member to speak.  The member talks.  I send a text message to two members while the person is talking.  Then I continue to the end.  At the end I open up for a discussion.  Members raise their hand and I call on them.  Then I allow a few members to talk together at the same time.  They are asking each other questions and debating points.  I close with my remarks and send a summary and thank you to all members who joined in on the chat as well as the ones that are members but were not present.

My recommendation is to use all three: text, voice, and video.  If Workspaces doesn't, someone else will.  My experience as a consultant is that Microsoft enjoys playing follow the leader instead of leading.  The stock sits in a small range because there is no innovation like Apple - the eventual successor unless Microsoft finally wakes up!

Hi RGletter.

We have received several requests for chat in OLW and we are actively looking into this. In the meantime, if you want voice and video chat to be available during PowerPoint presentations, you can try Office Live Meeting (http://office.microsoft.com/en-us/livemeeting/default.aspx).

Thanks for your feedback!

Office Live Meeting does not fit the mass platform of free service supported by advertising.

Workspaces is easy to access and share with others.  There are no credit cards to deal with.  Our world is changing fast, but Google.is the only leader right now.  Adding text and voice chat would benefit schools, organizations, and working groups by adding another layer of collaboration that does not exist.  I'm sure if Google adds this feature to their DOCUMENTS, then Workspaces will follow. I believe this is where it will eventually head - Workspaces+Video = Volume of users.

As a long time consultant, I've given MS lots of advice but they choose to ride on the back of the slowest turtle.

Microsoft's competitor, Google, announced video in their online products this week.  I guess they were reading my suggestions :).  They don't hesitate to act!

Maybe it's time for me to contact Big Steve B. and consult with him.

I want to add that acrobat.com offers a nice interface for video and chat.  But, it lacks the ability to view other attendees in the meeting.  The point being is that meeting online should be the next to best place to meet as in person.  Therefore, all attendees should be able to view each other.

I also liked some of the features I found in Zoho.com.

This  collaboration space could be owned by Microsoft if they move forward aggressively in usable feature sets.