ABSTRACT
This chapter covers the activities of basic infrastructure components such as telephones, e-mail and remote access. Before considering the implementation of new collaborative technologies, it is useful to investigate the current status of the basic communication infrastructure and spend some time identifying potential improvements in documentation, user directories and integration with other companies. Telephones and e-mail are the basic tools for remote communication, available in most organisations. Global project team members must be able to quickly locate the contact details of their colleagues working in other locations or in different companies. Some companies provide a global telephone and e-mail directory, including all contact details and a picture of every employee. Projects crossing company borders will benefit from a similar database of contacts, maintained by the project office. Companies must develop secure and user friendly procedures, in a format that can allow their use outside the office.
