1.2 Content Providers

Content providers use Novell Vibe to manage teams by creating team workspaces and making information easily accessible through landing pages and other advanced Vibe features.

Advanced Vibe users might perform any of the following functions:

  • Create or manage workspaces and folders: When you create your own workspace or folder, you are the owner of that workspace or folder. By default, you are also the owner of all sub-workspaces and sub-folders.

    For example, suppose that your manager assigns you to lead an advertising campaign for a new product. Because accomplishing this assignment involves the combined efforts of various members of your team, you decide to create a new workspace dedicated to the new campaign.

    For in-depth information, see Section 2.0, Creating and Managing Workspaces and Section 3.0, Managing Folders.

  • Control user access to workspaces and folders: As the owner of a workspace or folder, you are responsible for controlling which users have access rights, and deciding which rights are appropriate for which people.

    For example, as the advertising campaign manager for a new product, you need to decide if Vibe users who are not members of your team are allowed to create entries in your team workspace, or whether non-team members should even be allowed to view the workspace.

    Also, when new users join the team, it is your responsibility to grant them appropriate rights.

    For in-depth information, see Section 4.0, Controlling Access.

  • Create unique brands for workspaces and folders: As the owner of a workspace or folder, you are responsible for creating a unique and attractive brand. Creating a unique brand is a good way to differentiate your workspace or folder from other places in the Vibe site.

    For example, as the advertising campaign manager for a new product, you brand your team workspace with a graphic of the product logo, along with the new marketing slogan.

    For in-depth information, see Section 5.0, Branding a Folder or Workspace.

  • Create landing pages: As the owner of a workspace, you can present the most important information on the home page of the workspace. At the same time, you can change the look and feel of the home page. (You can create landing pages in personal workspaces only if your Vibe administrator has enabled this functionality.)

    For example, as the advertising campaign manager for a new product, you create a landing page in the team workspace. In the landing page you display the current product shipment schedule, the latest news concerning the product, open tasks as they relate to your team members, and so forth.

    For in-depth information, see Section 6.0, Creating and Managing Landing Pages.

  • Create custom workspace and folder views: As the owner of a workspace or folder, you can create custom views that modify what is displayed on the home page of your workspace or folder. You can display uploaded files, remote applications, pictures, and more.

    For example, as the advertising campaign manager for a new product, you can customize the home page of your team workspace to display pictures of the various marketing logo options for the product, as well as uploaded notes from team meetings.

    For in-depth information, see Section 7.0, Creating Custom Workspace Views and Section 8.0, Creating Custom Folder Views.

  • Create custom folder entry forms: As the owner of a workspace or folder, you can create custom folder entry forms that users can fill in when they are making entries in the workspace or folder.

    For example, as the advertising campaign manager for a new product, you decide to create a new folder called “Slogans.” Inside this folder, you create a new entry form that enables team members to easily submit their ideas for catchy slogans for the new product. The entry form contains a field for the team member to type his or her name, a field where they can type the slogan, a field where they can upload pertinent pictures, and so on.

    For in-depth information, see Section 9.0, Designing Custom Folder Entry Forms.

  • Create and manage workflows: As the owner of a workspace or folder, you can create workflows that automate otherwise time-consuming manual processes.

    For example, as the advertising campaign manager for a new product, you notice that expense reporting is taking more time than you want. The current process is for members of your team to request an expense reimbursement from you, then for you to send the request to HR, who then transfers the request to Finance. To automate this process, you implement a workflow that sends you an e-mail notification requesting your approval when the request is submitted. When you give your approval, the workflow is automatically transferred to HR. If HR approves the request, then the workflow is transferred to Finance, where the reimbursement is addressed.

    For in-depth information, see Section 11.0, Creating and Managing Workflows.

  • Manage remote applications: As the owner of a workspace or folder, you can enable remote applications that have been set up by your Vibe administrator.

    For in-depth information, see Section 12.0, Managing Remote Applications.