Until recently, "collaboration" usually meant scheduled meetings with multiple participants, typically held inside conference rooms and other formal meeting spaces. Now, thanks to a new generation of disruptive computing and communication technologies and evolving user preferences, collaboration has become much more informal, allowing meetings to be held at times and in ways that meet the needs of all participants. "New technologies and design approaches are reshaping the way businesses are viewing collaboration," observes Ben Dickie, a senior manager at Info-Tech Research Group, a technology research firm.