At first blush, the utilities industry might seem like an unlikely place for Web collaboration tools. Power companies don't release new versions of their products. Electricity is electricity.
Gas is gas.
There's never really a call for a scattered crew of designers, developers and engineers to communicate over the Web to develop a new type of utility. But industry players do have to build, maintain and upgrade the sprawling infrastructure that is used to deliver the products. And increasingly, Web collaboration tools are finding their way into the construction realm. VECO is chasing the business and has not been awarded the contract, but Stephen Gundry, senior environmental manager for VECO, said the Web application is already helping the company save money in the bidding process. Saved are costs of transportation and shipping as VECO workers and business partners turn to a Web-based repository of information on the planned pipeline project.