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Swabr is a microblogging solution intended for businesses. Companies can improve communication and information exchange between employees by giving their workers a space to share information, ask questions and check up on project progress. Enterprise microblogging lets users read posts and collaborate online in real time. Employees can also create a professional profile to go with their posts and inquiries. Profiles can contain work experience, credentials, expertise and a photo to help others within the organization find the colleagues they need to meet goals and accomplish tasks. Swabr’s microblogs also give users a way to share images, links and files without wading through past emails. Documents and posts can be shared with coworkers or a select group or sent as a company wide message.

Swabr was founded in 2010 by Ugur Tarlig, Lukas Pfeiffer and AyhanKocak. The name was derived from the German shortcut for black board 2.0. The team behind Swabr started small but has grown as the popularity of the application has grown. Swabr has earned mentions on a number of websites, including KillerStartups. Business owners appreciate the opportunity to create a restricted, private network for employees that doesn’t require the use of sites like Facebook and Twitter.

Swabr lets users establish a network for their employees. The appealing aspect of Swabr is that it eliminates the need to utilize other more generalized networks. Social networking can be very helpful in terms of communication, but it can also lead to privacy issues and wasted time should employees become distracted during the work day. Swabr gives users a way to improve efficiency with better communication without the use of a genera network.

Swabr maintains a professional design throughout, favoring traditional blue and white color schemes. The interface looks much like a social network such as Facebook, but without all the clutter and distractions. Users can add a photo to their profiles and participate in discussions which appear as a thread (just like a Facebook profile wall). The design manages to squeeze in a hint of personality to make it memorable without deviating from the professional style.

New users can sign up for a basic account by entering their email address in the space provided near the center of the homepage. The email address must be from the user’s company. Only those signing up with a company email address are permitted to join an existing Swabr network. After clicking the red button beside the form, the user is advised that they must check their email inbox for an activation link. This must be accessed before the user can log in for the first time.

Anyone can sign up for a free basic Swabr account. The user doesn’t have to purchase any additional licenses and receives unlimited access to all basic features. The application is still in beta, so users should note that a fee will likely be added later on. The site does not state how much future subscriptions may cost or what might be included. It does state that that basic accounts will always be free.

Swabr is a helpful solution for businesses that want to create a microblogging environment for employees. The application is easy to understand and works much like a familiar social networking site. Users can send files, discuss projects and send messages to groups or the entire organization. User profiles give users a place to display their expertise and experience along with a photo to make interactions a little more personal.

• All basic accounts are available for free
• Files can be shared online and referenced any time
• Discussions appear as threads and do not require emails
• Profiles give employees a place to share professional information
• Messages can be sent to individuals, groups or the entire company

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