The Pond, an Octopz blog on communication, collaboration and coworking online.

Octopz now features an extensively revised and updated video help system that is available both within our collaboration application and as a standalone support service on its own web page.

Video help is available from the drop-down help menu at the top right hand corner of the Octopz application. You can choose to view help videos on using Octopz (How To Use), on how to administer users and rooms (How to Admin) or you can get a quick overview on the latest features (What’s New).

Selecting any of the video help options on the drop down menu will bring up a custom video player window (shown above) with a list of help topics on the left and a video playback window on the right side. You can click on any topic and sub-topic you want to learn about from the menu and that specific video will load and play almost instantly.

There are built-in player controls for rewinding or skipping ahead to any point in that video, as well as a volume adjustment for sound. You can view the help videos sequentially or in whatever random order suits you best.

All the video help files can also be accessed directly without going into the Octopz application at http://www.octopz.net/help/. There is an additional video on this page, called Quick Start Video, which will help you quickly get started using Octopz if you are a new user or have signed up for a free trial.

The is also a link on this page to the Octopz Text Help section which provides more detailed step-by-step instructions on how to use our collaboration software.

CNET News reporter Caroline McCarthy files a dispatch from Web 2.0 Expo New York about Inky our mascot and how well it works at getting reporters’ attention in the media room.

A new report by IT market research firm IDC names Octopz as one the 10 Canadian Web 2.0 Companies to Watch. The ten companies profiled in the report include AdHack, dthree Inc., Octopz, Overlay.TV, PlanetEye, Ramius Corporation, SceneCaster, Standout Jobs, Tomoye Corporation and Tungle.

The IDC report is part of The Canadian Technology Innovation Watch series and highlights smaller companies that have the potential to make an impact in the broader information and communication technology (ICT) market. According to the report’s author, IDC analyst Krista Collins:

Emerging Canadian businesses are changing the dynamics of the ICT market, and we are seeing a rapid increase in the availability of collaboration solutions. The companies in this study, including Octopz, are differentiating themselves from the myriad of other solutions in the market, guiding users through the adoption stage to help them understand how the various features and functions relate to them, and developing strategies that give users compelling reasons to stay engaged over time.

Octopz CEO Ron Octopz had this to say in our news release about our inclusion in the IDC report:

For an up-and-coming company such as Octopz, it is a thrill to receive this recognition from one of the world’s most respected sources of information about the technology industry. This report brings IDC’s research and insight to senior managers of ICT companies providing them with best practices and recommendations on innovative Web 2.0 technologies. It’s a phenomenal endorsement.

The full Octopz news release is here.

In addition to being included in the IDC report, so far this year Octopz has also turned up on the KPMG & Backbone’s 2008 PICK20 awards list, Startup North’s Ten Web Startups to Watch, the inaugural Canadian Innovation Exchange (CIX) and Branham’s Top 25 Up and Comers.