Force.com Platform Fundamentals
jCollaborative Apps
Because the platform can be accessed by multiple users at the same time, it allows you to write apps that are collaborative. A collaborative app is an application with data and services that are shared by multiple users in different locations. Unlike more traditional forms of software that are installed on a single machine and are hard to access from a distance, collaborative apps on the platform can be accessed from anywhere in the world with only a Web browser. This makes it easy for teams to work together on activities like selling a product, managing a project, or hiring an employee.
- Use the platform's security and sharing model to finely control a user's access to different data.
- Use workflow rules to automatically assign tasks, update data, or send e-mail alerts when certain business events occur, such as the creation of a new record or a change in the value of a record field.
- Use approval processes to set up a sequence of steps necessary for a record to be approved, including who must approve it at each step.
Collectively, these features provide a framework for sharing apps across groups, divisions, and entire corporations without relinquishing administrative control over sensitive data.