What would be needed?
I guess the most important feature would be something like private feedback of marks/grades. Actually, most other use cases might already be in there in some form or another.

Shortcuts for often used functions are very important for regular users. They increase productivity. Especially for desktop applications, shortcuts empower the user to get very fast with their applications. Technically, there is no reason why web applications can not have such a feature. Kappr has a special back-end that allows the use of different short cuts in different languages. Have a look at the picture below (click on it for a larger version). It shows a screen capture of the shortcut help in Kappr.

• Members: These are your employees. A Member can add new messages, tasks and files to projects and can comment on all items. He/She can only modify his/her own content. Members only see their projects and only the members of their projects. They do not see the other projects you are working on and do not see with whom your are working.
• Admins: Admins are the account owner and your project managers (or in some companies “organizer dude”). Anyone can be an Admin; even people in other companies. An Admin has all the rights ordinary Members have. In addition, Admins can also create new projects and companies, add new Members and modify all content. They also can see all users (even in projects they are not themselves a member of).

Red elements are only visible to Admins.

Users who belong to the account owner’s company can send private e-mails and also have private files. Here, private means visible only to members of that company. In the list views, these items are marked by the word “Private” and are invisible to people in other companies.

The Members’ interface is as clean as possible. The links and blocks in red (as in the screen capture on the right) are only visible to Admins. All admin actions are red and therefore invisible to Members.

Web designer: You are a web designer and work for many clients at a time. You work with the graphics designer within your company and external programmers. With Kappr, you create one Kappr project for each of your projects. For each project, Kappr automatically creates some task lists to which you can assign due dates (Beta testing: 15 June 2009). During the project, you had tasks to the lists which are then completed by you or another team member.After you created a project, you add your customer and team members to the project. You communicate via Kappr’s e-mail function (mailing list) and share files in the Files section (e.g. screen captures of the current version). After the project is completed, you can upload the product documentation to the files area.

Media companies: You have a mid-size TV company. You produce everything from news to documentaries. Depending on the situation, you work just with your own people or also with external camera operators and assistants as well as with external editors and graphic designers in the post production. Additionally, you have an external narrator who you use for some projects and who lives in another city. You have to rely on a robust communication with your client and all team members. Kappr’s e-mail tab helps you to keep track of all instructions/requirements from your client. Each new team member also has access to the complete past communication within the project.
The edited version is ready and has to be sent to your external narrator. Use Kappr to send the video to your narrator (large files are no problem for Kappr). In turn, the narrator can send back his audio file through Kappr as well. Once finished, use Kappr’s files section to send it to your client for approval.

School and Uni projects: Team work is more and more important. Kappr improves communication and adds structure through common task lists and due dates to a project. Using the Files tab, all team members have access to the same information. In addition, all prepared documents (report, presentation, etc.)  should be uploaded to Kappr’s files section for backup.

Announcing the new forums! We hope that it will become a place where users can share their experience with Kappr. The idea is to have a place where everyone can ask questions and can learn about how others use Kappr efficiently.

So far, we have forums in English at
http://kappr.com/forums/forum/english

and in German at
http://kappr.com/forums/forum/deutsch.

We hope to chat with you soon in one of our forums!

I do not plan to talk about any features yet or advertise the great things you will be able to do with it (and you will be!), I just want to built up a little dictionary that describes Kappr. The plan is to get a list of (buzz-)words that can be used to explain Kappr to a new customer, another company, business people or techies.

• Business terms: software as a service (SaaS), online service, project management (PM), communication, customer relationship management (CRM), outsourcing, productivity tool, office tool, white label
• Technical terms: cloud computing, on demand, scalability, online collaboration tool, Web 2.0, secure, encryption, SSL, integration
• Philosophies: keep things simple stupid (KISS), getting things done (GTD), agile development, discuss – share – deliver

Hopefully, this list gives you an idea whether Kappr will be something you want to use.

This post contains information that is dynamically pulled into Kappr. This is not part of the normal blog posts on this site.

Tasks

Use n to create a new task. Pressing h displays a list of all available short-cuts (works on all screens).

Payment

We process payments through PayPal which accepts MasterCard, Maestro, Visa, Visa Electron and DirectDebit. Vouchers can not be used to pay for an account more than 24 months in advance.

Dieser Eintrag enthält Daten, die von Kappr dynamisch eingebunden werden. Das ist kein normaler Blog post.

Tasks

Benutzen Sie n um eine neue Aufgabe zu erstellen. Benutzen Sie h um eine Liste aller verfügbaren Befehle anzuzeigen (funktioniert in allen Ansichten).

Payment

Mit Vouchern können Sie Ihren Account für bis zu 24 Monate im Voraus bezahlen.

This post contains information that is dynamically pulled into Kappr. This is not part of the normal blog posts on this site.

Clients

For Admins: Click “More Configuration Options” on the right and then choose “Preferences” to adjust the color scheme and other general properties of your account. Afterwards, come back to this screen use the two buttons on the right to create a new project and to invite more people.

Project

This is your new project. Get started quickly and create e-Mails and Tasks or upload Files using the buttons on the right.

For Admins: Best way to start a project is to

• go to Tasks, create Tasklists and assign due dates (e.g. “Private Beta: 1 April 2009″, “Official Release: 1 June 2009″)
• adjust Categories in e-Mails and Files
• add new members to this project (people in your company, external companies, customers, …)
• create an e-Mail to introduce everyone to the project and to each other
• … repeat/update every week …

Tasks

Shown above are default tasklists that were automatically created with this project. You can change the name and due date by clicking on the list’s name. Assign due dates to Tasklists and add Tasks as you go along. Tasks can be moved around freely using drag-and-drop. You can also drag them from one list to any other. Tasks assigned to you are highlighted. A Task with “…” at the end indicates that more information is available when clicking on the title of the Task (maybe an instruction of how to complete it or a list of sub-Tasks).

Userfiles

Click the button on the right to upload a new file. Use Categories to organise your files.

Use Files to:

• share specifications
• transmit and deliver content
• backup data

Take the time to add a short description to each file. It does not need to be longer than one sentence.

You can upload new versions of files. The old version will remain as a small reference in the list (unless it is explicitly deleted).

Userfiles_disabled

Your current account does not allow file uploads. Please upgrade your account to enable this feature.

Messages

Send everything from short announcements and simple notifications to your global business strategy. All team members will receive an e-Mail. The message will also be added to this page which will become an archive.

Use e-Mails to send:

• status updates
• formal project requirements
• information about uploaded Files and to discuss them
• links to market/paper/book/product reviews … or the joke of the day

Dieser Eintrag enthält Daten, die von Kappr dynamisch eingebunden werden. Das ist kein normaler Blog post.

Userfiles_disabled

Mit diesem Account können keine Dateien hochgeladen werden. Bitte wechseln Sie zu einem Account mit dieser Funktion.

Userfiles

Mit dem Link auf der rechten Seite können neue Dateien hochgeladen werden. Benutzen Sie Kategorien um Dateien zu organisieren.

Benutzen Sie Dateien um:

• Spezifikationen auszutauschen
• Inhalte zu übertragen und zu liefern
• Daten zu sichern

Nehmen Sie sich die Zeit um kleine Beschreibungen zu den Dateien hinzuzufügen. Ein einzelner Satz genügt meistens.

Sie können neue Versionen von Dateien hochladen. Die alte Version wird als kleine Referenz in der Liste erhalten bleiben (außer sie wird explizit gelöscht).

Tasks

In dieser Ansicht sehen sie automatisch erstellte Aufgabenlisten. Sie können Namen und Deadline ändern indem sie auf den Listennamen klicken. Versehen Sie die Aufgabenlisten mit Deadlines (z.B. die Liste “Veröffentlichung” sollte mit dem Datum der Veröffentlichung versehen werden). Aufgaben können per Drag-and-Drop verschoben werden. Sie können Aufgaben ebenfalls auf andere Listen verschieben. Aufgaben die Ihnen zugewiesen sind, sind markiert. Eine Aufgabe, die mit “…” endet enthält weitere Informationen die sich durch Anklicken der Aufgabe abrufen lassen.

Messages

Senden Sie alles angefangen bei kurzen Ankündigungen und einfachen Notizen bis hin zur globalen Geschäftsstrategie. Alle Team-Mitglieder werden per e-Mail informiert. Nachrichten werden auch zu dieser Seite hinzugefügt welche sich dann zu einem Archiv entwickelt.

Benutzen Sie Nachrichten für folgende Dinge:

• Statusupdates
• formelle Projektbeschreibungen
• Informationen über hoch geladene Dateien und um sie zu diskutieren
• Verlinkungen zu Markt-/Buch-/Produkt-Bewertungen
• … oder für den Witz der Woche

Project

Das ist ein neues Projekt. Für den schnellen Start und zum Erstellen von E-Mails und Aufgaben oder um Dateien hochzuladen benutzen Sie die Tasten rechts.

Für Administratoren: Für einen guten Start

• gehen Sie zu Aufgaben, erstellen Aufgabenlisten und weisen ihnen Fälligkeitsdatums zu (z.B. “Testphase: 1 April 2009″, “Veröffentlichung: 1 Juni 2009″)
• passen Sie Kategorien in E-Mails und Dateien an
• fügen Sie neue Mitglieder dem Projekt hinzu (Mitarbeiter aus Ihrer Firma, externen Firmen, Kunden, …)
• schreiben Sie eine E-Mail um alle zum Projekt einzuführen
• … wiederholen/überarbeiten Sie diese Schritte jede Woche …

Clients

Für Administratoren: Klicken Sie auf “Mehr Konfigurationseinstellungen” auf der rechten Seite und wählen Sie “Einstellungen” an um das Farbschema und allgemeine Optionen für Ihren Account anzupassen. Danach kommen Sie hierher zurück und benutzen die beiden Tasten rechts um ein neues Projekt anzulegen und weitere Teilnehmer einzuladen.