Collaboration comparison of Buzzsaw and Project Freewheel

Much like a red acid to a blue base, we're comparing items in the lab again.

Between this blog and Beyond the Paper, I have written a few articles about Buzzsaw:

• Software as a Service versus Software Applications
• DWF in Buzzsaw
• View Buzzsaw files (including DWF) with Firefox
• Buzzsaw 7 Update Now Available

Based on my

• Project Freewheel: Share Your Design. Start a Session.
• Project Freewheel Collaboration Geared for Multiple Interactive Users

articles, I got one request where a customer wanted to know if he should use Buzzsaw or Project Freewheel collaboration. Based on a number of factors, Buzzsaw was the correct answer for this customer:

Aspect	Buzzsaw	Project Freewheel
User Invitations	Buzzsaw allows an administrator to send an email invitation whose content is based on a template. Customization of the message body is possible. A Buzzsaw user is invited to a Buzzsaw site and may participate in one or more projects.	A Project Freewheel user who starts a sharing session sends an email containing a session URL or verbally relays the session name over the phone. The user is invited to the specific session.
User Permissions	Buzzsaw provides several levels: Site Administrator, Project Administrator, Edit, Update, Review, View, Deposit, and List. Permissions can be set at the site, project, folder, or file level for individual or groups of users. File deletions in Buzzsaw appear in a Recycle Bin. Empty and Recover operations are possible.	For Project Freewheel, all participants can manipulate the view of the design or add markups.
File Management	Buzzsaw has the typical operating system operations available: Add, Cut, Copy, Delete, Rename, Edit, Archive, Download, and Properties. Buzzsaw includes tracking versions of files.	Project Freewheel users see My Files and My Sessions which allow location, reuse, and deletion of uploaded files..
Markup	Buzzsaw is based on the markup tools available in Autodesk Design Review: Callout, Freehand sketch, Line, Polyline, Rectangle, Ellipse, and Stamp. Markups are saved as DWF files associated with the original designs.	Project Freewheel currently includes: Callout, freehand Sketch, and Highlight. Sessions are saved in the My Sessions list for later viewing. More than one design can be reviewed in the same session.

In addition to these differences, Buzzsaw is a fully supported production version of an Autodesk service. Project Freewheel is an experimental technology whose emphasis is on gathering user feedback via Autodesk Labs. Buzzsaw is built with more robust computing resources with 24/7 monitoring. Project Freewheel is monitored by the Autodesk Labs team. Buzzsaw and Project Freewheel are very different - much like a red acid and a blue base. Providing advice on an array of Autodesk technologies and solutions is alive in the lab.