Software developer Xten Networks Inc. has an edge when it comes to meeting deadlines: a Web-based collaboration system called a Wiki, which has shortened its product development time by 20 per cent.
Wiki technology, invented by Oregon programmer Ward Cunningham, is server software that allows users to quickly create and edit on-line content using any Web browser (“wikiwiki” means “fast” in Hawaiian). The software is available from commercial developers, and there are also free open-source packages.