Software Nicholas Pisarro, Jr. has wikis transforming the way people work at his company, Aperture Technologies, Inc. They use them to brainstorm, track projects, write and edit documentation, and coordinate marketing. That eliminates numerous conference calls, meetings, and emails.

Wikis were created in 1995 by Oregon programmer Ward Cunningham. They are special Web sites on which anyone can post material without knowing a programming language. Anyone can edit them, too. In sensitive corporate situations, access can be controlled.

Wikis are infiltrating the corporate world. The creator of TWiki, a leading open-source wiki program, says two-thirds of his programs are going into businesses, including Walt Disney, SAP, and Motorola. Startups are beginning to sell wiki software, and it is expected that wikis will eventually be included in collaboration software, like Lotus Workplace. They also allow companies to outsource more work.