The new project oriented tools in Unity II provide asynchronous collaboration functionality.  Asynchronous collaboration allows users to work independently without needing to be online at the same time.  Each user can independently make passes at authoring documents and other types of information.  Users can handoff control of that information to other users when necessary, and all users can review and provide feedback at any time.   This type of collaboration models a common workflow process that already occurs in many types of organizations.  However, Unity II automates much of that process making users more effective by producing reliable results in less time. 

Third party applications work seamlessly in the workflow of Unity II which continually distributes and records changes to documents as they are modified using their native applications.  Unity II allows users to view a history of all changes made to any document, see who made those changes, and access any prior version.  This ensures that no information can be lost throughout the collaborative process. 

Users still have access to all of the synchronous collaboration features of Unity.  These features allow users to join live sessions and utilize all of the more traditional realtime collaboration features enjoyed by the original Unity, such as video conferencing, media sharing, screen sharing, and white-boarding.  These services allow users to engage each other directly when necessary, such as to review documents that were generated using the asynchronous workflow process.

Unity II is a second generation communications system built on top of an asset management and distribution technology.  Unity II adds project management to Unity which enhances workflow and productivity for users who work in groups to develop and author documents and other types of information. 

The combination of synchronous and asynchronous collaboration features in Unity II provide an array of flexible options required by distributed users who need to work together to collectively solve problems.