ConceptDraw MINDMAP is a business productivity software for mind-mapping, brainstorming and project planning. It lets you present ideas as a visual map taking full advantage of pictures, symbols, text notes and integrates with MS Office software.

Pros: ConceptDraw MINDMAP 5 is a mind-mapping and team brainstorming tool. It has many drawing tools and a rich collection of pre-drawn shapes. Use of the tools and the shapes can help map thinking as per the mind mapping techniques and promote personal as well as team brainstorming. Note taking, memorizing or planning can be carried out collaboratively and then the outlines and notes can be taken into MS Project, MS PowerPoint or converted to PDF documents and creating multi-page mind map documents. Many of these features are available on the professional version of the program only. The personal version helps personal planning and organizing.

Outline and map views can be presented simultaneously and changes appear simultaneously on both views. Multi-page maps connected by hyperlinks to create a detailed mind map. Converted to HTML these maps can represent a website that can be browsed easily. Brainstorm mode helps generate, discuss and develop ideas within predefined finite time.

A range of popular formats such as BMP, JPEG, GIF, TIFF, PNG, PICT, EPS, HTML, RTF are supported. Extensive import/export facilities help planning/ presentation work together with standard tools such as MS Project and MS PowerPoint and the standard document distribution format such as PDF. Other document formats supported are RTF and XML. Ability to exchange task details with Outlook is a useful feature too.

Cons: Now that distributed teams are a increasing reality, facilities to allow participation of such teams would be a great advantage. Integration of voice conferencing features would add to the value in such scenarios too.

Overall a definite 4 star application.