Introduction Advances in Internet technologies have brought changes to our everyday life and workplace. Our need for collaboration via Internet constantly grows; new tools emerge to connect us in social networks and support the development of online distributed communities (Haste 2001; Schrage, 1990). Being knowledgeable and competent in technology usage has become a must for most professional organizations. During their interaction with these technologies, users spend thousands of hours “analyzing new situations, interacting with characters they do not really know, and solving problems quickly and independently” (Beck & Wade, 2004), while developing problem solving and collaboration skills (Reich, 1992). It is claimed that online communications facilitate groups of people coming together over the network to discuss any issue imaginable, to ask questions and share provocative insights to which others can respond (Lessig, 2001). These online social environments can evolve into “online learning communities” when they foster participants to actively engage in sharing ideas and knowledge with others (Gibson, Aldrich & Prensky, 2006). In these online communities “knowledge is generated through social interaction, through which we gradually accumulate advanced levels of knowing, according to theories derived from Dewey and Vygotsky” (Anderson & Kanuka, 1998). Moreover, Information and Communication Technologies (ICT) have allowed the evolution of traditionally organized firms to networked firms where work is performed by virtual teams (Jarvenpaa & Leidner, 1999). Over the years, team-based work units have become increasingly more prevalent and there has been an emphasis on distributed virtual teams (Bell & Kozlowski, 2002). Virtual teams are "groups of geographically and/or organizationally dispersed co-workers that are assembled using a combination of telecommunications and information technologies to accomplish an organizational task" (Townsend et al., 1998, p. 17), and as Bell and Kozlowski (2002) state they “will play an important role in shaping future organizations”. In the article, Systems Development by Virtual Project Teams (VPT): A Comparative Study of Four Cases, the authors examine problems encountered by VPT groups and attempt to identify determinants of success or failure. Over the course of their study, the authors followed 4 such teams. Next we provide a synopsis of the findings for each group, then summarize the comparisons between them and relate these findings to course material and our experiences. Team A  Project A focuses on Aerial Painters Incorporated (API), which is a private company located in the Pacific Northwest region of the United States that paints medium to large-sized commercial airplanes. This company requested a web presence incorporating the marketing goals of API. The plan for the project included developing a system that provided file-sharing capabilities, networked security cameras, an e-commerce Web site and a redesigned user interface. Beyond creating functional pages, the team had to address issues of security and liability, increased communication with business partners, dynamic marketing initiatives and interfaces with the companies’ Human Resources department. These company changes would convey corporate purpose, competitive position, and a stronger industry presence. An iterative development process was initiated between API and project team members. Throughout these early stages of the project, Team A successfully utilized communication tools to develop a strong social connection among team members. In part, this social connection helped the team deliver quality products to their client. Team A-Aerial Painters, Inc.  - Phase 1: Initiation and Planning Initial communication between team members was a traditional icebreaker like we did for this class. Both Norwegian and U.S team members provided names, contact information, and a little information about themselves. This quickly led to discussion of company goals that they were required to meet. “This practice proved especially valuable because team members who were unable to participate in some sessions still had access to project information”. The next sessions followed a pattern of structured, task oriented, focused communication on detailed aspects. They divided the workload figuring out who needed to do what and by when it needed to be done. Team A-Aerial Painters, Inc. - Phase II, Discussion Discussion continued reviewing previous posts and adding newfound knowledge for the overall improvement of original ideas. In Phase II, the team also began to test the social aspects of the group to help understand the personalities of virtual members; for example, discussing Americans and lawsuits. Both sides joked about the potential for the system's vulnerability to lawsuits and that it might be wise to hire Johnny Cochran to represent the group. This conversation was followed by emoticons to