Here, we're really proficient with running usability tests - having done them for years. Our company's tools have always been one application to be used by one user though, so this has always been straight forward. 99% of our usability tests happen remotely.

However, our company is developing a new software tool that allows teams of people to work together. So... this means that each team member would have an application installed, which as they use it daily, can cause stuff to happen on other team member's machines. This collaboration is pretty key and there's only so much individual testing of the UI that we can do before we need to know if the team element works.

We are planning on releasing very early development builds out to users so that they can use it in anger for both usability and bug related feedback. But this isn't that formal - they'll provide feedback via email or forums, i.e. it won't be live feedback that allows us to understand their thinking.

So I guess I'm asking if people have experience of remote usability testing team software in some kind of more formal way? What worked? What didn't?

Thanks!