Tapping into the collective intelligence of the crowd is the latest means of corporate problem solving. The Internet has put research and development smarts online, giving companies – big and small – an almost instant way to bolster their expertise. Where the financial crisis may have left in-house ideas people in short supply, thousands of experts now are helping corporates solve their problems in real time and often for no cost, explains Patrick Finnegan, an associate professor of information systems at the Australian School of Business. These days it's possible to solve a major engineering problem or have a T-shirt designed by a global team who may be working just for the challenge or the joy of collaboration. Here's how.