I love Trello for collaborating. It is free and runs on just about every device. I don't know how complicated your projects will be, but is is very flexible and the api is a dream to work with. If you go the Trello route, you can review time spent on tasks in many ways at reportsfortrello.com. (I created the site.)

I would also recommend google hangouts if you aren't using it already.

Best of luck!

Skype. Leave a group chat open all the time. Use video conferencing often.

So far as managing - treat them like your own employees (assuming outsourcing here), and over-communicate. Every time there's a hallway discussion, forward the results onto them.

A web browser? ;)

I can do Google Hangouts (covers voice, IM and text messaging) and email in the browser. I can do a lot more as well. Or do you consider each web app to be a different piece of software?

Basecamp seems to generally be the company to beat in terms of managing goal-facing productivity...