Collaborative software

Groupware software or groups (including collaborative software ) refers to one across a software to support the cooperation in a group on temporal and / or spatial distance. Groupware is the implementation of the theoretical foundations of computer-based group work ( Computer Supported Cooperative Work, CSCW acronym ) in a specific application. Occasionally, hardware components are all added to a groupware.

Definition / Characterization

A central definition for the term " groupware " comes from Ellis, Gibbs and Rein. Then Groupware is a "computer- based system that supports a group of people in their area or destination, and an interface for a shared working environment offers " ( Ellis et al., 1991, translated).

The main difference between groupware and other software to support multiple users, such as Multiuser database systems, the explicit attempt of groupware to reduce the isolation of users from each other. So Groupware creates an awareness about the colleagues and their activities (see also Awareness). In this context, Lynch et al. (1990, p.160, translated) that " groupware differs from normal software in a basic premise: Groupware creates the awareness that he is part of a group, while the majority of other software attempts the user the user from other to hide and protect them. "

A second important feature that has been identified for groupware, is customization. After each group is different and must be received Groupware not only to the needs of the group as a whole but also to the individual needs of all group members to enable a critical mass of users, there is not usually a solution for everything. Groupware has to be very generic and / or customizable so that they can use users and groups in different ways. E -mail is the best example for this media aspect of groupware. The adjustment should ideally be carried out to the end user themselves. Work on this can be found under the title End - User Development or Endbenutzerentwicklung (eg Lieberman et al., 2006 ).

In the computer trade press and the software industry Groupware is often equated with Microsoft Outlook / Exchange or IBM Lotus Notes / Domino or in this class related client / server products based on the MAPI protocol - that is, as a combination of E email ( shared ) calendars ( common ) and address books ( common ) to-do lists. A recent definition of this limited view is from Böttger and Raison (2008): "A Groupware is an e- mail and communication system, the following basic contents provides: Addresses and contacts, tasks, e-mail, shared folders, calendar and notes. "

In fact, the research field of CSCW looks at the concept but slightly wider. For groupware include all solutions that support groups work together. With the support asynchronous collaboration for example these are in addition to the above mentioned functionalities tools to manage common data sets ( information spaces ) with Awareness functionality. In supporting synchronous (ie, simultaneous ) cooperation you look at groupware various conferencing, instant messaging applications (synchronous ) group editors and so-called social software.

System Properties

Goal of groupware is always the support of a group process, ie the preparation of a result or the transformation of information from an initial to a final state.

Groupware can be classified according to various factors:

• 3K model. Communication. The extent to which participants communicate with each other? (English Communication)
• Cooperation. To what extent are working on achieving a common goal to go? (English Collaboration)
• Coordination. The extent to which resources are planned together? ( engl. Coordination)

Key aspects of groupware are:

• Awareness. Many systems use one or more forms of Awareness ( group knowledge ) to, ie, the software monitors and provides information on the composition of the group, whose participation and cooperation.
• What You See Is What I See ( WYSIWIS ). The editing dialogs groupware should provide the user with the presentation of the content as possible in a preview option available so that little or no training is required.
• Information Architecture The content structure of the information and the user accounts.
• Synchronization and consistency maintenance. Maintaining a consistent data state (consistency) in spite of simultaneous accesses to the data material, or the visualization of conflict, where this is not possible.
• Floor control. The management of system resources: Which participant may just use that resource?
• Session control. The management of the participants themselves: Who is allowed to join the group, he takes the role of?

Between the terms groupware and workflow management system a substantive relationship: groupware aims to support project-based, case by case and only slightly structured teamwork. During the implementation of ad hoc factors may occur that force a change in the visa application process. Workflow management systems, however, process-oriented support, well-structured, or be structured business processes. The deterministic sequence of the individual steps is reminiscent of an assembly line structure. In this approach, the system plays the active role that controls the processes and triggers actions. The user is passive and only responds to system proposals.

Architecture

Groupware is a distributed system that allows collaborative editing of a set of data or documents. It is therefore always one of the following concepts:

Examples of groupware applications

The scope of groupware applications is different. Many project management, e -mail, calendar and notebook functions are included. Some groupware products are little more than these functions to work ( PIM software ), others involve much more than these basic functions.

An example of a groupware application called PIM software ( Personal Information Manager). The research discipline that deals with the study of collaborations with computer assistance is referred to as Computer Supported Cooperative Work ( CSCW ). Collaboration software is also regarded as an essential component of ECM (Enterprise Content Management).

Well-known products, which are referred to as groupware, are BSCW, Lotus Notes from IBM, Groupwise, Novell, Sun ONE, Sun Microsystems, Atmail, Citadel, Collanos Workplace Open-Xchange, Microsoft Exchange and Microsoft SharePoint Technologies, Zimbra VMware, Comindware Tracker Comindware. Examples of cross-platform groupware server (formerly OpenGroupware.org ) that support all Windows as well as Linux and Mac OS X, the First Class software and the Kerio MailServer 6 or SOGo. The Lotus Notes co-founder Ray Ozzie began in 1997 Groove to develop. The associated company was acquired by Microsoft in 2005 and the software integrated in the Ultimate and Enterprise editions of Microsoft Office 2007. More free software products are Atmail Open, Kolab, Horde Groupware, EGroupware, phpgroupware, GROUP -E, PHProjekt, TeamProQ, Tine 2.0, Tiki or Zarafa.

A group of programs that has already established itself significantly better on the U.S. market, are electronic meeting systems or web conferencing. Some better-known softwares are Koncero, Nemo ², MeetingSphere, team support and Think Tank (software).