Collaborative software, also known as groupware, is software that integrates work on a single project by several concurrent users at separated workstations (see also Computer supported cooperative work). It was pioneered by Lotus Software with the popular Lotus Notes application running in connection with a Lotus Domino server. Collaborative software becomes more valuable when more people use it and thus Metcalfe's law applies. For example, calendaring becomes more useful when more people are connected to the same electronic calendar and choose to keep their individual calendars up-to-date.

Contents

1 Overview 2 Three levels of collaboration 3 Implementation 4 Voting methods 5 Examples of collaborative software 5.1 Open source / free software 5.2 Proprietary software 6 For further reading 6.1 See also 6.2 Finding related topics 6.3 External links

Overview

An extension of groupware is collaborative media, software that allows several concurrent users to create and manage information in a website. Collaborative media models include Wiki and Slashdot models. Some sites with publicly accessible content based on collaborative software are: WikiWiki, Wikipedia and Everything2.

By method used we can divide them in:

• Web-based collaborative tools
• Software collaborative tools

By area served we can divide them in:

• knowledge management tools
• knowledge creation tools
• information sharing tools

Three levels of collaboration

Groupware is sometimes divided into three categories depending on the level of collaboration. They are communication tools, conferencing tools, and collaborative management tools.

• Electronic communication tools send messages, files, data, or documents between people and hence facilitate the sharing of information. Examples include:
  • e-mail
  • faxing
  • voice mail
  • Web publishing
• Electronic conferencing tools also facilitate the sharing of information, but in a more interactive way. Examples include:
  • data conferencing - networked PCs share a common “whiteboard” that each user can modify
  • voice conferencing - telephones allow users to interact
  • video conferencing (and audio conferencing) - networked PCs share video or audio signals
  • discussion forums - a virtual discussion platform to facilitate and manage online text messages
  • chat rooms - a virtual discussion platform to facilitate and manage real-time text messages
  • electronic meeting systems (EMS) - a conferencing system build into a room. The special purpose room will usually contain a large screen projector interlinked with numerous PCs.
• Collaborative management tools facilitate and manage group activities. Examples include:
  • electronic calendars (also called time management software ) - schedule events and automatically notify and remind group members
  • project management systems - schedule, track, and chart the steps in a project as it is being completed
  • workflow systems - collaborative management of tasks and documents within a knowledge-based business process
  • knowledge management systems - collect, organize, manage, and share various forms of information

Collaborative software can be either web based (such as Wiki usermod or scoop) or desktop systems (such as CVS or RCS).

Implementation

The biggest hurdle in implementing groupware is convincing people to use it. Training is required to make people comfortable using it. Employees should be given incentives to contribute : the rewards could be either financial or psychological.

In many cases collaboration is at odds with the company’s corporate culture so implementation will be disruptive. Shifting a corporate culture from being competitive to being cooperative is no small undertaking. It will require changes at all levels of the organization, including the CEO.

Voting methods

Voting has many uses in collaboration software. Condorcet voting offers the compilation of input from multiple experts or perspectives and can resolve intransitivity problems in decision making. In recommendation systems the rating or voting on many items can be used to formulate profiles for highly successful recommendations, and in document collaboration such as Wikipedia voting methods help to guide the creation of new pages.

Use of voting to order lists of sections such as this one remain largely unexplored. This also pertains to collective intelligence'.

Examples of collaborative software

Open source / free software

• Groupware
  • classic client-server solutions
    • phpGroupWare
    • Kolab
    • OpenGroupware.org
    • Open-Xchange
    • eGroupWare KDE PIM ready
  • web based solutions
    • eGroupWare
    • phpGroupWare
    • hipergate
    • The Open For Business Project
  • distributed solutions
    • Lucane Groupware a distributed groupware platform and applications
• Collaborative Media
  • web based solutions
    • based on Wiki
      • usemod
      • TikiWiki
      • TWiki
    • scoop
    • SlashCode software that runs Slashdot
    • everything engine backing the everything2 site
    • bricolage used by salon.com
    • Nuxeo Collaborative Portal Server: content management and collaborative platform based on Zope
• Project Collaboration
  • web based solutions
    • Project/Open
    • eGroupWare
    • phProject
    • Tutos
    • phpGroupWare Includes a project collaboration module
    • phpcollab
    • NetOffice
• Document Collaboration
  • web based solutions
    • Riters.com A free online document collaboration service, and Wiki farm.
    • Vagueware A web-based public wiki for collaborative development of content, policies, methods and specifications

Proprietary software

• Microsoft Exchange Server and the Microsoft Outlook client
• Microsoft Netmeeting website
• Groove is a Microsoft Windows based peer-to-peer platform
• GroupVille. GroupVille is a web-based groupware in Java.
• Zaplet 3
• AtomSuite
• SubEthaEdit - Collaborative text editing on Mac OS X
• webex company homepage - web based collaboration tools
• StikiWiki - Easy to use collaboration wiki
• MayeticVillage - Free online collaboration workspaces
• Vignette Collaboration Services - Vignette collaboration products
• IBM Lotus Notes and Domino
• IBM Lotus Workplace
• IBM Lotus Team Workspace (Quickplace)
• IBM Lotus Web Conferencing
• IBM Lotus Instant Messaging (Sametime)

For further reading

See also

• Metcalfe's law
• information technology management
• management information systems
• electronic business
• knowledge management
• project management
• management
• marketing

Finding related topics

• list of information technology management topics
• list of management topics
• list of computing topics
• list of marketing topics
• list of Internet topics
• list of economics topics
• list of finance topics
• list of accounting topics
• list of human resource management topics
• list of business law topics
• list of production topics
• list of business ethics, political economy, and philosophy of business topics
• list of business theorists
• list of economists
• list of corporate leaders
• list of companies

External links

• a Perl Monks discussion on collaborative media