Nobody really knows what it is, exactly, but everyone wants it in their office. No, it's not the Internet--it's groupware!
The move from centralized computing resources (mainframes) to the desktop computer provided users with powerful tools to increase their individual productivity, but did little to enhance group processes (e.g. workflow, meetings, paste-up sessions). The proliferation of Internet applications with the attendant externalities has provided opportunities to apply the externalities of Internet access to group collaboration and workflow. In other words, now that everyone is surfing the net, why not surf your office?
What is groupware? Some look at groupware and see mostly e-mail, while others describe it primarily as discussion forums. Still others identify groupware as a development platform for custom applications. In its narrowest sense, an e-mail system can be (and has been) considered groupware, the purpose of which is to improve worker communications and productivity. In its broadest sense, groupware integrates messaging, collaborative work processes, and workflow management to enable electronic work groups and collaborative efforts within a distributed workforce. Though messaging features are important, groupware covers more than basic e-mail. Key elements of groupware include:
Not surprisingly, e-mail continues to be groupware's focal point. E-mail is the most popular application within company networks, and the most popular Internet application next to Web browsing.
Threaded discussions, conferencing. The arrival of Internet culture into corporations has brought with it real-time collaboration tools such as chat and electronic whiteboarding--functions not associated with traditional groupware.
While Domino, Exchange, and GroupWise come with impressive, ready-to-use clients, some organizations need to develop custom groupware applications from the ground up. Seasoned groupware products such as Lotus Domino and Microsoft Exchange deliver solid platforms for developing both conventional and Web applications.
One major problem with groupware is that it involves so many different pieces, it's difficult to bring them all together so that there's a common platform and a workable environment for rapid application development (RAD).
Around 1995, when Netscape purchased Lotus competitor Collabra Software, Inc. and announced its plans to bring groupware to the Web, many information technology observers and participants said that proprietary groupware was doomed to disappear because of the rise of the Internet and the corporate intranets based on open standards that came with it. The pundits said the Internet would grind proprietary groupware into dust. However, the major players in the groupware market rolled with the punches and shifted gears by beginning the long but rewarding process of adapting their systems to open standards.
Much progress has been made in this direction and although there is still much left to be done, today groupware can form the heart of corporate intranets. Groupware and intranets are two technology phenomena definitely meant for each other. Corporate Webs provide the perfect backdrop for collaborative work, providing an easily accessible, ubiquitous platform for gathering and sharing information. As an example of the collaboration demonstrated by groupware and intranets, consider the following. Many intranets are built around Web servers delivering HTML pages. The latest releases of groupware provide for dynamic on the fly conversion of any database or application into HTML. The addition of groupware applications to the intranet, therefore, is only natural as a way to leverage an intranet's power.
Today's groupware systems blend Internet openness with polished proprietary environments, although proprietary groupware still provides more functionality than Internet-based implementations. But regardless of the type of application, all groupware systems these days show the unmistakable trend toward Internet software and protocols. To varying degrees, then, all the groupware systems today are a blend of proprietary functions and Internet standards.
A pivotal element in the groupware wars will be development tools that let users customize their applications and tailor forms to a company's specific needs. The cry for communications protocol and data format standards, the popularity of the web browser as a universal client, and the possibility of a multi-platform development tool -- Java -- makes for an amazing degree of interoperability. This also opens the door for new groupware participants, both startups and established companies, that can now more easily plug in to these existing groupware architectures using Java, JavaScript, and ActiveX.
IS managers agree that the benefits of Internet-based groupware far outweigh the cost and the pain of implementation.
With newsgroups and discussion databases -- two groupware staples -- team members outfitted with Web tools share ideas and techniques that result in faster product development. They can avoid pitfalls by reviewing previous project details stored in corporate knowledge repositories, another groupware basic. With desktop videoconferencing, also a groupware service, even those located in distant locations can easily participate in meetings and design reviews.
Teams of people in different locations can collaborate on bids or build client profiles with the help of public folders. You can post information in a common database so it can be used as needed by the organization. There are less redundancies and a significant cost reduction.
A smooth groupware installation is grounded in the understanding that the selection and cost of the solution is only half the battle. The first step is to get the whole company involved, even if it means instituting special programs to rally the troops. There must be a willingness to invest in training of new and existing employees if groupware implementations are to be successful. Otherwise, peopleís reluctance to change may be groupwareís biggest obstacle. One key factor for success or failure in implementing a groupware solution is how receptive the employees are to working together. The most success is likely to come if the employees are searching for ways to collaborate, and they believe that groupware is the answer.
When Lotus Development Corporation introduced the groupware concept eight years ago with Notes, it had an open, proprietary field to play on. Lotus got such a jump on the competition, it quickly became a game of catch-up for everyone else, including such powerhouses as Microsoft Corporation and Novell, Incorporated. Lotus Notes, Exchange and GroupWise, each developed before the advent of intranets, relied on traditional client/server architecture. But, the Internet changed all that. When intranets started popping up, it was natural to think of how they could be used to reduce groupware expenses. And that's just what a new breed of vendors did, resulting in the creation of some inexpensive intranet-specific groupware products. These products, from vendors such as Netscape Communications Corp., are compelling for managers who have wanted groupware but haven't been able to justify the high cost. With the intranet infrastructure already in place, they can simply add the application to the Web server so all browsers can access it. Some cases may require additional components or plug-ins for the browser, but these solutions are still less expensive, and easier to deploy and administer than traditional client/server groupware offerings. Netscape Communications Corporation, is thus the latest strong contender for the groupware throne. Lotus, Microsoft, and Novell are playing catch-up in the Internet-standards race and have only recently begun to run neck-and-neck with Netscape. While Lotus, Microsoft and Novell scramble to re-engineer to open standards, Netscape must quickly develop functionality. Competition is just starting to heat up. Lotus quickly responded to this new product wave by dropping the price of its Notes desktop client from $155 to $69 and starting its push onto the Web. Other proprietary groupware vendors are rapidly Web-enabling their products, as well. Web browsers, in fact, may soon replace proprietary clients altogether. Whether Lotus can remain king of the groupware hill remains to be seen, but for now, with close to 10 million Notes users, it's still the company to beat.
"The most interesting race is between Lotus and Netscape -- who will deliver a Java-ized product first," Gartner Group's Tom Austin, vice president of electronic workplace technology, says. "They will be within one quarter of each other, but it's too close to call at this point." Austin, who anticipates there will be 100 million groupware users by 2002, believes Netscape will surpass Novell next year and by 2000 be the number three player with 15 to 18 percent of the groupware market. He further predicts that Microsoft will cut significantly into Lotus' marketshare and draw even, each claiming 32 percent. Novell will drop to the number four spot with about 10 percent, and the rest of the pie will be divided among the remaining vendors.
In evaluating groupware there are several key areas which should be examined.
You should examine the ease of installation and management of the system across multiple servers. The system must allow remote administration from anywhere on the network. The system should share user and group information among its modules to allow the administrator to make changes and implement security easily. Assign higher grades to products that integrate with the network operating system or public directories, such as those that use LDAP. Systems that allow data synchronization between servers and offer encryption are preferable. Migration tools to move user information and data from existing systems is important.
Standard client e-mail features including text-formatting capabilities, delivery options, attachment support, and user-configurable views are essential. On the server, you expect a single message store, support for multiple directories, and robust routing features. Better ratings go to products that integrate e-mail with discussion and scheduling modules. You should explore whether the system handles HTML and MIME formats, and POP3 and SMTP protocols natively or through translation gateways.
It is important to consider discussion groups, rating the ease of posting and editing messages as well as attaching documents. Rate the ability to collapse threads for easy navigation and readability, and require a visual indication of which messages have been read and those that are unread. Look for multiple ways of viewing the information (for example, by user, date, or topic). Products should contain moderator and security features. The best systems include strong search tools. Products with a built-in NNTP interface allow interoperability with Internet newsgroup readers.
Look for scheduling features for users, groups, and resources that provide time-conflict resolution, free-time searches, and creation of recurring events. Give higher scores to products that include strong notification features integrated with e-mail. The scheduler module should share address books with other groupware modules, and you should look for products that can communicate with public directories as well.
Evaluate the tools for customizing groupware environments for made-to-order applications. Products that include forms designing and scripting tools are preferable. Developers need the ability to access the groupware data stores as well as access external database formats easily. The highest rankings should go to products that make all groupware module functions available in both native and open formats, such as HTML. The product's architecture should require minimal or no additional work to develop applications for both native and open environments. Look for development capabilities that allow tight interrelationships of all groupware functions.
Notes has considerable seniority. Since it was the first groupware product introduced into the market, it has had more time to build a user base. Today it still has the larger part of the market. However, Lotus must have seen the writing on the wall for proprietary systems. They've adapted well--in their latest release, they've become Internet-compatible while maintaining their high level of functionality. A more in-depth look at this product is available here.
With its groupware offering, it looks like Microsoft hopes to do to Notes what its Excel spreadsheet software did to Lotus 1-2-3. Exchange's new Outlook client has gotten mostly positive reviews for its ease of use. Exchange's latest version also incorporates support for Internet standards. Yet at its heart, Exchange remains a Windows package.
Collabra is actually just one part of a suite of products designed for Intranets. On the client end is Netscape Communicator, consisting of Composer, Conference, Collabra, Calendar, and Mail. On the server end is Netscape Suitespot, which has servers for all of Communicator's modules. What sets these products apart from other groupware? From the beginning, they have been based on established Internet standards, rather than proprietary ones. Collabra essentially allows you to set up Usenet newsgroups for internal use.
"As the newcomer to the groupware market, Netscape bases its platform on Internet standards or quasi-standards, which is appealing to customers afraid of being locked into one vendor for their strategic groupware platforms. The downside is that standards tend to move slower than the marketplace. However, as its product offerings mature, Netscape will likely extend the standards to provide new cutting-edge features just as the more established groupware vendors are doing." (Databased Web Advisor, September 1997.)
Habanero is a Java-based framework for distributed objects (Java, of course!) In fact, it is possibly the first Java-based groupware product released so far*. Intended as collaborative software for scientists, it features a variety of applets, scientific and otherwise.
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About Habanero (From NCSA) |
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The Habanero project at NCSA is investigating the enhancements in distributed interpersonal communication made possible when single-user computer software tools are recast as multi-user, collaborative work environments. It is our belief that a fundamental restructuring of the nature of distributed work is possible, and desirable, in the interest of improving efficiency and productivity of the teams involved. Habanero is a framework for sharing Java objects with colleagues distributed around the Internet. Included, or planned, are all the networking facilities, routing, arbitration and synchronization mechanisms necessary to accomplish the sharing of state data and key events between collaborator's copies of a software tool. Authentication and privacy features are also planned. There is no inherent limit in the number of tools per session, nor is there a limit on the type of tools that may be shared. As the project progresses, additional capabilities will enable routing of Habanero session information to a very wide number of participants. A limited, but representative set of applications is provided. No security model is presently in place. |
All of the products we looked at are good at this. As Infoworld pointed out in their test comparison (April 21, 1997, p. 68): "At the end of the day, you could end up with a tool that enhances communication between employees, streamlines the idea flow, and maybe even helps spark some new ideas. You could also end up with a glorified e-mail package. Nothing is guaranteed." At the very least, these are glorious glorified e-mail packages indeed.
Exchange 5.5 not only does e-mail, but it adds many bells and whistles such as "Message Flag" which marks messages with due-dates or reminders, "Auto-Preview" which lets you see the first three lines of any message and decide whether you want the rest or not, and automatic hyperlinking of e-mail and web addresses. Also included are features such as "Document Map," "AutoText", and spell/grammar-checking, which should look familiar to anyone who has used Word 97 (which I haven't.) The downside: no support for multiple e-mail accounts.
Text
Microsoft Exchange supports chatting with the Microsoft Exchange Chat Service, which presumably acts as a server for chatrooms. Exchange's Outlook client includes NetMeeting, which includes a chat feature.
Communicator has recently signed a deal with AOL to license their live chat software. Habanero also supports chat.
Voice and Video
Microsoft's NetMeeting handles this as well. It also can block incoming calls while you're in a voice conference.
Communicator has a built-in "Internet phone", not video, but is compatible with video products from other vendors.
Video is not currently implemented directly in NetMeeting, Notes, or Exchange&emdash;but they can work with "compatible products" from other companies. Microsoft has a separate product called NetShow which streams video either live or on-demand. To view NetShow "broadcasts" you need the NetShow client.
Habanero currently lacks video and voice features, but they could be added.
At the moment, live collaboration software seems to be dominated by smaller companies, much as the document management area is dominated by the major groupware companies. Over this time, this is expected to change: either the groupware applications will continue to get bulkier and add more features, or they will become more "modular" and allow mixing and matching of features (like Habanero).
Notes, Communicator, and Exchange all offer calendar programs. They appear to be fairly similar in functionality; allowing the user to check other people's schedules and post his or her own. Communicator's calendar displays in HTML; Exchange's calendar can be accessed through Outlook or the Web; and Lotus is also jumping on the HTML bandwagon and making the Notes calendar viewable through a web browser.
Habanero does not currently have a calendar feature.
Netscape's software supports RSA Security encryption, SSL, and certificates.
Habanero, as the programmers confess frankly in their documentation, has no security features right now, although these are "planned."
Exchange uses S/MIME (also supported by Netscape) to allow clients to send encrypted mail to each other. It also supports SSL, and accepts X.509 certificates such as those issued by VeriSign or Microsoft's own Certificate Server.
Exchange's mail client has menu options for logging in using Secure Password Authentication. Apparently though, there is no utility for administrators to set up users&emdash;Exchange relies on Window's user profiles, which means that users have to set themselves up. All security in Exchange depends on Windows NT, which uses the "challenge/response" method of authentication.
Habanero has "I.D. cards" which are filled out by the users themselves and are displayed (along with photos, if available). However, there is currently no function to verify that a participant is who she says she is.
The server component of Communicator, Netscape Suitespot, is particularly flexible, supporting multiple administrators and servers, all of which can be set up through the Netscape browser. However, all of these packages support distribution of their functions at least in part.
Habanero is very open, but closely tied to Sun's version of Java.
Communicator is primarily based on Internet standards--however, remember that Netscape is the company responsible for inventing HTML tags like "blink", as well as the language called Javascript, so they do have trouble resisting the temptation to "innovate."
Microsoft Exchange (version 5.5) has been revised to support Internet standards such as IMAP, LDAP, MIME, SNMP, SMTP, POP3, SSL, and IRC. However, Microsoft-only technologies are alive and well&emdash;there's Collaboration Data Objects (the CDO formally known as Active Messaging). And then there's the fact that to access most of the features of Exchange, whether you're an end-user or an administrator, you need to have a Wintel machine. Exchange is tightly integrated with NT and BackOffice.
Lotus Notes remains proprietary at heart, but like Exchange, has been rewritten to take advantage of Internet standards.
Habanero has a lot of promise in this area--NCSA's site describes applets that have already been written for this fledgling product. The idea is that you can write Java applets and run them within Habanero.
Exchange can be customized using electronic forms (including HTML-based forms), C++, and Microsoft's own Visual Basic and ActiveX.
One of Notes' strengths has always been that skilled users can use it to write applications for their intranets. This has not changed in the latest version.
Netscape currently lacks good development tools; however this is expected to change very soon with the release of the next version of Suitespot.
Suitespot offers connectivity to databases through its Javascript database object. This gives you the potential to add a lot of power to your groupware setup.
Microsoft's strategy appears to be to design all of its software so that it interoperates seamlessly at every level. The hope is that everyone will be serving their Intranets from Windows NT machines, running Microsoft BackOffice as their enterprise server and Exchange Server as their groupware server, with their users running Windows 95 or NT Workstation, the Office suite, and of course the Exchange client software. Accordingly, it exchanges information easily with Excel, Access, etc.
However, Exchange does acknowledge the presence of other programs. It can exchange e-mail and directory information with Lotus cc:Mail, and is quite helpful about helping users migrate from other packages.
Communicator and Habanero are extremely compatible with other applications.
This has been Exchange's weak spot--its server only runs on Windows NT, and Outlook--Exchange's primary component--currently only works on Windows 95 or NT machines. With version 5.0 there is an Exchange client available for Mac and Windows 3.1, that is not as good or as integrated (you need one program to read your mail and use public folders, and another one for scheduling and task management). This is supposedly about to change with 5.5, but Microsoft ports to the Macintosh platform have historically been rather klunky. You will be able to get to your mailbox, discussion groups, directory, and calendar server through your web browser though; HTML support is being added.
Notes' server component runs on several platforms (though not the Macintosh); the Notes client runs on Windows 3.1, 95, NT, and Mac.
Netscape's server runs on Alpha, many varieties of Unix, and Windows NT; Communicator runs on just about everything.
Habanero runs on anything that can run Java.
Lotus has been in the groupware game longer than any of the others, and, unsurprisingly, is considered better at it than the others. Its latest software got rave reviews from several magazines.
Netscape Communicator tends to get praise for its ease of use as well. It helps that Netscape's web browser is still the most widely used (although Internet Explorer may be catching up), because people are already familiar with its interface and can easily learn the features of Collabra, Calendar, and Conference. Even Netscape's server software (Netscape Suitespot) can be administered through the browser.
Exchange is generally praised for usability, but condemned for perhaps trying to do too much.The new Outlook client can basically take over your desktop, providing an all-in-one interface to all of your files as well as your shared (or "public") files, e-mail, and groupware programs.
Habanero trails the others in ease of use. This is not surprising for a product that was really intended to be an experiment for a select population (scientists) and has yet to see its official release. However, reading through the documentation reveals that installation and configuration of the server and client software is not for the faint of heart. However, it's an interesting experiment that comes with a wide range of applications not available with other groupware packages (check out the live weather module, Collabsentence, and Visible Human!)
When Lotus first released Notes, the Internet wasn't a consideration for most businesses. A company could set up an internal network, buy a server, computers, and client software, and everyone would be (fairly) happy. Network externalities dictated that everyone be computerized, but company information could be kept internal--there was no pressure to make internal networks available to outsiders.
Now, of course, everyone wants to be on the Internet, and there are other factors as well, such as the increased popularity of telecommuting, the growing mobility of workers, and the globalization of trade. The latest buzzword is "Extranet", or the use of the Internet as a conduit to connect companies and give them access to each other's data in a secure manner. It is obviously much easier to set up a connection between two local networks if those networks use compatible software. The groupware developers clearly hope to capitalize on this new market by moving their software from proprietary protocols to Internet standards. With their considerable experience in designing user-friendly software they have a good chance of success.
In short, the Internet is not going to make groupware disappear any time soon!
Meetings without Walls
(Internet World, October 1997, p. 53)
A look at collaborative software packages, including standalone whiteboard and conferencing software. Currently, it seems that the hottest real-time products are standalone, rather than part of a suite.
"Computer-Supported Cooperative Work" and GroupWare
Tom Brinck at the University of Michigan put together this collection of links to all things groupware-related. An excellent starting point; however, be aware that some of the links (like collabra.com--sound familiar? are out of date.)
Electronic Meeting Systems: Ten Years of Lessons Learned
A lengthy report by Jay F. Nunamaker, Jr.(Ventana Corporation), Robert O. Briggs and Daniel D. Mittleman (both of the Center for the Management of Information). Not just a study of groupware, but of the psychology behind successful (and unsucessful) collaborative computing.
Groupware Adoption & Adaptation: Studies of Successful Use
Leysia Palen (Information & Computer Science, University of California at Irvine) studied two major companies to see what they did right. By the way, those two companies were Sun and Microsoft.
The writeup of a workshop held at the Xerox Document University in Virginia in October 1996.
TEST CENTER COMPARISON-- Intraware
Solutions: Practice Makes Perfect
( InfoWorld, April 21, 1997, p. 68)
Netscape isn't in this article (the authors didn't get their review copy in time) but Lotus and Microsoft are. An in-depth evaluation. Notes is still the champion!
Groupware Redefined
(Databased Web Advisor, September,
1997, p. 52)
"While Lotus and Microsoft scramble to re-engineer to open standards, Netscape must quickly develop functionality."
When Groupware Worlds Collide: Giants
Tackle The Net
(Network Computing, March 15, 1997, p. 98)
Another good comparison of the competing products.
What's Next for Java Office Apps
(Byte Magazine, November 1997, p. 24)
Habanero is going to have company very soon! Applix, Corel, and Lotus have plans to make their software at least partially accessible through Java.
Understanding Groupware in the
Enterprise
(Joanne Woodcock, Microsoft Press, 1997)
Part of Microsoft's Strategic Technology Series, this book is a user-friendly, if "rah-rah Microsoft" tour of LAN, Intranet, and groupware. Includes a discussion of object-oriented computing.
Special Edition Using Lotus Notes
4
(Cate Richards et al, Que, 1995)
Somewhat out of date now, but a good, in-depth explanation of Lotus Notes. Available online at the moment at www.mcp.com.