Collaborative software, also known as groupware, is application software that integrates work on a single project by several concurrent users at separated workstations. In its modern form, it was pioneered by Lotus Software with the popular Lotus Notes application running in connection with a Lotus Domino server; some historians argue that groupware was anticipated by earlier monolithic systems like NLS.
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.
__Overview__
Collaboration, with respect to information technology, seems to have many definitions. Some are defensible but others are so broad they lose any meaningful application. Understanding the differences in human interactions is necessary to ensure the appropriate technologies are employed to meet interaction needs.
There are three primary ways in which humans interact; conversational interaction, transactional interaction, and collaborative interaction.
Conversational interaction is an exchange of information between one or many participants where the primary purpose of the interaction is discovery or relationship building. There is no central entity around which the interaction revolves but is a free exchange of information with no defined constraints. Communication technology such as telephones, instant messaging, and e-mail are generally sufficient for conversational interactions.
Transactional interaction involves the exchange of transaction entities where a major function of the transaction entity is to alter the relationship between participants. The transaction entity is in a relatively stable form and constrains or defines the new relationship. One participant exchanges money for goods and becomes a customer. Transactional interactions are most effectively handled by transactional systems that manage state and commit records for persistent storage.
In collaborative interactions the main function of the participants' relationship is to alter a collaboration entity (i.e., the converse of transactional). The collaboration entity is in a relatively unstable form. Examples include the development of an idea, the creation of a design, the achievement of a shared goal. Therefore, real collaboration technologies deliver the functionality for many participants to augment a common deliverable. Record or document management, threaded discussions, audit history, and other mechanisms designed to capture the efforts of many into a managed content environment are typical of collaboration technologies.
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 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/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 can be divided into three categories depending on the level of collaboration - 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
** * Internet forums (also known as message boards or discussion boards) - 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 built 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 UseModWiki 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.Jade Rasif