groupware

Groupware is a software and hardware concept that supports teamwork. Multiple access to objects significantly increases the collaboration of groups in companies.

Groupware supports, among other things, the joint processing of documents and databases, it offers affordable and flexible solutions, supports adaptability and scalability, and simplifies and improves the flow of information in companies. By means of groupware, unstructured information can be exchanged between different work groups and processed simultaneously. Groupware includes electronic data exchange as well as storage sharing.

Suppliers can be integrated into the production process by means of groupware. Groupware can be used at the same and different locations at the same or different times. Forms of communication for use at different locations and at different times include e-mail and messaging, while audio conferencing and video con ferencing as well as chats are suitable for real-time communication. Another approach involves computer-supported collaborative work among professionals, teams and workgroups, Computer Supported Cooperative Work( CSCW), incorporating video conferencing.

Well-known groupware products include Notes from Lotus, Groupwise from Novell, Beehive from Oracle, and Microsoft Exchange.