Groupware solutions – the purpose, technology and specific examples

  There are lots of multifarious groupware solutions (multi-user software), covering different needs, and offering different functionality – from managing emails to managing complex projects. There are packages of different complexity – from simple products that can be used by any person (like social web based networks) to complicated and expensive professional systems used in banking, financial operations, manufacturing etc.

  The most of groupware solutions use client-server technology to interconnect multiple persons working at their workplaces, using individual workstations (client applications). This online technology enables real-time transacting between people, discovering new inexhaustible opportunities for sharing and updating information through shared server component. Collaborative solutions can be widely used in business management, because they promote and streamline electronic communications between users collaborating as a team. Such software functions as a special groupware intranet – secure virtual environment where users of client applications interact with each other in terms of their professional activities. Today, one of the most popular kinds of groupware solutions is that helps in managing time and tasks of employees, for example VIP Task Manager .

Security is the critical aspect for business as far as confidentiality of business information should be kept on appropriate level. To match the security requirements and to avoid many problems , you need to select the right technology, covering your needs and being the most suitable among all possible collaborative packages . For example, there is web products that work over the Internet. Such a technology is quite simple in use, because you don’t need to make any installations, but only to buy annual subscription for required number of users and use common web-browsers to access the interface. 

In spite of the fact that there are lots of free and commercial tools on the Web, whether paid or free solutions are not appropriate for use in a workgroup where all team members work at the same office, because such online system will make your team dependant on Internet connection along with all related issues like slow performance and remote server time-outs. Another variant is installable software working within LAN, which unlike online groupware or paid services doesn’t create Internet dependence.

VIP Task Manager is product free of web problems because it works through corporate LAN, but it also can work through the Internet if required. This product is very easy in installation and use – it will take just several minutes to deploy this program over your corporate LAN, so in a few minutes you get the ready-to-go product, interconnecting all your team members in terms of planning, sharing and controlling their tasks, to-do’s, timetables, schedules and documents. You can see how simple and effective this software is by watching simple groupware demo. After watching this groupware demo you can try out this program in practice. Just make quick groupware download , install it, and evaluate during 30-60 days for free.