Groupware

• A software helping people to collaborate (especially for geographically distributed organizations).

• Supports to communicate ideas, cooperate in problem solving, coordinate work flow and negotiate solutions.

• Categorized according to:
  • Users working in the same place or in different locations.

  • Users working together at the same time or different times.

• To consider:
  • Group concepts

  • How group members behave in a group setting.

  Figure 9.1: Groupware Categories

  

• Reasons for using:
  • Works well with groups having common interests and where it is not possible for the individuals to meet face to face.

  • Some problems are better solved by group than by individuals.

  • Groups bring multitude of opinions/expertise to a work setting.

  • Facilitates telecommuting (time saver)

  • Often faster and more effective than face to face meetings.

• Critical prerequisites for system success:
  • Compatibility of software.

  • Perceived benefit to every group member.

• For a face-to face session, the protocol is standard and the communication is highly structured. If the communication structure is known, then a groupware can take advantage of it to speed up the communication and improve the performance of the exchange. This communication environment is called technologically mediated communication structure.

• An alternative communication structure is known as a socially mediated communication structure where the individuals send a request (e-mail) through technology without any control over how soon or whether the recipient will respond.

• A session represents a situation where a group of individuals agrees to get together to conduct a meeting in person, over the telephone, or by videoconferencing etc.

• Groupware systems require that the sessions be conducted within the framework of protocols designed to ensure integrity, privacy and successful completion of each session.

• Session control determines who can enter and exit the session, when they can enter and how. Some rules used in case of session control:
  • Making sure that users do not impose a session on others.

  • Identifying conversational group members before allowing them into a session.

  • Controlling unnecessary interruptions or simultaneous transmissions (that might result in chaos/confusion).

  • Allowing group members to enter and exit at any time.

  • Determining the maximum number of participants and the length of the session(s).

  • Ensuring accountability, anonymity and privacy during the session(s).

• Applications:
  • E-mail/Knowledge transfer

  • Newsgroups/Work-Flow Systems

  • Chat Rooms

  • Video Communication

  • Group Calendaring/Scheduling

  • Knowledge Sharing