Online groupware

What is an online groupware?

Groupware is collaboration software for workgroups defined physically and logically (workers within a company for instance). As an online groupware, ContactOffice does away with any physical or logical constraint to allow for universal data access and creation of workgroups with customers, suppliers, temporary or permanent partners, etc.

Groups

ContactOffice corresponds to real life situations: a person is member of one or several groups (company, service, department, project) and, as such, may access specific data (documents, contacts, forums, etc.). Each group member uses the interface in the language he chooses.

Three types of groups are available: public (open to everyone), closed (application needed to join the group) and private (group administrator invites people to join in).

Access rights

Group administrator sets access rights for each data. He also decides which group members may add new data, edit or delete existing data. He may alos invite new people in the group or delete members from the group (when someone leave the company or the department for instance).

Examples

Calendar	Share your personal agenda and access shared agendas Invite people to meetings and do the follow-up online Layer agendas to quickly view timezones available for several people By default, all group members may access the group agenda. It contains events of general interest. Each group member can layer it with his personal agenda. Group agenda can also be used for resource planning: meeting rooms, projectors, cars, etc.
Documents	By default, all group members may view group documents. Ex: sales kits, plannings, reports, offers, etc. Some folders or documents are restricted to some group members. Ex: contracts, accountancy, wages, etc. When adding or editing a group document, group members get a standard notification by email. You can add your own comments to the standard message.
Address book	By defaultn, all group members may access the group addressbook. Authorized group members may also add or edit contacts.
Messages	Contact all group members by email in a single operation.