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Groupware Technology Sameer PDF
Groupware Technology Sameer PDF
Groupware Technology Sameer PDF
1. INTRODUCTION
Groupware is technology designed to be used by groups of people for sharing information. Groupware applications are becoming more and more popular now. Groupware is an environment where all users can share their documents. It is a platform where they can perform daily task of communicating, collaborating and coordinating with others. It automates business processes by using workflow management and collaborated computing techniques. Groupware applications like e-mail, workflow systems, group calendars, chat systems, decision support system are easy but very powerful. As Groupware is advantageous over single user system, it has high demand and many companies are specializing in developing Groupware based applications.
S.S.G.M.C.E., Shegaon.
Groupware Technology
2. WHAT IS GROUPWARE?
Groupware is technology designed to facilitate the work of groups. This technology may be used to communicate, cooperate, coordinate, solve problems, compete, or negotiate. While traditional technologies like the telephone qualify as groupware, the term is ordinarily used to refer to a specific class of technologies relying on modern computer networks, such as email, newsgroups, videophones, or chat. Groupware technologies are typically categorized along two primary dimensions: 1. Whether users of the groupware are working together at the same time ("realtime" or "synchronous" groupware) or different times
("asynchronous" groupware), and 2. Whether users are working together in the same place ("colocated" or "faceto-face") or in different places ("non-colocated" or "distance"). Same time
Synchronous
Different time
Asynchronous
Same Place
Colocated
Different Place
Distance
S.S.G.M.C.E., Shegaon.
Groupware Technology
The figure 1 shows three intersecting circles. Communication, Collaboration and Coordination. When you work in an organization, you are actually working in a number of groups. So you can consider yourself as a member and part of the groups. When you talk to the sales representative you are actually communicating. When you put up a proposal for new accounting software and request others to give their opinions, you are collaborating. When you ask the manager to sign a statement, you are coordinating.
S.S.G.M.C.E., Shegaon.
Groupware Technology
4. GROUPWARE: APPLICATIONS
i) Asynchronous Groupware Applications
Email is by far the most common groupware application (besides of course, the traditional telephone). While the basic technology is designed to pass simple messages between 2 people, even relatively basic email systems today typically include interesting features for forwarding messages, filing messages, creating mailing groups, and attaching files with a message. Other features that have been explored include: automatic sorting and processing of messages, automatic routing, and structured communication (messages requiring certain information).
Workflow systems allow documents to be routed through organizations through a relatively-fixed process. A simple example of a workflow application is an expense report in an organization: an employee enters an expense report and submits it, a copy is archived then routed to the employee's manager for approval, the manager receives the document, electronically approves it and sends it on and the expense is registered to the group's account and forwarded to the accounting department for payment. Workflow systems may provide features such as routing, development of forms, and support for differing roles and privileges.
Group calendars allow scheduling, project management, and coordination among many people, and may provide support for scheduling equipment as well. Typical features detect when schedules conflict or find meeting times
S.S.G.M.C.E., Shegaon.
Groupware Technology
that will work for everyone. Group calendars also help to locate people. Typical concerns are privacy (users may feel that certain activities are not public matters), completeness and accuracy (users may feel that the time it takes to enter schedule information is not justified by the benefits of the calendar).
Shared whiteboards allow two or more people to view and draw on a shared drawing surface even from different locations. This can be used, for instance, during a phone call, where each person can jot down notes (e.g. a name, phone number, or map) or to work collaboratively on a visual problem. Most shared whiteboards are designed for informal conversation, but they may also serve structured communications or more sophisticated drawing tasks, such as collaborative graphic design, publishing, or engineering applications. Shared whiteboards can indicate where each person is drawing or pointing by showing telepointers, which are colorcoded or labeled to identify each person.
Chat systems permit many people to write messages in realtime in a public space. As each person submits a message, it appears at the bottom of a scrolling screen. Chat groups are usually formed by having listing chat rooms by name, location, number of people, topic of discussion, etc. Many systems allow for rooms with controlled access or with moderators to lead the discussions, but most of the topics of interest to
S.S.G.M.C.E., Shegaon.
Groupware Technology
researchers involve issues related to unmoderated realtime communication including: anonymity, following the stream of conversation, scalability with number of users, and abusive users. While chat-like systems are possible using non-text media, the text version of chat has the rather interesting aspect of having a direct transcript of the conversation, which not only has long-term value, but allows for backward reference during conversation making it easier for people to drop into a conversation and still pick up on the ongoing discussion.
Decision support systems are designed to facilitate groups in decisionmaking. They provide tools for brainstorming, critiquing ideas, putting weights and probabilities on events and alternatives, and voting. Such systems enable presumably more rational and even-handed decisions. Primarily designed to facilitate meetings, they encourage equal participation by, for instance, providing anonymity or enforcing turn-taking.
S.S.G.M.C.E., Shegaon.
Groupware Technology
5. GROUPWARE: DESIGN
As with all user interface design, the method used for designing a groupware system is more significant than specific design suggestions. This introduction thus begins with the groupware design process. The remaining sections address some of the most common issues that face groupware designers.
Groupware Technology
Modifying prototypes can be technically difficult because of the added complexity of groupware over single-user software. When designing groupware, it is often best to begin with field studies. The goal is to understand a particular type of group or organization that will be using the groupware system. A number of different studies can be conducted: interviews, surveys, analysis of artifacts used in the work process, examination of processes and workflows, etc. In all cases, the object is to identify the users' tasks and goals, understand how the group communicates and determine the power structures and roles.
ii) Interoperability
In the early 90s, AT&T and MCI both introduced videophones commercially, but their two systems couldn't communicate with each other. This lack of interoperability/compatibility meant that anyone who wanted to buy a videophone had to make sure that everyone they wanted to talk to would buy the same system. Compatibility issues lead to general wariness among customers, who want to wait until a clear standard has emerged.
Groupware Technology
be perceived by users as more beneficial to leave their own appointments off, while viewing other people's appointments.
S.S.G.M.C.E., Shegaon.
Groupware Technology
v) Floor Control
Once people have joined a conversational session, it must be decided what kind of access each person has to shared artifacts, or conversational props. For instance, when using a shared whiteboard, can everyone draw on it at the same time (simultaneous access), can only one person access it at a time (by passing a token, or baton), is there a moderator who controls access, and is there a time limit for each person? Of course, some intermediate solutions are also possible. For instance, in the shared whiteboard example, there can be multiple whiteboards. Some may be personal and others shared. Personal whiteboards may be visible to other users but non-editable by other users. This allows everyone to work simultaneously without interfering with the work of others.
vi) Privacy
Privacy, Security, and Anonymity
Whenever using groupware, some information needs to be shared, and there is a concern that all other information remain private, and that critical information be secure even against aggressive attempts to obtain the information. In many situations, users choose to be anonymous or use a consistent pseudonym. Anonymity can be crucial in encouraging fair participation in discussions and is useful for providing protection from harassment.
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Groupware Technology
S.S.G.M.C.E., Shegaon.
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Groupware Technology
6. ADVANTAGES OF GROUPWARE
Groupware offers significant advantages over single-user systems. These are some of the most common reasons people want to use groupware: to facilitate communication: make it faster, clearer, more persuasive to enable communication where it wouldn't otherwise be possible to enable telecommuting to cut down on travel costs to bring together multiple perspectives and expertise to save time and cost in coordinating group work to facilitate group problem-solving In addition to the benefits of groupware, another good reason to study usability and design issues in groupware is to avoid a failed design.
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Groupware Technology
7. CONCLUSION
This is what Groupware is all about. Thus we have seen the utilities and the advantages of groupware in organizations. Hence Groupware is the best solution to provide faster communication, to form groups with common interest where it wouldnt be possible to gather a sufficient number of people face to face, to solve group problems easily. Thats why more and more people are realizing its utility and are shifting to Groupware. This is todays stage. This stage lays solid foundation for tomorrow.
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Groupware Technology
BIBLIOGRAPHY
1. Groupware with Lotus Notes - APTECH Computer Education.
2. http://www.googlesearch.com 3. http://www.usibilityfirst.com
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Groupware Technology
Name Address
: Mr. Sameer G. Kerhalkar : Godbole Plot, Dabki Road, Old City, Akola 444002
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