View source for Collaborative software

{{short description|Type of application software}}

'''Collaborative software''' or '''groupware''' is [[application software]] designed to help people working on a common task to attain their goals. One of the earliest definitions of groupware is "intentional group processes plus software to support them."<ref>{{Cite journal |last1=Johnson-Lenz|first1=Peter |last2=Johnson-Lenz |first2=Trudy|date=March 1991|title=Post-mechanistic groupware primitives: rhythms, boundaries and containers|journal=International Journal of Man-Machine Studies |volume=34|issue=3|pages=395–417|doi=10.1016/0020-7373(91)90027-5}}</ref>

Regarding available interaction, collaborative software may be divided into [[real-time collaborative editing]] platforms that allow multiple users to engage in live, simultaneous, and reversible editing of a single file (usually a document);  and [[version control]] (also known as revision control and source control) platforms, which allow users to make parallel edits to a file, while preserving every saved edit by users as multiple files that are variants of the original file. {{Citation needed|date=November 2019}}

Collaborative software is a broad concept that overlaps considerably with [[computer-supported cooperative work]] (CSCW). According to Carstensen and Schmidt (1999),<ref>{{cite web |last1=Carstensen |first1=P.H.|last2= Schmidt|first2= K. |year=1999 |title= Computer supported cooperative work: new challenges to systems design |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/2625053 |access-date= 2023-01-30}}</ref> groupware is part of CSCW. The authors claim that CSCW, and thereby groupware, addresses "how collaborative activities and their coordination can be supported by means of computer systems."

The use of collaborative software in the work space creates a [[collaborative working environment]] (CWE).

Collaborative software relates to the notion of [[collaborative work systems]], which are conceived as any form of human organization that emerges any time that collaboration takes place, whether it is formal or informal, intentional or unintentional.<ref>Beyerlein, M; Freedman, S.; McGee, G.; Moran, L. (2002). [http://media.johnwiley.com.au/product_data/excerpt/39/07879637/0787963739.pdf Beyond Teams: Building the Collaborative Organization]. The Collaborative Work Systems series, Wiley.</ref> Whereas the groupware or collaborative software pertains to the technological elements of computer-supported cooperative work, collaborative work systems become a useful analytical tool to understand the behavioral and organizational variables that are associated to the broader concept of CSCW.<ref>Wilson, P. (1991). Computer Supported Cooperative Work: An Introduction. Kluwer Academic Pub. {{ISBN|978-0792314462}}</ref><ref>Aparicio, M and Costa, C. (2012) Collaborative systems: characteristics and features. In Proceedings of the 30th ACM international conference on Design of communication (SIGDOC '12). ACM, New York, NY, USA, 141-146. {{doi|10.1145/2379057.2379087}}</ref>

==History==
{{See also|Multi-user dungeon|Intelligence amplification#Douglas Engelbart: Augmenting Human Intellect}}

[[Douglas Engelbart]] first envisioned collaborative computing in 1951 and documented his vision in 1962,<ref>[http://www.dougengelbart.org/pubs/augment-3906.html Augmenting Human Intellect: A Conceptual Framework] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110504035147/http://www.dougengelbart.org/pubs/augment-3906.html |date=2011-05-04 }}, Douglas C. Engelbart, 1962</ref> with [[NLS (computer system)|working prototypes]] in full operational use by his research team by the mid-1960s.<ref>[http://www.dougengelbart.org/pubs/augment-3954.html A Research Center for Augmenting Human Intellect], Douglas C. Engelbart and William K. English, 1968.</ref> He held the first public demonstration of his work in 1968 in what is now referred to as "[[The Mother of All Demos]]".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.dougengelbart.org/firsts/dougs-1968-demo.html |title=1968 Demo Overview and Links to Video |publisher=Dougengelbart.org |access-date=2014-06-25}}</ref> The following year, Engelbart's lab was hooked into the [[ARPANET]], the first computer network, enabling them to extend services to a broader userbase.

Online collaborative gaming software began between early networked computer users. In 1975, [[Will Crowther]] created [[Colossal Cave Adventure]] on a [[DEC PDP-10]] computer. As internet connections grew, so did the numbers of users and multi-user games. In 1978 [[Roy Trubshaw]], a student at [[University of Essex]] in the United Kingdom, created the game MUD (Multi-User Dungeon).

The [[US Government]] began using truly collaborative applications in the early 1990s.<ref>{{cite book|chapter-url=http://portal.acm.org/citation.cfm?id=99362&dl=GUIDE&coll=GUIDE&CFID=107391064&CFTOKEN=53017578 |chapter=Learning from user experience with groupware |doi=10.1145/99332.99362 |publisher=Portal.acm.org |access-date=2014-06-25|title=Proceedings of the 1990 ACM conference on Computer-supported cooperative work - CSCW '90 |pages=291–302 |year=1990 |last1=Bullen |first1=Christine V. |last2=Bennett |first2=John L. |isbn=0897914023 |s2cid=5295874 }}</ref> One of the first robust applications was the Navy's Common Operational Modeling, Planning and Simulation Strategy (COMPASS).<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/*/https://www.cwid.js.mil/public/CWIDFctShtSuccesses21Mar08.doc Heritage of Delivering Successful Warfighting Solutions]</ref> The COMPASS system allowed up to 6 users to create point-to-point connections with one another; the collaborative session only remained while at least one user stayed active, and would have to be recreated if all six logged out. MITRE improved on that model by hosting the collaborative session on a server into which each user logged. Called the Collaborative Virtual Workstation (CVW), it allowed the session to be set up in a virtual file cabinet and virtual rooms, and left as a persistent session that could be joined later.<ref>[https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Mark_Maybury/publication/220423771_Expert_Finding_for_Collaborative_Virtual_Environments/links/00b495295de7a430ec000000.pdf?disableCoverPage=true Collaborative virtual environments for analysis and decision support], Mark Mayburry</ref>

In 1996, [[Pavel Curtis]], who had built MUDs at [[PARC (company)|PARC]], created PlaceWare, a server that simulated a one-to-many auditorium, with side chat between "seat-mates", and the ability to invite a limited number of audience members to speak. In 1997, engineers at [[GTE]] used the PlaceWare engine in a commercial version of MITRE's CVW, calling it InfoWorkSpace (IWS). In 1998, IWS was chosen as the military standard for the standardized Air Operations Center.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.ezenia.com/news/infoworkspace-saves-lives-in-iraq/|title = (Press Release) InfoWorkSpace saves lives in Iraq - Ezenia!, Inc|publisher = Ezenia.com|access-date = 2014-06-25}}</ref> The IWS product was sold to [[General Dynamics]] and then later to Ezenia.<ref>{{cite web|url = http://www.ezenia.com/products/products-infoworkspace/|title = (Press Release) InfoWorkSpace - Ezenia!, Inc|publisher = Ezenia.com|access-date = 2014-06-25|url-status = dead|archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20140527023159/http://www.ezenia.com/products/products-infoworkspace/|archive-date = 2014-05-27}}</ref>

===Groupware===
Collaborative software was originally designated as ''groupware'' and this term can be traced as far back as the late 1980s, when Richman and Slovak (1987)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Richman|first1= Louis S |last2= Slovak |first2=Julianne |date=June 8, 1987 |title= SOFTWARE CATCHES THE TEAM SPIRIT New computer programs may soon change the way groups of people work together -- and start delivering the long-awaited payoff from office automation.fouttoune |publisher=Money.cnn.com |url=https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1987/06/08/69109/index.htm}}</ref> wrote: "Like an electronic sinew that binds teams together, the new ''groupware'' aims to place the computer squarely in the middle of communications among managers, technicians, and anyone else who interacts in groups, revolutionizing the way they work."

In 1978, Peter and Trudy Johnson-Lenz coined the term groupware; their initial 1978 definition of groupware was, "intentional group processes plus software to support them." Later in their article they went on to explain groupware as "computer-mediated culture... an embodiment of social organization in hyperspace." Groupware integrates co-evolving human and tool systems, yet is simply a single system.<ref name="Johnson-Lenz">{{cite web|url=http://nexus.awakentech.com:8080/at/awaken1.nsf/UNIDs/CFB70C1957A686E98825654000699E1B?OpenDocument|title=Rhythms, Boundaries, and Containers|last=Johnson-Lenz|first=Peter|date=30 April 1990|publisher=Awakening Technology|access-date=27 July 2011|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110909120159/http://nexus.awakentech.com:8080/at/awaken1.nsf/UNIDs/CFB70C1957A686E98825654000699E1B?OpenDocument|archive-date=9 September 2011|url-status=dead}}</ref>

In the early 1990s the first commercial groupware products were delivered, and big companies such as [[Boeing]] and [[IBM]] started using electronic meeting systems for key internal projects. [[IBM Lotus Notes|Lotus Notes]] appeared as a major example of that product category, allowing remote group collaboration when the internet was still in its infancy. Kirkpatrick and Losee (1992)<ref>{{cite web |last1=Kirkpatrick |first1=D. |last2=Losee |first2=S. |date=March 23, 1992 |title= HERE COMES THE PAYOFF FROM PCs New network software lets brainstormers around a table all ''talk'' at once on their keyboards. The result: measurable productivity gains from desktop computing |url= https://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune_archive/1992/03/23/76204/index.htm | work=[[CNN]]}}</ref> wrote then: "If <small>GROUPWARE </small> really makes a difference in productivity long term, the very definition of an office may change. You will be able to work efficiently as a member of a group wherever you have your computer. As computers become smaller and more powerful, that will mean anywhere." In 1999, Achacoso created and introduced the first wireless groupware.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://merysis.blogspot.com/2012/02/first-wireless-groupware-hits-palmtops.html|title=First Wireless Groupware Hits Palmtops: GroupServe Launches its Wireless-Accessible Discussion Service.|date=December 7, 1999|website=merysis}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |url=https://www.bizjournals.com/washington/stories/2000/01/31/newscolumn2.html |title=GroupServe gets $1M, new executive director |last=Richardson |first=Jake | work=[[American City Business Journals]] |date=January 31, 2000}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.rcrwireless.com/20000403/carriers/groupserve-markets-quotin-time-communications-quot-to-wireless-business-customers|title=GroupServe markets "in-time communications" to wireless business customers|date=1999-11-30 |website=RCR Wireless News|language=en-US|access-date=2019-11-11}}</ref>

==Design and implementation==
The complexity of groupware development is still an issue. One reason is the socio-technical dimension of groupware. Groupware designers do not only have to address technical issues (as in traditional software development) but also consider the organizational aspects <ref>D'Atri A., De Marco M., Casalino N. (2008). “Interdisciplinary Aspects of Information Systems Studies”, pp. 1-416, Physica-Verlag, Springer, Germany, Doi 10.1007/978-3-7908-2010-2  {{ISBN|978-3-7908-2009-6}}.</ref> and the social group processes that should be supported with the groupware application. Some examples for issues in groupware development are:

*Persistence is needed in some sessions. Chat and voice communications are routinely non-persistent and evaporate at the end of the session. Virtual room and online file cabinets can persist for years. The designer of the collaborative space needs to consider the information duration needs and implement accordingly.
*Authentication has always been a problem with groupware. When connections are made point-to-point, or when log-in registration is enforced, it is clear who is engaged in the session. However, audio and unmoderated sessions carry the risk of unannounced 'lurkers' who observe but do not announce themselves or contribute.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130605033257/http://www.mitre.org/news/the_edge/june_98/transfer.html A Case Study in Technology Transfer of Collaboration Tools]</ref><ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20130912234901/http://www.mitre.org/news/the_edge/june_98/second.html Collaborating securely - Can it be done?]</ref>
*Until recently, bandwidth issues at fixed location limited full use of the tools. These are exacerbated with mobile devices.
*Multiple input and output streams bring concurrency issues into the groupware applications.
*Motivational issues are important, especially in settings without pre-defined group processes in place.
*Closely related to the motivation aspect is the question of reciprocity. [[Clarence Ellis (computer scientist)|Ellis]] and others<ref>{{cite journal |first1=Clarence A. |last1=Ellis|first2= Simon J. |last2=Gibbs |first3= Gail |last3=Rein |year=1991 |title=Groupware: some issues and experiences. |doi=10.1145/99977.99987 |volume=34 |journal=Communications of the ACM |pages=39–58|s2cid=13597491|url=http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~tar/DBC/groupware-ellis.pdf |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/archive/20221009/http://www.cs.nott.ac.uk/~tar/DBC/groupware-ellis.pdf |archive-date=2022-10-09 |url-status=live }}</ref> have shown that the distribution of efforts and benefits has to be carefully balanced in order to ensure that all required group members really participate.
*Real-time communication via groupware can lead to a lot of noise, over-communication, and [[information overload]].{{citation needed|date=September 2018}}

One approach for addressing these issues is the use of design patterns for groupware design.<ref>Till Schümmer and Stephan Lukosch. 2007. Patterns for Computer-Mediated Interaction (Wiley Software Patterns Series). John Wiley & Sons. {{ISBN|978-0-470-02561-1}}</ref> The patterns identify recurring groupware design issues and discuss design choices in a way that all stakeholders can participate in the groupware development process.

===Levels of collaboration===
Groupware can be divided into three categories depending on the level of [[collaboration]]:<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.intranetjournal.com/faq/lotusbible.html |title=Groupware - Communication, Collaboration and Coordination |publisher=Lotus Development Corporation |year=1995 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110713051554/http://www.intranetjournal.com/faq/lotusbible.html |archive-date=July 13, 2011 }}</ref><ref>Casalino N., Draoli M. (2009), “Governance and Organizational Aspects of an Experimental Groupware in the Italian Public Administration to Support Multi-Institutional Partnerships”, in Information Systems: People, Organizations, Institutions, and Trchnologies, D’Atri A., Saccà D. (Eds.), Physica-Verlag, Springer, Heidelberg, Germany, pp. 81-89, {{ISBN|978-3-7908-2147-5}}, doi 10.1007/978-3-7908-2148-2_11</ref>

# '''Communication''' can be thought of as unstructured interchange of information. A phone call and an [[instant messaging]] discussion are examples.
# '''Conferencing''' (or collaboration level, as it is called in academic papers) refers to interactive work toward a shared goal. Brainstorming and voting are examples.
# '''Coordination''' refers to complex interdependent work toward a shared goal. A good metaphor is to think about a sports team; everyone has to contribute the right play at the right time as well as adjust their play to the unfolding situation - but everyone is doing something different - in order for the team to win. It is complex interdependent work toward a shared goal.

===Collaborative management (coordination) tools===
Collaborative management tools facilitate and manage group activities. Examples include:
* [[Document collaboration]] systems &mdash; help people work together on a single document or file to achieve a single final version
* [[Electronic calendar]]s (also called [[time management]] software) &mdash; schedule events and automatically notify and remind group members
* [[Project management]] systems &mdash; schedule, track, and chart the steps in a project as it is being completed
* [[Online proofing]] &mdash; share, review, approve, and reject web proofs, artwork, photos, or videos between designers, customers, and clients
* [[Workflow system]]s &mdash; collaborative management of tasks and documents within a knowledge-based business process
* [[Knowledge management software|Knowledge management systems]] &mdash; collect, organize, manage, and share various forms of information
* [[Enterprise bookmarking]] &mdash; collaborative bookmarking engine to tag, organize, share, and search enterprise data
* [[Extranet]] systems (sometimes also known as 'project extranets') &mdash; collect, organize, manage, and share information associated with the delivery of a project (e.g., the construction of a building)
* [[Intranet]] systems &mdash; quickly share company information via internet to members within a company (e.g., marketing and product info)<ref name="Intranet">{{cite book|last1=Chaffey|first1=Dave|title=Groupware, Workflow, and Intranets: Reengineering the Enterprise with Collaborative Software|date=1998|publisher=Digital Press|location=Boston}}</ref>
* [[Social software]] systems &mdash; organize social relations of groups
* [[Online spreadsheet]]s &mdash; collaborate and share structured data and information
* [[Client portal]]s &mdash; interact and share with clients in a private online environment{{citation needed|date=November 2016}}

==Collaborative software and human interaction==
{{essay|section|date=September 2020}}
The design intent of collaborative software (groupware) is to transform the way documents and [[rich media]] are shared in order to enable more effective team collaboration.

Collaboration, with respect to information technology, seems to have several definitions. Some are defensible but others are so broad they lose any meaningful application. Understanding the differences in human interactions is necessary to ensure the appropriate technologies are employed to meet interaction needs.

There are three primary ways in which humans interact: conversations, transactions, and collaborations.

''Conversational interaction'' is an exchange of information between two or more participants where the primary purpose of the interaction is discovery or relationship building. There is no central entity around which the interaction revolves but is a free exchange of information with no defined constraints, generally focused on personal experiences.<ref name="iSchool">{{cite journal|last1=Dunbar|first1=R. I.|last2=Marriott|first2=A.|last3=Duncan|first3=N. D.|title=Human conversational behavior|journal=Human Nature: An Interdisciplinary Biosocial Perspective|date=1997|volume=8|issue=3|pages=231–246|doi=10.1007/BF02912493|pmid=26196965|s2cid=1151885|access-date=3 December 2014|url=http://medisch-fitness.com/documents/75procentdagelijksegesprekkenbestedenweaanroddelen.pdf|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20141124125602/http://medisch-fitness.com/documents/75procentdagelijksegesprekkenbestedenweaanroddelen.pdf|archive-date=24 November 2014|url-status=dead}}</ref> Communication technology such as telephones, [[instant messaging]], and e-mail are generally sufficient for conversational interactions.

''Transactional interaction'' involves the exchange of transaction entities where a major function of the transaction entity is to alter the relationship between participants.

In ''collaborative interaction'', the main function of the participants' relationship is to alter a collaboration entity (i.e., the converse of transactional). When teams collaborate on projects it is collaborative project management.

==See also==
* [[Collaboration technologies]]
* [[Enterprise portal]]
* [[Intranet portal]]
* [[List of collaborative software]]
* [[List of social bookmarking websites]]

{{div col|colwidth=22em}}

=== Closely related terms ===
* [[Computer supported cooperative work]]
* [[Integrated collaboration environment]]

=== Type of applications ===
* [[Content management system]]
* [[Customer relationship management|Customer relationship management software]]
* [[Document management system]]
* [[Enterprise content management]]
* [[Intranet]]

=== Other related type of applications ===
* [[Massively distributed collaboration]]
* [[Online consultation]]
* [[Online deliberation]]

=== Other related terms ===
* [[Cloud collaboration]]
* [[Collaborative innovation network]]
* [[Commons-based peer production]]
* [[Electronic business]]
* [[Information technology management]]
* [[Management information systems]]
* [[Management]]
* [[MediaWiki]]
* [[Office of the future]]
* [[Operational transformation]]
* [[Organizational Memory System]]
* [[Remote work]]
* [[Wikipedia]]
* [[Worknet]]

{{div col end}}

== References ==
{{Reflist}}
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20090305020459/http://www.pmi.org/PDF/Lockwood%20-%20PMI%20Survey%20Report.pdf Lockwood, A. (2008). The Project Manager's Perspective on Project Management Software Packages. Avignon, France.] Retrieved February 24, 2009.
* [http://www.databasedesign-resource.com/collaborative-project-management.html Pedersen, A.A. (2008). Collaborative Project Management.] Retrieved February 25, 2009.
* [https://web.archive.org/web/20110715084211/http://www.pinnadyne.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74&Itemid=80 Pinnadyne, Collaboration Made Easy.] Retrieved November 15, 2009.
* Romano, N.C., Jr., Nunamaker, J.F., Jr., Fang, C., & Briggs, R.O. (2003). [https://doi.org/10.1109/HICSS.2003.1173655 A Collaborative Project Management Architecture]. Retrieved February 25, 2009. System Sciences, 2003. Proceedings of the 36th Annual Hawaii International Conference on Volume, Issue, 6-9 Jan. 2003 Page(s): 12 pp
* M.Katerine (kit) Brown, Brenda Huetture, and Char James-Tanny (2007), ''Managing Virtual Teams: Getting the Most from Wikis, Blogs, and Other Collaborative Tools'', Worldware Publishing, Plano. {{ISBN|978-1598220285}}

== External links ==
{{Commons category}}
* {{Wiktionary-inline|groupware}}

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{{Groupware software}}
{{Computer-mediated communication}}

{{Authority control}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Collaborative Software}}
[[Category:Collaborative software| ]]
[[Category:Collaborative projects]]
[[Category:Collective intelligence]]
[[Category:Business software]]
[[Category:Groupware]]
[[Category:Multimodal interaction]]
[[Category:Computer-mediated communication]]
[[Category:Social software]]