Collaboration platform

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An emerging category of computer software, collaboration platforms are unified electronic platforms that support synchronous and asynchronous communication through a variety of devices and channels.

Collaboration platforms offer a set of software components and software services that enable individuals to find each other and the information they need and to be able to communicate and work together to achieve common business goals. The core elements of a collaboration platform today are messaging (email, calendaring, and contacts), team collaboration, and real-time collaboration (e.g., instant messaging and Web conferencing). Additional features will become standard in collaboration platforms during the next 12 to 18 months, like blog and wiki tools. Vendors that offer collaboration platforms include Advancing Insights (enterprise social software) IBM (Lotus Notes/Domino, QuickPlace, Sametime, and Workplace Collaboration Services), Microsoft (Outlook/Exchange, SharePoint, Groove, Live Meeting, and Live Communications Server), Novell (GroupWise), Oracle (Oracle Collaboration Suite), and Sun Microsystems (Sun Java Enterprise System).