Microsoft Office Groove

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Microsoft Office Groove 2007

Maintainer:	Microsoft
Stable release:	3.1 (-) _[+/-]
Preview release:	Public Beta (-) _[+/-]
OS:	Microsoft Windows
Use:	Office program
License:	Proprietary
Website:	www.microsoft.com

Microsoft Office Groove is a proprietary peer-to-peer software package aimed at businesses, developed by Groove Networks of Beverly, Massachusetts and later by Microsoft who announced its acquisition of Groove in March 2005. It is included with some editions of Microsoft Office 2007.

1 Groove workspaces
2 Collaboration tools
3 Grooviquette
4 External links

[edit] Groove workspaces

On its most basic level, Groove is desktop software designed to facilitate collaboration and communication among small groups. It is a Windows-based commercial product invented by Lotus Notes creator Ray Ozzie (former CEO of Iris Associates). The central Groove paradigm is the shared workspace. A Groove user creates a workspace and then invites other people into it. Each person who responds to an invitation becomes a member of that workspace and is sent a copy of the workspace that is installed on his or her hard drive. All data is encrypted both on disk (using Encrypting File System) and over the network, with each workspace having a unique set of cryptographic keys. This local copy avoids the physical distance between the user and his data. In other words, a workspace is the private virtual location where users who are members interact and collaborate. From that moment on, Groove keeps all the copies synchronized via the Internet (through central servers hosted by Microsoft) or the corporate network. When any one member makes a change to the space, that change is sent to all copies for update. If that member is offline at the time the change is made, the change is queued and synchronized to other workspace members when the member comes back online (see horizon of connectivity). Via the workspace, one or more peers (members) now have a context for collaboration.

[edit] Collaboration tools

Groove's basic set of services (including always-on security, instant messaging, store-and-forward delivery, firewall/NAT transparency, ad-hoc group formation, and change notification) may be customized with tools. Tools are mini-applications that rely on Groove's underlying functionality to disseminate and synchronize their contents with other members' copies of the workspace. Groove provides many tools that can be used in a workspace to customize the functionality of each space (for example, calendar, discussion, file sharing, outliner, pictures, notepad, sketchpad, Web browser, etc.). After a member creates the workspace, the tools that members use in the workspace drive the nature of the person-to-person collaboration that ensues. Tools can be added or removed as needed.

Groove is only available for Microsoft Windows. Many of its concepts are similar to Lotus Notes. Groove uses its own Simple Symmetrical Transmission Protocol (SSTP) for communicating with other Groove users. [1] In addition, Groove version 3.x also supports XMPP protocol for sending instant messages to users on an XMPP network, but Microsoft plans to transition this support to Live Communication Server in a future version. [2]

[edit] Grooviquette

Grooviquette is the common acceptable behaviour and best practice notions around the use of Groove Virtual Office.

Examples:

Instant Messages (IMs): only send an IM if a personal response is desired.
Files Tool: when adding a Files Tool it is important to set download properties before inviting anyone.