Date post: | 01-Nov-2014 |
Category: |
Technology |
Upload: | kshitij-chaudhari |
View: | 781 times |
Download: | 2 times |
Groupware selection
Running Head: GROUPWARE SELECTION FOR SMALL BUSINESS IN US
Groupware selection for small businesses in US
Kshitij Chaudhari
Stratford University
April 8, 2023
I have read and understand Stratford University’s Academic Integrity Policy. I promise to conduct myself with integrity in submission of all academic work to the University and will not give or receive unauthorized assistance for the completion of the assignments, research papers, examination or other work. I understand that violations of the Academic Integrity Policy will lead to disciplinary action against me, up to and including suspension or expulsion from the University. I understand that all students play a role in preserving the academic integrity of the University and have an obligation to report violations of the Academic Integrity Policy committed by other students.
1
Groupware selection
Introduction
With the advent of the better technology and networking as well as the hardware
and software to complement the changes there is a significant change in the software
solutions available for the current business practices in the market. The changes in
hardware have led to better processing in a limited space and the advent of the mobile
devices has flooded the business world. All the work for a business can be conveyed or
controlled from a mobile device like a Blackberry, Apple iPhone or Windows based
Personal Digital Assistants (PDA) or Smartphone. The changes in hardware have allowed
the software companies to provide fully featured applications for the new hardware in a
compact casing. Today’s mobile devices tend to fully acknowledge the term portable,
economic and full-featured. These changes have a brought about a new range of software
solutions for small businesses in the market.
Small Businesses have become aware of technologies evolving around them. The
use and optimized effort required thereafter have captured the attention of these small
businesses. The market however is has a number of offering for the small business
owners which tends to create a dilemma of choice. Small businesses need to assess the
current market options and select the most suitable alternative for them. Most small
businesses today require a basic package of communication and company intranet
services (Logistics World, 2009). The problem then arises is to select an appropriate
variant that can satisfy all major requirements of small business owners. The paper deals
with finding such solution. However, the number of options available in the market is too
many to be all compared in a single turn. Hence, this paper deals with three major
solution providers in the groupware technology for small businesses.
2
Groupware selection
The study is limited to small businesses in United States and deals mainly with
small businesses classified such under the United States’ legal definition of small
businesses (U.S. Small Business Administration, 2009). The study depends on the finding
of the Forrester report 2009 for small and medium size businesses (SMB) and the finding
deduced therein. The terms for used in the report point to certain specific forms of
interpretation.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) defines a business concern as one that
is organized for profit; has a place of business in the U.S.; operates primarily within the
U.S. or makes a significant contribution to the U.S. economy through payment of taxes or
use of American products, materials or labor; is independently owned and operated; and
is not dominant in its field on a national basis. The business may be a sole proprietorship,
partnership, corporation, or any other legal form (U.S. Small Business Administration,
2009). Forrester report 2009 is the report named ‘The state of SMB IT budgets 2009’
conducted by Heidi Lo and Andrew Bartels for Forrester Research, Inc. published Aug
07, 2009. The legal definition for groupware constitutes;
Groupware is a category of software designed to help groups work together by
facilitating the exchange of information among group members who may or may not be
located in the same office. Groupware is an ideal mechanism for sharing less-structured
information (for example, text or diagrams, as opposed to fielded or structured data) that
might not otherwise be accessible to others. It is also used to define workflow, so that as
one user completes a step in a project or process, the person responsible for the next step
is notified automatically. (US Legal, 2009).
3
Groupware selection
However, within the confines of this paper the generally accepted form of
groupware will deal with basic collection of communication software for small business
owners. These software solutions will constitute primarily of email, chat, video
conference, calendar, wiki management, forms or process management and web content
management. The list of all the definition for these terms is provided in appendix A.
4
Groupware selection
Review of Literature
Groupware are classified as collaborative software that is categorized under
Content Management System (CMS) software applications. CMS basically is an
application that deals with all the content connected to an e-business (Enterprise Content
Management, 2008). Groupware is software that can be used by a group of people who
are working on the same information but may be distributed in space (Search Domino,
2009). 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
(Enterprise Content Management, 2008).
Groupware technologies are typically categorized along two primary dimensions:
1. whether users of the groupware are working together at the same time ("real-time"
or "synchronous" groupware) or different times ("asynchronous" groupware), and
2. Whether users are working together in the same place ("co-located" or "face-to-
face") or in different places ("non co-located" or "distance") (Bates, 1999).
Table 1 Groupware classification (source: Bates, 1999)
Same time (synchronous)Different time
(asynchronous)
Same Place (co-located) Voting, Presentation support Shared computers
Different Place (distance) Videophones, chat Email, Workflow
Types of Groupware
5
Groupware selection
1. Asynchronous groupware
a. 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.
b. Newsgroups and mailing lists are similar in spirit to email systems except that
they are intended for messages among large groups of people instead of 1-to-1
communication.
c. Hypertext (now called wiki) is a system for linking text documents to each other,
with the Web being an obvious example. Whenever multiple people author and
link documents, the system becomes group work, constantly evolving and
responding to others' work.
d. Group calendars allow scheduling, project management, and coordination among
many people, and may provide support for scheduling equipment as well.
e. Collaborative writing systems may provide both real-time support and non real-
time support. Word processors may provide asynchronous support by showing
authorship and by allowing users to track changes and make annotations to
documents.
2. Synchronous or real-time groupware
a. Shared whiteboards allow two or more people to view and draw on a shared
drawing surface even from different locations.
6
Groupware selection
b. Video communications systems allow two-way or multi-way calling with live
video, essentially a telephone system with an additional visual component. Chat
systems permit many people to write messages in real-time in a public space.
c. Application sharing is when the same application is shared between people for a
collaborative work effort irrespective of space share. Decision support
systems are designed to facilitate groups in decision-making. They provide tools
for brainstorming, critiquing ideas, putting weights and probabilities on events
and alternatives, and voting.
None of the current research papers delineate a specific method for selection or a
software solution for small business owners. The review of literature around the topic has
divided opinions on the fact that a common solution for all the small businesses may or
may not be viable. However, since all the small business owners tend to create a
communication channel using software solutions the specific type of groupware selected
for the research is general purpose and is required by all the small business owners
(Enterprise Content Management, 2008).
7
Groupware selection
Method
The research paper deals with providing an efficient and optimal solution for the
groupware selection problem for small businesses. Some of the questions that arise when
trying to solve this problem are intermittently required for the solution. The research
paper will consider only three viable solutions for comparison and the viability of these
three solutions needs to be established before the main problem is tackled. When the
three solutions are shortlisted the quantifiable form of measurement is to be set for the
comparison of software solutions. This setting will be primarily based on the Forrester
research report described in the previous part. The report conclusion will serve as
quantifiable parameter for comparison. The features will be weighted and assessed during
the comparison for the solutions and an outcome will be calculated.
For the three solutions to be shortlisted, ample survey of literature and software
solutions available in market is to be assessed. Most solutions are module based and will
be short on certain features required for a small business. All the solutions to be
shortlisted have to adhere to the basic feature list. This includes, email, and chat, video
conference, calendar shared and personal, wiki management, web content management,
form management and process management. Of all popular enterprise solutions used by
corporations other than SMB’s include Oracle, SAP and PeoplSoft. However, the cost
and client service provided by these solution providers is on a larger scale and not
suitable for small businesses. Other solutions commonly available and usable include
Microsoft SharePoint, LotusLive and Google Apps.
8
Groupware selection
A. Microsoft SharePoint
This is an upcoming collaborative social computing groupware from Microsoft. The
application will be a part of the latest Microsoft Office 2010 but will also be sold
separately as Microsoft SharePoint 2010. The software aims at providing a social
computing platform for enterprises and assists them with better integrated software as a
service application. The software is proprietary and hence would not be modifiable or
customizable for any form of enterprise. However, the generalized form has enough
options to suit enterprise of any and all sizes (Microsoft, 2009).
Features
a. Manage diverse content - The document management capabilities in the Microsoft
integrated solution can help organizations consolidate diverse content from
multiple file shares and personal drives into a centrally managed repository that
has consistent categorization.
b. Satisfy compliance and legal requirements - The Microsoft solution also includes
integrated records management capabilities that give organizations the capability
to store and protect business records in their final state.
c. Efficiently manage multiple Web sites - Integrated Web content management
capabilities enable people to publish Web content with an easy-to-use content
authoring tool and a built-in approval process.
d. Streamline business processes - The Microsoft solution enables businesses to
streamline content-driven, collaborative business processes by providing the tools
and platform to automate tasks. The Microsoft solution provides capabilities to
9
Groupware selection
manage the entire life cycle of unstructured content, from creation to expiration,
on a single unified platform. These capabilities include:
Document management (documents, images, media files compatible with
Microsoft Office suite)
Records management (database management and automated query based results)
Web content management (includes chat, video conferencing, application and
whiteboard sharing, website management, etc)
Forms solutions (create and distribute forms)
B. LotusLive
Lotus has lost a lot of credibility over the years due to its slacking on the technology front
but with this latest collaborative software as a service (SaaS) offering it will be
competing with the big leagues. The application will provide all the basic functionality
and will be competitively priced against the SharePoint alternative. This product
however, is available in a module based form wherein the company can choose to buy
selected modules as necessary (IBM corp., 2009).
Features
a. Extensive Lotus Notes expertise available 24x7 from IBM
b. Automated processes and an integrated platform keep costs lower
c. Support a faster implementation with an established infrastructure and a team of
subject matter experts.
d. E-mail, calendaring and scheduling (1 GB mailbox per user)
e. IBM support to help manage security in your messaging environment
10
Groupware selection
f. Transparent, demonstrable security and data management practices that satisfy the
requirements of most businesses.
g. Host meetings online Includes all the features of LotusLive Meetings
h. Store and share files Use a Web browser to access your files from anywhere with
world-class security features.
i. Manage team activities Break out of your inbox and into Activities to streamline
your work with others.
j. Chat with colleagues Use instant messaging to chat with LotusLive users.
k. Create charts with different types of visualizations, graphs, diagrams, and maps
with Live Charts.
l. Create surveys and forms with customized templates or create your own surveys
and business forms.
m. Connect with colleagues and keep track of your clients and customers, important
dates and events. Connect with others to share contact information.
C. Google Apps
Google has dominated the internet since its beginning and is geared towards entering the
enterprise based applications to establish its presence online. This product offered by
Google has a limited usability and is cheaper compared to the other two. The price is
charged as SaaS per person usage in the company (Google, 2009).
Features
a. Email accounts with 25 GB of storage per user and instant search tools
b. IM, plus voice and video chat
11
Groupware selection
c. Group calendaring system
d. Mobile access
e. Spam and virus filtering
f. Web-powered collaboration apps: Google Docs, Google Sites and Google Video
for businesses
g. Essential collaboration apps – Google Docs, Google Video and Google Sites are
included.
h. Continuous innovation – Put the web's rapid pace of innovation to work for your
business.
i. Smoother information sharing – Improve traditional software with more efficient
collaboration.
j. Worker mobility – Access your data from anywhere. Employees can be
productive from any computer.
k. Information access control – Each piece of content can be as private or as public
as necessary.
l. Enterprise-class service – Google Apps includes a 99.9% uptime service level
agreement (SLA). Phone support is available for critical issues.
m. Secure infrastructure – Multiple layers of protection keep your business data safe
and secure.
All of the above three software solutions perfectly adhere to the norms set in the
beginning. The target consumers for these solutions are small and mid size businesses
and they provide the services customized for their clients. Hence, these three software
solutions are shortlisted for comparison for this research paper. The final software
12
Groupware selection
solution will be selected from these alternatives namely; Microsoft SharePoint,
LotusLive, and Google Apps.
The four main selective criterion small business are looking for in their software
solution expenditure are proprietary software solution, readily available solution, a SaaS
based solution with lower total cost of ownership (TCO) and higher spending percentage
on information technology solutions than their enterprise based counterparts (Brown,
2009). According to the Forrester report 2009 these conclusions shatter a lot of
previously held misconceptions and also pave a way for newer acceptability for SaaS
based businesses in the future (Brown, 2009). Of the total 100 points to be reported for
each software solution the parameters will be weighted on the above conclusions. The
four main concerns will be equally weighted 20 points and the remaining will be
distributed among features and miscellaneous options (See Table 2).
Table 2 Parameter weight breakdown
Parameter Points (100) Reasoning
Proprietary software 20 Forrester research findings
Platform and readiness 20 Forrester research findings
Features and Periodic costs 20 Forrester research - TCO
Cost for installation 20 Forrester research findings
Service, security and uptime 10 Basic functionality
Mobile support 5 Extended functionality
User Interface 5 Extended functionality
13
Groupware selection
Now that the weighted scale for comparison is established the next step is to compare the
three variants of software with all the available parameters. Once the comparison is
complete each software solution is awarded points according to the scale. Eventually
these points will be summed up to clarify an acceptable choice of software solution for
small business owners.
On the following page is the table for comparison of features among the three
shortlisted software solutions. The table also lists the points to be assigned for each
feature present in the software (See Table 3). The table also delineates the salient features
of all three shortlisted candidates. Following the setting of points to features, the points
are allotted to the three software applications. A top concern with small business owners
is that the application needs to be proprietary. Table 4 details the allotment of 20 points to
the three candidates. Since Google Apps is open source software and has almost no
proprietary form it has been allotted no points for this feature. Table 5 assigns points for
the platform the application can work on and the readiness of the software application
package out-of-the-box. Costs and the installation price for each one is used as a
parameter for point allotment in Table 6. Periodic costs are the costs that occur after the
installation on a periodic basis. Table 7 allots points for periodic costs and features
available in each software application. Table 8 distributes points for security, service and
Service Level Agreement (SLA) uptime. Table 9 parameters are mobile support and user
interface. Eventually, we calculate the total points for each software application and
tabulate it (See Table 10).
14
Groupware selection
Table 3 Comparison of parameters
Points Parameter Microsoft SharePoint 2010 LotusLive (Engage) Google Apps
10 CostApprox. $100 single licenseBulk fee approx $60 every
1000 licenses
Module basedFor premium package $150
single licenseBulk prices may vary
accordingly
Flat rate $50 per user licenseSeparate rates for non-profits, schools, ISP,
developers and resellers
15 Software type Proprietary Proprietary Open Source (customizable)20 Platform Windows Operating Systems Platform Independent Platform Independent5 Collaboration Real time synchronous Real time synchronous Real time synchronous5 Email and Chat/Video conference Yes (5GB) Yes (1GB) Yes (25 GB)1 Calendar scheduling and sharing Yes Yes Yes1 Web content and Wiki management Yes Yes Yes1 Forms/Process management Yes Yes Yes1 Social computing (profile pages, etc) Not specific Yes Yes1 Search features Yes, indexing based search Yes, Basic search feature Yes, excellent integration
3 User InterfaceStandard Microsoft Office like
interfaceWeb 2.0 interface, very
appealingBasic but intuitive interface
5 Security Very good Excellent Basic security features1 File limitations Almost none Comparatively none Limited
Hardware requirements advanced None, existing hardware None, existing hardwareSoftware requirements Windows OS required Browser required Browser required
5 Mobile device support Yes, Microsoft Exchange Conditional Yes4 Upgrades Need to be purchased Free since SaaS Free since SaaS
2 Look and feelFormal, requires getting used
toExcellent, no basics required
Similar to Google applications
10 Upside
Microsoft product hence integration is excellent as well
as familiar look and feel. Service is timely.
Web 2.0 interface in appealing and module based. 24x7 service
provision and no upgrade cost.
Cheap and free upgrades.
10 DownsideVery expensive, no upgrade is
freeExpensive
Service for critical issues, security
15
Groupware selection
Table 4 Parameter 1 Proprietary Software
Proprietary Software Solution Points (Total 20) Reason
Microsoft SharePoint 20 Fully proprietary
LotusLive 20 Fully proprietary
Google Apps 0 Open Source
Table 5 Platform and readiness parameter
Platform & Readiness Points (Total 20) Reason
Microsoft SharePoint 15Works only on Windows Platform
but is ready to use
LotusLive 20Platform independent and ready to
use
Google Apps 20Platform independent and ready to
use/customizable
Table 6 Cost of software and installation
Cost of Installation Points (Total 20) Reason
Microsoft SharePoint 10Windows hardware required and cost of software
is higher for smaller user groups
LotusLive 15Cost per user is higher but no additional hardware
required
Google Apps 20 Low cost and no hardware requirements
16
Groupware selection
Table 7 Feature and Periodic cost Parameters
Features and Periodic Costs Points (Total 20) Reason
Microsoft SharePoint 9+8 = 17
Larger email support, no social
computing and significant periodic
costs
LotusLive 7+10 = 17 Fully proprietary
Google Apps 10+10 = 20 Open Source
Table 8 Service, Security and Uptime SLA
Service, security and Uptime Points (Total 10) Reason
Microsoft SharePoint 5+4= 9Excellent service with support but
no SLA Uptime
LotusLive 5+5 = 10Excellent service with free
upgrades
Google Apps 5+2 = 10Mediocre security but 99% SLA
uptime
Table 9 Mobile Support and User Interface (UI)
Mobile Support & Interface Points (Total 10) Reason
Microsoft SharePoint 4+5 = 9UI is familiar but mobile support
requires Microsoft Exchange
LotusLive 5+5 = 10 Conditional support, excellent UI
Google Apps 5+5 = 10 All inclusive
The results of the points distributed among the software variants are summarized in a
tabular form.
17
Groupware selection
Table 10 Result Table
ParameterPoints Out
of
Microsoft
SharePointLotusLive Google Apps
Proprietary software 20 20 20 0
Platform and readiness 20 15 20 20
Features and Periodic
costs20 17 17 20
Cost for installation 20 10 15 20
Service, security and
uptime10 9 10 10
Mobile support and User
Interface10 9 10 10
Final Tally 100 80 92 80
18
Groupware selection
Conclusion
The comparison of the three viable software solutions has revealed that LotusLive
is an appropriate groupware to be selected by small business for their primary technology
needs. The research paper has successfully inferred a viable alternative to the current
clutter of software solutions mainly catering to the larger corporations. Small business
owners can choose this alternative to suit their needs for a basic groupware solution.
Although the initial cost for LotusLive is significantly higher than all other alternatives
the total cost of ownership for the software is considerably less. The hardware
requirements are minimal and upgrade costs are non-existent. The software is module
based and hence has an option to cut costs as needed. The service provider guarantees a
full time support for the service. The software is technologically advanced and includes
support for social networking technology and conditional mobile support. Small
businesses are readily accepting large initial costs encountered in LotusLive for a lower
TCO (Brown, 2009).
The research paper has successfully compared and selected a groupware software
solution for small business owners. But the research is limited by certain factors. The
research is solely based on the assumption that the Forrester report 2009 is foolproof. The
research paper also assumes that all small business owners considered have the same
requirement from such groupware solutions. This research has given rise to a new
problem. The research paper assumes that other solutions available in the market have not
change since the report. The regular change in information technology brings out newer
alternatives everyday and a varied competition emerges with better features at a better
price. The changes in technology and requirements from this technology are dynamic.
19
Groupware selection
The Forrester report 2009 delineates these requirements for the year 2009 only and hence
the research dependent on this information will be obsolete quicker than the primary data.
Further research with more alternative comparisons is necessary to establish these
results. The future research projects should consider carrying out a survey on a sample of
small businesses across United States. The changes in requirements and the data gathered
could help establish a better relationship between the factors of selection for the
groupware selection.
20
Groupware selection
References
Bates, J. (1999, January 1). Distributed groupware discussion. Retrieved September
2009, from CaberNet:
http://research.cs.ncl.ac.uk/cabernet/www.laas.research.ec.org/cabernet/sota/
report/node76.html
Brown, D. (2009, July 13). SMB's buy and use software differently. Retrieved October
2009, from techadvisory.org: http://www.techadvisory.org/2009/07/smbs-buy-
and-use-software-differently/
Cornell University. (2009). Integrated Web service. Retrieved October 2009, from
Cornell.edu: http://wpg.cornell.edu/iws2/technology/techinfo.cfm
Department of Technology Services. (2009). Groupware Law. Retrieved October, from
Utah Government: http://dts.utah.gov/egov/webstandards/guide/13-0/13-0.html
Eco Island. (2009). Eco island glossary. Retrieved October 2009, from eco-island.org.uk:
http://www.eco-island.org.uk/glossary.aspx#S
Enterprise Content Management. (2008). What is content management? Retrieved
September 2009, from Contenmanagement.eu.com:
http://www.contentmanager.eu.com/history.htm
Google. (2009). Google Apps. Retrieved September 2009, from Google.com:
http://www.google.com/apps/
IBM corp. (2009). LotusLive. Retrieved September 2009, from lotuslive.com:
https://www.lotuslive.com/en/
21
Groupware selection
Logistics World. (2009, July 27). Loglink - Logistics world news. Retrieved October
2009, from Logisticsworld.com:
http://www.logisticsworld.com/loglink/newsrel.asp?article=1108
Microsoft. (2009). Microsoft Sharepoint. Retrieved September 2009, from
sharepoint.microsoft.com: http://sharepoint.microsoft.com/Pages/Default.aspx
Search Domino. (2009, September 15). Search Domino definitions. Retrieved October
2009, from Searchdomino.com:
http://searchdomino.techtarget.com/sDefinition/0,,sid4_gci212217,00.html
SEC. (n.d.). SEC NASD securities law definitions. Retrieved October 2009, from SEC-
NASD-regulations.com: http://www.sec-nasd-regulations.com/glossary.htm
Sega Mobile. (2009). Sega Mobile support. Retrieved October 2009, from
Segamobile.com: http://www.google.com/url?
&ei=YAfFSqqsMYOolAeE27SSAw&sig2=zlvbCh0NZRD53zNmnzunhg&q=htt
p://www.segamobile.com/support.php%3FPageID
%3D52&ei=YAfFSqqsMYOolAeE27SSAw&sa=X&oi=define&ct=&cd=1&usg=
AFQjCNF_xTBVVhdTebCdssQJYS8XJ4aWVA
U.S. Small Business Administration. (2009). Your Samll Business Resource. Retrieved
September 2009, from Sba.com:
http://www.sba.gov/contractingopportunities/officials/size/index.html
University of Melbourne. (2009). Information Knowledge base. Retrieved October 2009,
from UniMel.edu:
http://www.infodiv.unimelb.edu.au/knowledgebase/itservices/a-z/t.html
22
Groupware selection
US Legal. (2009). Legal defination of groupware. Retrieved October 2009, from
USlegal.com: http://definitions.uslegal.com/g/groupware/
23
Groupware selection
Appendix A
List of Definition
1. Small business - For SEC purposes, small businesses are defined as domestic
companies with revenues of under $25 million, and not investment companies.
Subsidiaries of larger companies do not qualify as small businesses (SEC).
2. SaaS - Software as a Service is subscription based, and all upgrades are provided
during the term of the subscription. The software is hosted and updated on a central
location, and does not reside on client computers (Department of Technology
Services, 2009).
3. Wiki - A collection of web pages that can be edited by a group (Cornell University,
2009).
4. IM - Instant Messaging is a technology that allows two people to chat electronically
in real time (Sega Mobile, 2009).
5. SLA - Service level agreement - A binding agreement with detailed specifications for
the level of outcome and output performance between a commissioner and service
deliverer or between partners (Eco Island, 2009).
6. TCO – Total Cost of Ownership - All the financial consequences of owning an asset.
In addition to the initial purchase price this would typically also include maintenance,
accommodation charges, opportunity costs, training costs, consumables, internal and
external support, interest on capital, etc (University of Melbourne, 2009).
24
Groupware selection
Appendix B
LotusLive Interface
Google Apps Interface
25
Groupware selection
Microsoft SharePoint 2010 Interface
26