Developing a Component Groupware Platform in the Projects Platinum and MESH

Being involved in two large research projects on the development of a software framework for applications that support cooperative work, the authors briefly describe their research background and their interests in the field of Object Oriented Groupware Platforms. 1. Research background We are involved in the projects Platinum and its successor, MESH – requiring a total effort of 80 man years over 1,5 year and 72 man years over 2 years respectively. As part of the Platinum project we developed Co, a reference model of groupware functionality [6]. It identifies four basic groupware functions: support for conferences, cooperation, conversation and coordination, as well as important design parameters for each of these functions. The model can be used to describe the functionality provided by various groupware application categories. The model can also be used to describe the functionality provided by individual groupware applications. Ongoing and future work on the Co model focuses less on assessment and enhancement of its descriptive value (i.e. suitability for analysis) and more on assessment and enhancement of its prescriptive value (i.e. its suitability for design). The research issues being 1 The Platinum project Platform providing Integrated sevices to New Users of Multimedia was a joint research project of AT&T Network Systems Nederland, AT&T Wireless Communication and Networking Division, AT&T Global Information Solutions, Centre for Telematics and Information Technology at the University of Twente, Telematics Research Centre, and Deutsche Telekom in Darmstadt (Germany). For more details: http://www.trc.nl/projects/platinum. 2 The MESH project Multimedia services on the Electronic Super Highwayis a joint research project of Lucent Technologies, the Centre for Telematics and Information Technology at the University of Twente, the Telematics Research Centre, Surfnet BV and KPN Research. For more details: http://www.mesh.nl. addressed are assessment and enhancement of the Co model as a basis for: x groupware user requirements gathering; x structured design and implementation of groupware