No abstract

No abstract

This paper describes an attempt at specifying a generic and reusable set of services f o r compuier-supported collaboration among teams engaged in any collaborative process wiihin a distributed organizaiion or group of organizations. The services are cataloged under the headings: Information Management, Group Communications, Group Management, Process Management, and Infrastructure Support. 1: The collaboration environment 1.1: IntroductionThe combination of computers and telecommunication networks has inspired a new class of computer applications that support groupwork. Such computer applications would be employed by people to mediate their interactions in cooperative problem-solving. Programmers building such applications find thcrnselves faced with a host of new requirements that deal with overcoming distancc barriers, coordinating team activities, and providing common visibility of critical information. Since many of thcse requirements arc generic to any collaborative activity, it is natural to define those generic services and basic building blocks with which domain-specific solutions may bc developed quickcr. In this paper we review the need for a comprehcnsivc sct of such services, and identify those services which would be useful for building workgroup solutions. 1.2: Collaborative applicationsIn a collaborative endeavor several participants engage in a series of transactions in order to achieve certain commonly-understood objectives. Each of the participants in such an endeavor provides input based on hisher own expertise, or access to information from other people, documents, data bases, and computer programs. These collaborators communicate their individual pieces of data and knowledge and make progress towards their project's objectives.In today's business climate with competition at a global level, organizations need to employ every technological advantagc at thcir disposal to make their employees incrcasingly productive. Advanced communications and computing facilities make it possible for organizations to rapidly deploy multi-functional teams to address a variety of business problems. While there will always be a need to mobilize employees for on-site meetings, computer-supported collaboration would provide a significant productivity and cost advantage that would be invaluable to organizations. 1.3: New requirementsCollaboration brings new requirements to conventional computer services. Not only must there be a substrate of communications between computer networks, but now there should be distributed information that allows computer applications to determine the identity and location of other users as well as the capabilities of thcir computers and their communications protocol, thereby enabling the application users to collaborate oblivious of aiiy separation betwccn themselves and their fcllow collaborators.Information should be accessible via information models that reflect the intcrcst profiles o[ the user. Thcsc information models should effcctivAy hide thc diversity of proprietary data for...