The advent of the World Wide Web has changed the perspectives of groupware systems. The interest and deployment of Internet and intranet groupware solutions is growing rapidly, not just in academic circles but also in the commercial arena. The first generation of Web-based groupware tools has already started to emerge, and leading groupware vendors are urgently adapting their products for compatibility and integration with Web technologies. The focus of Groupware and the World Wide Web is to explore the potential for Web-based groupware. This book includes an analysis of the key characteristics of the Web, presenting reasons for its success, and describes developments of a diverse range of Web-based groupware systems. An emphasis on the technical obstacles and challenges is implemented by more analytical discussions and perspectives, including that of Information Technology managers looking to deploy groupware solutions within their organizations. Written by experts from different backgrounds - academic and commercial, technical and organizational - this book provides a unique overview of and insight into current issues and future possibilities concerning extension of the World Wide Web for group working.
