Microsoft Corp. and Groove Networks Inc. took their relationship a step closer on Monday with the announcement that the companies plan to integrate Groove Workspace with Microsoft SharePoint Team Services. The goal of the effort is to improve information sharing among project teams that traverse corporate boundaries, according to Microsoft officials.
The forthcoming combined Microsoft/Groove team-based collaboration offering will be designed to support online and offline use, provide automatic synchronization, and work securely across corporate firewalls, according to Microsoft officials, in Redmond, Wash.
Groove Networks will deliver the offering, in the form of an integration kit that integrates SharePoint Team Services with Groove Workspace, by fall 2002.
This latest product integration follows Microsoft’s US$51 million investment in Groove last fall as well as several cooperative technology development initiatives.
Built on a decentralized platform, Groove’s Workspace collaboration product aims to facilitate direct connections between geographically dispersed workers by creating secure, shared workspaces.
The SharePoint Team Services/Groove Workspace integration kit will be available to customers via Groove Networks’ distribution channels, the companies said.