GROUP-E

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GROUP-E collaboration software

GROUP-E logo
Basic data

developer endo7
Current  version 1.7.81
(August 2, 2013)
operating system Linux , Windows , Mac OS X
programming language PHP
category Groupware
License GPL ( Free Software )
German speaking Yes
www.group-e.info

GROUP-E is a free , web-based software that combines the functions of a groupware , a project management and a business server on one platform. With the help of GROUP-E, the collaboration of teams is promoted, communication and organization are facilitated, the processing of projects is supported and information can be recorded and distributed. Administration takes place via web forms and can be carried out by people with basic technical knowledge. GROUP-E is based on a LAMP architecture with the connection to the Cyrus - IMAP server and Postfix as a mail system. A special feature is the transparent access to the Samba file system via a web interface. From version 1.725, GROUP-E also integrates the direct connection of an Asterisk server ( Click2Dial etc.) The software is completely programmed in PHP . It has been published under the GNU General Public License (GPL) since 2005 and is available as free software to all for free use, distribution and further development.

Origin and development

GROUP-E emerged from an initiative of the seven founders of Endo7 from Bolzano / South Tyrol. The idea was to create a “ virtual office ” based on PHP , Apache , MySQL , OpenLDAP and Cyrus IMAP server and to make it open source as a standard application. The new development was financed on a project basis by institutions and companies, which received a solution that was optimally tailored to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). With public funding, the product-ready version 1.0 was implemented in 2003 and the improved version 1.5 was placed under the GNU General Public License in 2005. GROUP-E is used by many small and medium-sized companies, but also in public administration in Italy, Germany and Austria. For example, around 70% of the South Tyrolean municipalities use the collaborative software.

Range of functions

The scope of services is tailored to the everyday communication, organizational and information needs of small and medium-sized organizations and can be divided as follows:

personalization

The personal start page has a portal function and offers customizable access to the services and information:

  • Display of unread emails, current appointments, due dates, blackboard , etc.
  • Display of the online presence of all users
  • Current information in the blackboard
  • Personal favorites list
  • Personal quick access to files and information
  • Individual adaptation of the user interface and standard settings for the individual modules
  • Change of your own profile

Communication and organization

The functions of e-mail , forum , messager, calendar, address book, tasks and call journal are available for communication and collaboration :

  • Personal and joint appointment planning with appointment finder, invitation and confirmation function, appointment reminder, logbook
  • Management of personal and shared addresses with CRM functions, multiple assignment, distribution lists, contact management
  • Management of personal and shared mailboxes, quick filing, notification of absence, search, filter function, virus scanner , spam filter
  • Organization of private tasks and business individual and group tasks, delegation, due notice, logbook, notification service
  • Quick and easy internal messages, receiving messages with reference to the information in another module
  • Forum with a clear presentation of the forums and discussion threads, favorites list, subscription and notification service
  • Mobile use of appointments, contacts and tasks through synchronization with SyncML- enabled PDAs and mobile phones, synchronization with Microsoft Outlook and the Linux software Evolution . From version 1.7.20 it is possible to synchronize mobile devices via ActiveSync and send them directly to the mobile device using the push method.
  • Call journal to record incoming phone calls, any internal messages to the wanted person, analysis of calls, definition of categories
  • Address book search and display of the data for incoming calls via Asterisk
  • Dial directly from the address book via Asterisk ( Click2Dial ).
  • Resubmission system
  • Fast and controlled communication via SMS

Information and knowledge management

For the recording and distribution of information and knowledge, GROUP-E offers the following functions with the modules files , information and links :

  • Integrated editing system for the collection of various information (text, links, images, tables, lists), time-controlled publishing in the Blackboard, XML import and export and escalation management for documents.
  • Collection of personal and shared Internet addresses (links), "One click and Save" function on opened URL in the browser, automatic reading of basic information from existing websites
  • Central document storage for personal and shared files, connection to the file system (Samba), access to files via the network (internal) and via the web (external), management of the rights to directories and files via a web interface

Project management

The project management is integrated into GROUP-E and can access the functions of collaboration rely software:

  • Overview of all information on the respective project with immediate access to it
  • Automatic creation of a project directory in the file system, an e-mailbox and the corresponding category in the GROUP-E applications
  • Define the members and rights for the individual projects
  • Define rights profiles
  • Time recording with evaluation of the recorded hours, "stopwatch function", presence lists, etc.
  • Assignment of e-mails, files, appointments etc. to projects
  • Archiving of projects

System administration

The administration of GROUP-E and the integrated system components takes place via comprehensible web interfaces:

  • Administration of accounts, data and user rights
  • Define groups and roles as well as their rights
  • De- / activation of the e-mail accounts, setting up any mail aliases, setting the disk quota
  • De- / activation of modules, definition of their standard settings and differentiated access rights
  • Administration of the rights to directories in the file system via the Samba interface

Web links