Web office groupware

Companies that once made their living selling shrink-wrapped software to Fortune 1,000 firms are now looking to cash in on the corporate portal stampede in a rapidly shifting market. Software makers, including a pile of start-ups and old-line companies like Lotus Development, are now pitching their products to companies looking to build both internal and public Internet portal sites. It's all about ease of use and making corporate data as easy to work with as a typical Web site. For instance, the E-Portal Suite software from Viador is a browser-based system that provides access to business information in the same manner that Internet content portals like Yahoo act as gateways to content on the Web. ***

Corel (COSFF) today struck a deal with Sanga International to integrate Sanga's application development environment and middleware into the forthcoming Corel Office for Java. The license will let Corel integrate Sanga's technology into its office suite written entirely in Sun Microsystems' Java programming language. The deal reflects Corel's goal of expanding its desktop application suite with groupware or collaborative software, thus challenging Lotus and its Notes groupware and SmartSuite. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. A Sanga spokesperson said the agreement is not exclusive. ***