4 OpenSource Groupware Tools

Horde Groupware Webmail Edition 1.0

Horde's developers wanted it to stand in contrast to the bulk of OpenSource Groupware. Horde is a very stable and mature application, used in environments accessed daily by thousands of users.

Horde Groupware Webmail Edition Version 1.0 was released in mid-January 2007. IMP is its core application, a webmail client built upon and only able to function with the Horde Framework.

Console Installation

The Horde Groupware Webmail Edition consists of several components and is much more difficult to install than the groupware solutions introduced above. Horde is installed to the console using a shell script; this is a tremendous simplification compared to the old days when Horde had to be configured through text files. You cannot totally avoid manual work, but this helps make the administrator's work easier.

After you execute the shell script and enter all necessary data, you're all set, provided that your computer comes with a mail server on which Horde is installed. During the standard installation process, Horde transfers the user authentication data to the webmail module, which in turn needs this data to authenticate the local mail server.

After you have gotten past the teething troubles, you will be rewarded with an application that is useful in many ways. Following the user login, Horde's homepage shows well-structured elements like tasks and calendar without appearing too flamboyant. The individual program parts can be operated intuitively, with a very short training period.

Appointments And Calendar

Horde's calendar, called Kronolith, offers standard features like recurring appointments and inviting participants to business appointments. When you want to invite participants, you are able to see when other users are available for an appointment. If an event needs to be edited, Kronolith will automatically and reliably notify all users via email. It is also possible to create several calendars and share them with particular users and user groups. Another option is to integrate and synchronize external iCal formatted calendars; Kronolith also imports and exports calendar data in CSV format.