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You may not be familiar with the word ‘Groupware’, but it often rings a bell when we hear the term ‘Collaborative Software Suite’. A Collaborative Software Suite usually consists of software that helps us to manage email, contacts, calendar, notes, etc. A Collaborative Software Suite or a Groupware is an integral component of a field of study known as Computer-Supported Cooperative Work or CSCW. We would like to share with top 5 Open Source Collaborative Software Suite you can try.

Kopano

Kopano Collaborative Software Suite is a fork of Zarafa. Kopano Core and WebApp together provide all traditional groupware functionality such as e-mail, calendar, contacts, etc. There is also a desktop app called DeskApp with similar functions and features of the WebApp. WebAapp can be integrated with many plugins such as Files for cloud and storage access, web meetings for video conference, S/MIME for mail encryption support, etc. One could also write new plugins using the WebApp Plugin API.

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Features

Email

Contacts

Advanced Calendaring

File Sharing

S/MIME Add-on

Web Meetings with high-quality Audio, Video, Chat and Presentation Tools

Integration options for any LDAPv3-based User Directory

Zimbra Collaboration Suite

Zimbra Collaboration Suite (ZCS) consists of both client-server components and a desktop client. ZCS Web Client is a full-featured Collaboration Suite Software that supports email, group calendars, and document sharing while Zimbra Desktop is just a desktop email client. ZCS Server consists of several open source projects such as Postfix, MariaDB, ClamAV, etc. ZCS can synchronize mail, contacts, and calendar items with open-source mail clients such as Evolution.

Features

Email

Calendar Wizard

Modern and Intuitive Web Interface

Simplified, Task-Oriented Web Administration

Integrated Anti-Spam, Antivirus and Directory Services

HTML5 Offline Mode

Mobile Device Synchronization (Android, iOS & Windows)

Flexible Deployment and Virtualization-Ready

EGroupware

Egroupware Collaborative Software Suite helps organizations to collaborate in a secure and function-rich environment, supporting integrated project teams across and within organizational boundaries. EGroupware is based on PHP and thus it can be said to be platform-independent.

Features

Email

Calendar

Contacts Manager

File manager

Infolog for Tasks and Notes

Integrated Project Manager

SiteMgr: Web-based Authoring System with fine granulated Access Control Lists

Wiki

Knowledge Base

CalDAV and CardDAV Server

Citadel



Citadel Collaborative Software Suite got descended from the Citadel family of programs which was popular during the 1990s as a bulletin board system platform. It supports many protocols such as SMTP, IMAP, POP3, Sieve, GroupDAV, XMPP, etc. Citadel is known for its privacy policy and security.

Features

Email

Calendar/Scheduling

Forums

Address Books

Bulletin Board/Forums

Mailing List Server

Instant Messaging

Wiki and Blog Engines

Multiple Domain Support

Powerful Web Interface

RSS Aggregation

Horde Groupware



Horde Groupware is a free, enterprise-ready, browser-based Collaborative Software Suite. Users can manage and share calendars, contacts, tasks, notes, files, etc. The Horde Project is about creating high-quality open source applications, based on PHP and the Horde Framework.

Features

Dynamic, Basic and Mobile Interfaces

Unlimited Resources per User

Global Tagging System

Online Help System (Instant Online Assistance)

Integrated User Management, Group Support, and Permissions System

Abstract Database Support