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Groove Networks is set to release Version 2.1 of Groove Workspace, its desktop collaboration software.

The new version, which is scheduled to ship Monday, features stronger e-mail integration with IBM's Lotus Notes, as well as enhanced instant messaging capabilities, according to Richard Eckel, a Groove spokesperson.

Beverly, Massachusetts-based Groove uses a peer-to-peer model that links computers without requiring servers and allows users to share information or work together on various projects.

Groove Workspace Professional Edition 2.1 will sell for $99 per user, while the enhanced Standard Edition will sell for $49 per user.

Chummy Communications

The newest update allows users to exchange text sessions with instant messaging software, applications, voice, and video in real time through various panes within one frame. The data is stored on each user's hard drive. Offline users can download updated information from ongoing Groove sessions when they log on.

Groove currently offers integration with Microsoft Outlook and with Windows Messenger, part of Windows XP. The new version will allow users to move information and collaborate from a Lotus Notes database or e-mail in-box into Groove's shared workspace, Eckel said.

The enhanced instant messaging capabilities, which enable users to communicate directly with one another in real time, will eliminate the need for stand-alone instant messaging applications, he said. Groove's Workspace instant messaging capability integrates with other shared information, applications and activities inside a Groove shared space, Eckel said.

More to Come

Rob Batchelder, an analyst at Gartner in Stamford, Connecticut, said Groove is continuing to tweak its product to make it easier for companies to integrate tightly its collaborative technology into their operations.

Eckel also said that Groove plans to release a preview version of its Groove Toolkit for Microsoft Visual Studio .Net, which is designed to help users collaborate on team projects. Last October, Microsoft invested $51 million in Groove, and last month Groove said it was integrating Workspace with Microsoft's SharePoint Team Services.

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