Groove is a powerful collaboration technology that encourages and supports collaboration between organisations, locations and networks. It allows team members with no common network or servers to work together, sharing documents, information, data, tasks contacts and messages in near-real time.

It enables this to happen in a highly secure fashion (the CIA use Groove) and works offline so users have access to information when they are 'off the grid'.

It provides everything a team needs to share information, manage projects, conduct meetings and deliver clinical intervention based on current and avalable information.

Groove's basic set of services (including always-on security, persistent chat, store-and-forward messaging delivery, firewall/NAT transparency, ad-hoc group formation, and change notification) can be further extended using  tools. These tools are mini-applications that use Groove's underlying technology to share their content or data with other members' copies of the Groove workspace. Examples of Groove tools include:

• calendar
• discussion
• file sharing
• outliner
• pictures
• notepad
• sketchpad
• Web browser
• etc.

Tools can be added or removed as needed.

Unlike our SharePoint based collaboration solutions, Groove for the NHS doesn't store content on a central server. Workspaces are strongly encrypted, stored on each team members' computer and synchronised whenever a connection is available; team members can continue working on documents and other information offline completely seamlessly. Workspaces can be connected to SharePoint as well, so information can flow from central repositories or enage people without Groove accounts.

 When people work together in these workspaces:

• Everyone always works with the same set of information.
• They are aware of each other through electronic peripheral vision, so that online “coffee machine” encounters occur frequently and naturally.
• They work from wherever they are: online, offline, and over poor network connections.

Key strengths include:

1. True Mobility – Users can not only disconnect from their network and continue to be functional (e.g. on an aeroplane or in a hotel), but they can also form pods of users on a peer-to-peer wireless network in case of austere network environments such as disaster recovery, working on-site at a customer location or just a simple off-site meeting. Groove deploys strong encryption to lock down anything on the desktop, including instant messages and chat logs.
2. Ease of use - Groove is very easy to use, with users finding that very little training is needed because it is, to a large extent, self-explanatory. No complex IT set-up or expensive technology investments are required, but training is strongly recommended in order use the tool to its fullest within the specific environment it will be deployed in.
3. Shared Workspaces - Users create secure interactive workspaces where they bring together the information, people and tools that users need to get work done. Workspaces sit on each participant's PC. Work done in the space by one 'member' is instantly seen by all members.
   Work in the space together, or work offline, returning to the space over time. Groove keeps all members' PCs updated with the latest changes.
4. Build sophisticated business and clinical applications -  The ability to develp rich forms, consume external XML data and embed business processes means that Groove is can be used as the basis for developing full applications to address complex business and clincal problems.
5. Superior File-Sharing - Users often waste time (and bandwidth) swapping file attachments in email. Groove offers a faster, more flexible way to edit document files, view presentations, etc. Users always see the latest version of the file with no size limitations. it enables live joint editing of Word docs, live joint-viewing of PowerPoint slides, Offline file editing and bandwidth optimisation. It is only changes to files that are exchanged.
6. Security - Groove's security implementation is unmatched in the industry. It gives a unique blending of standard PKI models mixed with a peer-to-peer authentication and authorisation framework. This is the first solution to enable IT to create trusted enterprise relationships but also enable end-users to build trust bridges on their own that are fully encrypted without IT having to help. This one feature has literally helped organisations mobilise up to 30 times faster. Another benefit is that security is always on but never seen. Users don’t have to configure anything or remember to turn anything on. They know from beginning to end that the data flowing through the Groove system is secured uniquely for them.
7. Customisable - it not only allows users to customise their workspaces with whatever tools they want, but any business user can create simple forms and views to satisfy further their collaborative needs. Users can also create templates and share them if they find a combination of tools and forms that work well for a given business process.
8. Communications - One of the powers is that a user never has to configure a connection to a server or another user. There are several protocols that are used in an adaptive fashion, so that ioko Connect - Groove can manipulate itself to use the optimum connection within the current infrastructure. It does not require that any specific port or protocol be allowed through the firewall except for HTTP over port 80.
9. Work Across Firewalls - Make direct connections to work effortlessly with contacts on both sides of your organisation’s network firewall. Groove can work directly and securely with customers, partners, and other contacts, wherever they're located.
   
   The cross-firewall communication just works, it does not need re-configuration or expensive Virtual Private Networks.

Groove Workspace - showing the file manager

Groove Workspace - showing the meeting manager