I am very pleased to announce the first initial release of Engroup goes to public today. You can check it out at here, we are welcome to receive any comments from yours. Engroup is the short name of Enterprise Groupware, it aims to be one of the world-class groupware for enterprise. Engroup platform includes two main platforms:

1. Engroup Server Osgi-base Platform: The Engroup server platform includes numbers of Osgi bundles
   that runs in Equinox framework. It embeds servlet container ( Tomcat), and LDAP server (Apache Directory), web applications (forum, wiki, mail and more), third-party library bundles and Engroup modules. Spring Dynamic Modules library plays the key role to resolve our Spring services to Osgi services. With the proven benefits of Osgi and Spring framework in developing modular application, Engroup Server Osgi-base Platform is the SaaS platform that can be customized by customer needs, ease of maintain and upgrade, also integrates with other applications with low cost.
2. Engroup RIA Client Platform: The Engroup client platform is inspired by Web Operation System
   approach. It includes the core engine that manages the life cycle of modules (install/uninstall module, do action when module start or stop etc), Engroup modules (HR, CRM, Mail etc) and platform services
   (Download/Upload/Export/Error Handling etc) - we can registered more services to platform. Engroup Client Platform also be the modular platform, each module is loose coupling to others and they talk each other via message (event).
   Engroup RIA Platform is developed by Flex that could be run on both Desktop and Web. The front end of  Engroup Client Platform only be Engroup Desktop Application (only Engroup Desktop is depended to AIR framework), the Engroup client core engine does not limit in desktop environment.

Engroup business features:

• Administrator: help Engroup administrator configure system variables easily via GUI front end.
  With administrator module, we can set email, database or chat server without manually edit configuration files at server side.
• Dashboard: centralize the news in one place that help user quick navigate items they need to look
  for such as mail, news of Viki or forum, or calendar items (in the next versions). User also can find other Engroup user and send them private messages if needed.
• Human Resource Management: keep employee information and it is the module that provide the
  information for any modules relate to company activities.
• Customer Management: maintain the customer information like contact or lead source also manage
  campaigns too.
• Forum, Wiki: two communication and knowledge management tools.
• Mail: Engroup user can check IMAP mail in Engroup desktop also send mail too.
• Chat: user can chat by using Engroup Messenger for any chat server supports XMPP protocol. For
  example, Engroup messenger can use google account and chat with googletalk client.
• Viewlets: you are busy, right? sometimes you want to take a glance on your registered news or tasks you would do in near future, Engroup have viewlet - a small module that stay in left side of Engroup that contains simple application helps engroup user can quick navigate their items. The current version, we release two
  viewlets, there are Todo view and Feed Reader view.

Other Engroup features

• LDAP server: Engroup embeds the LDAP server, which runs in default port 10389. Engroup uses two
  user databases: MySQL and LDAP server. Engroup LDAP module can create/edit/remove user entry in LDAP server. That means you can use engroup LDAP server as your user database for external application supports LDAP such as your internal mail/chat server.
• Single sign on: Engroup user only needs one account to access all Engroup modules. For external
  service such as Mail or Chat has different user database with Engroup, you should provide the your account in user preference and Engroup will automatically login these services use your provided account. Of course, for such sensitive information, we do not keep them at our side and all information are encrypted with strong key in database.

Before deciding to try, you can talke some Engroup screenshots at here. Now we are in process of delivering the final Engroup version also make the plan for the next release, what the features of Calendar, Document Management or Voice chat will be in the 1.5 version? Stay tune, and in the next posts, we will update more about Engroup plans, its architecture (for guys who care deeply on product's technical quality) and SaaS, RIA also other technologies we use in Engroup.