eRoom without a window
by Volker Weber
Following its foray into Web services support for its collaboration software, eRoom Technology is building a J2EE (Java 2 Enterprise Edition) version of its software to complement the Windows server edition. By delivering on top of Java and Windows environments, eRoom expects to create a new software layer between applications and application servers to serve as an XML-driven integration layer between people and enterprise apps. Although a good idea, this project has been borne of necessity. Prior to its alliance with Groove Networks, Microsoft relied on eRoom as its primary collaborative application partner to counter Lotus Notes. Microsoft now seems focused more on embedding Groove in the next iteration of Office to entice people to upgrade Office clients than it is on its eRoom partnership.