What is Apple Teams?

by Volker Weber

Apple has released the source code to its calendar server implementation under an Apache 2.0 License. The Darwin Calendar Server is a standards-compliant server that allows multiple users to collaboratively share calendaring information. It provides a shared location on the network to store schedules, and allows users to send each other and manage invitations. In order to provide interoperability with multiple calendaring clients, the server implements the CalDAV protocol, which is an extension of WebDAV, which is in turn an extension of HTTP.

If you read the instructions for client configuration, you come across on interesting name: Apple Team. Is that an internal application or something they are planning to ship?

Comments

There is a small discussion about this on Slashdot. In the Apple Announces New Open Source Efforts.

Someone also includes a link to an image on the apple site (look for Teams Directory)

http://images.apple.com/server/macosx/leopard/imag es/indextop20060807.png

Damien Barnard, 2006-08-08

I'm guessing that this has something to do with iCal Server in the Leopard server release, or maybe the wiki server, which has the by-line "Sharing for teams."

Ben Poole, 2006-08-08

Sorry, my comment isn't very clear: the wiki server functionality allows for customised "web spaces" to be created, with drag n drop support and so on.

I'm just wondering whether there will be a client API for this -- e.g. you could use wiki server "web space" functionality from within something like iWeb.

So anyway: new competition for Quickplace and Sharepoint do you reckon?? ;o)

Ben Poole, 2006-08-08

Damien, the picture hits home. You can see a "Teams Directory". It looks like Apple is trying their luck at collaboration, and they are going for the low hanging fruit: Mail, Instant Messaging, Calendar, Files.

Volker Weber, 2006-08-08

Ben, I guess, it depends on how "open" Apple has built this. If only Macs can use these services, they are no competition. In case of the calendar server, I like the idea, because it uses standard protocols, unlike Notes or Outlook. Mail is using IMAP, so that is fine as well. For the rest, we have to say.

I have recently consulted a larger entity about calendar sharing, and they will be going with the standard protocols, not with either Domino or Exchange.

Volker Weber, 2006-08-08

Indeed; obviously we have the Jabber interop with iChat, OpenLDAP for the directory, and the iCal stuff looks to be fairly open so far. It will be interesting to see what they do with the wiki, and how the value-add stuff forthcoming in iChat AV all fits in.

It all looks pretty attractive from where I'm sitting, but then I'm a sucker for eye-candy ;o)

Ben Poole, 2006-08-08

Ben, I wouldn't say it is direct competition with the established tools in the space. Though - it will be interesting to see how it is implemented, because if it is presented simply and standards based it could fulfill alot of users needs.

Damien Barnard, 2006-08-08

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