Group-Office Brings File Sharing, Email, and More to Small Businesses

by Lisa Hoover - Dec. 04, 2009Comments (1)

If you're looking for an easy-to-use yet powerful groupware option for your small business, take a peek at Group-Office. The server-side, cross-platform Community version offers an address book, email, calendar, tasks, and notes in one package and all for the low, low price of free.

All Group-Office's modules are fully integrated work together to keep teams organized. The calendar module supports imported and exported iCal data, and email is accessible from anywhere you have an Internet-connected laptop or mobile device.

Where Group-Office really shines is with the file sharing feature. The Java-based upload tool lets users upload files and folders to the server for other people to access, making it a great way to store important company documents, templates, and more. It's a snap to edit any file locally, then send it back to the server automatically when you're done.

The Group-Office Community version is great on its own, but if you need more features or modules, you can upgrade to the paid Professional version. That's the version that offers mobile device synchronization, custom email templates, a newsletter module, and a helpdesk system. Most small businesses, however, will find the Community version suits their needs just fine.

Download Group-Office and give it a try to see if it fits your needs, or give the hosted version a try free for 30 days.