A new Australian developed software system will soon be helping project teams, corporate high fliers and students to work or learn in teams from their homes on the World Wide Web. The new system, Web Grouputer, will be on show for the first time at the IT industry's Showcase at Darling Harbour tomorrow, August 29.

Web Grouputer overcomes the need to travel and can also run your meeting, helping each of the participants to focus on the main issues and so prevent time wasting. It makes sure all participants have an equal opportunity to contribute, making it harder for one individual to dominate the meeting.

Web Grouputer was devised by high-technology start-up company Grouputer Corporation and adapted for the Internet by CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences.

"The system has been hailed as technology that can save time and make meetings more effective by ensuring everyone takes part," says Mr James Gleeson, Business Development Manager at CSIRO Mathematical and Information Sciences.

"So rather than holding a three-day seminar in a central location which everyone has to fly or drive to, important strategies can be designed in hours without the need to travel," Mr Gleeson says.

To hold a meeting, participants log on and the screen divides into personal spaces, with each person's name at the top. As they go through the agenda, people contribute by keying in their comments into their "play space" on their own computer screen. They can view the contributions of others as they are being created. Ideas are then sent to a team space where they can be reviewed.

"Web Grouputer allows everyone to 'talk' at once, instead of one after the other as in a 'chat room'. 'Chat rooms' using Internet Relay Chat, are already widely used on the Web and allow people to get together from their own PC's. This new system is far more effective for teams and meetings," according to Mr John Findlay from Grouputer Corporation.

"With Grouputer everyone sees all ideas as they are created, keystroke-by keystroke. It is like watching people's minds at work, and helps multiple minds work as if they had a single brain," Mr Findlay says.

The software acts as a leader for the team. The agenda and timer together ensure everyone is working on the same topic and attaching a decision or action plan at the same time.

"The software will include agendas for the top 100 meetings run by leading management gurus and facilitators such as Edward De Bono. So people can think like De Bono today and their favourite rock star, comedian, teacher or hero tomorrow," Mr Findlay says

The system also produces a faithful record of the meeting, ending the need for a person to record the minutes.

The new system grew out of software, Grouputer, developed by John Findlay and Anne Hudson at the Australian Technology Park in Sydney. Grouputer was developed to speed up meetings, and make them more effective. Grouputer markets portable and Team Room meeting systems where all participants are together in one room.

Web Grouputer uses existing technology - standard personal computers and Windows-based software.

"To ensure security the Grouputer system runs independently of the normal web server. Only Grouputer clients and the Grouputer server have access," Mr Gleeson says. "In addition, simple password security is included in Grouputer server."

The prototype system is poised to undergo trials in a high school, a local government network, a business corporation and a university distance learning project.

Web Grouputer will be on show at the Australian Software Showcase 97 where more than 100 companies developing software in Australia will demonstrate their software products and capabilities.

Where: Darling Harbour Passenger Terminal, Sussex Street, Sydney (free parking)
When: 29 August 1997, 9 am - 4.30 pm

For more information, please contact:
James Gleeson Business Development Manager CSIRO Mathematical Information Sciences, Tel: (03) 9282 2611 or mobile 0418 580 003
email: james.gleeson@cmis.csiro.au
or
John Findlay, Grouputer Corporation Pty. Ltd.
Tel: (02) 9209-4120, (02) 9209-4146
email: jfindlay@interlaw.org