MS is in the Groove
Yes yes, we’ve all heard about it. And now its final: Microsoft has completed their acquisition of Groove Networks, and Ray Ozzie – creator of Lotus Notes – has become Microsoft’s Chief Technology Officer.
The acquisition makes the Groove product and team part of Microsoft’s Information Worker Business; the team will continue to be based out of its Massachusetts offices.
Microsoft initially plans to continue selling current and future Groove products on a standalone basis while also exploring ways to take advantage of those technologies in others ways. The company has invested in Groove and its technology, which runs on the Windows platform and complements Microsoft Office System technologies such as Windows SharePoint Services, since 2001.
Nothing surprising about this acquisition at all. Given Microsoft’s "big bet" on the real-time collaboration space, including purchase of Placeware (now LiveMeeting), it was clear that they needed an offering to bridge the gap between their ad hoc collaboration tools and their client-based tools. Groove was the most obvious choice, giving MS a robust toolset.
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