Microsoft will acquire Groove Networks, a supplier of collaboration software for geographically distributed workgroups. Financial terms were not disclosed.
Groove’s Virtual Offices enables teams to work together securely over the Internet. Microsoft said the addition of Groove products would build on the capabilities of its current collaboration products.
The acquisition also brings to Microsoft the development talent and technology leadership of top Groove executives, including founder Ray Ozzie, a creator of IBM Corp.’s Lotus Notes. Ozzie will assume the role of chief technical officer, reporting to Bill Gates, Microsoft founder, chairman and chief software architect, with responsibility for influencing corporate wide communication and collaboration offerings and associated platform infrastructure. Ozzie also will continue his work with the Groove team, which will be part of Microsoft’s Information Worker Group.
http://www.groove.net/http://www.microsoft.com
- Groove Networks was founded by Ray Ozzie in October 1997. Ozzie is best known as the creator of Lotus Notes, a groupware product that gained more than 100 million users worldwide.
- Since its founding in 1997, the company has obtained more than $155 million in financing from Accel Partners, Microsoft, Intel Capital, and private investors.
