GROUPWARE PLATFORM WITH MULTIMEDIA E-MAIL

A groupware platform with multimedia E-mail ''MEGUMI'' is described. M EGUMI provides form-style multimedia messages, rule-based processing, and workflow features on the UNIX dagger E-mail system. The workflow i s defined with a groupware development support system ''IKUMI.'' Its w orkflow feature includes body-less mail for synchronizing activities ( beacon messages), visual definition of branching conditions, and coope ration between E-mail and realtime groupware. With IKUMI, end-users ca n easily and dynamically define relatively simple cooperative work wit h workflow, and system engineers are able to embed groupware functions into applications at low cost.