The past two weeks have been exciting. I have been helping Ashok test GXL, his new Groove tool. GXL is an interactive version of Microsoft's Excel program that works within the Groove workspace.
Microsoft's Exel is considered to be a tool of the trade by accountants and finance people. To now have a version of Excel that works within the Groove workspace opens doors to collaboration in a way that makes file sharing look like a beginner's trip.
Ashok's GXL tool includes a number of unique features that build upon the strengths of the Groove workspace. For example, GXL allows the creator of a spreadsheet to restrict access to a selected member or members of a Groove workspace.
This feature has interesting possibilities. Consider that GXL could be used to interactively build an annual operating budget. Try out the following scenerio:
- Assume that Groove is used throughout a company, which ought to make Ray Ozzie happy.
- Managers responsible for contributing to budget development are invited into a budget planning workspace.
- The manager responsible for developing the overall budget blocks out the format using GXL's lock feature, and makes a copy of the spreadsheet available so that each departmental manager can "drop in" his(her) budget numbers.
- Each departmental budget spreadsheet automatically updates a "master spreadsheet" so that the manager of the budgeting process sees the "Big Picture" develop step-by-step as it happens.
- The budget manager and department managers meet online "nose-to-nose" to negotiate budget changes and make changes "live." The budget manager knows instantly the effects on the overall budget.
This can happen with GXL. Could the same thing happen through "file sharing?" Not really.
When changes are needed, could "file sharing" enable the budget manager and a departmental manager to "actively view and negotiate changes" to a departmental budget? No. But, GXL can!
In addition to being a university professor, I'm a practicing CPA who uses Excel on a daily basis. Microsoft's Excel spreadsheet is the leading problem-solving tool used within the business community.
Combine the power and versatility of the Groove workspace with Ashok's GXL (Excel spreadsheeet) tool, and I truly believe we have what "you guys in the software industry" refer to as a "killer application."
Take this a step further and combine the Groove workspace, with GXL, and project management tools developed by other Groove partners for the Groove workspace, and you have "project management" raised to the "next level." Congratulations! From a practical perspective, "Groove Rocks!"
Now, let me return to the academic community. GXL can really help me in the classroom setting. Here's an example.
- This Winter Quarter 2003, I am teaching the second course in the three-course Intermediate Accounting sequence.
- My class is a "live" class. Yet, I have a student who cannot attend the live class due to health reasons. Our solution was to let the student attend the class via "Groove workspace."
- All of my course materials are archived on my course website so that students can access them when needed.
- Class materials include streaming lectures and annotated problem solutions.
- The distance-learning student and I communicate through the Groove workspace, the Groove instant message, and "Net2Phone," using the PC-2-PC feature. (Sorry Groove, but Net2Phone works better than the "live chat" feature in the Groove workspace).
I persuaded two of the best students in my class to join the distance-learning student's Groove workspace. This creates a learning community (i.e., study buddies) for my distance-learning student.
Through GXL in the Groove workspace, the students work together to develop "live" collaboration solutions to complex accounting problems. They can export their solution, save it as an Excel spreadsheet, and post it to the "Files" tab in the workspace. I can open the Excel file, make my annotated comments, and save it for them to review.
All of this adds a dimension to distance-learning that excites the hell out of me. Thanks for giving me such exciting tools to make distance-learning come alive and more than rival the "traditional way" of doing things.
Thinking outside of the box makes each day an exciting experience!
8:40:09 PM 
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