[Zope] Zope in intranet - the cool apps?

[Heimo Laukkanen]

Andy McKay wrote:


> I suppose, I just havent seen it yet. Companies that tried to provide such a
> thing, WorldPilot for example dont seem to be around now.


Well if that is the ONLY thing, then they have a problem. If MS has 
the same thing in their applications ( Outlook and Exchange server ) 
then MS solution will propably be used. ,-)

For me the PIM part is not the most important, eventhough it is really 
nice. Compared to the tools we discussed in previous mails PIM does 
not make more money for us if we use it, it just simplifies life when 
we have the possibility to use the same applications and access the 
same info from anywhere. Eventhough it would not be our own desktop 
computer with clients configured for all of our settings.

Also it would be nice to have the PIM software operate with other 
programs too, meaning I could get info out of the calendar to other 
places, link to address books and to emails etc.

We have so far managed with a simple web php groupcalendar and using 
IMP as a webmail when needed. There are problems with authentication, 
since the calendar has own authentication in database, webmail from 
webserver, calendard database structure sucks ass, there is no 
collective address book etc.


It would be really nice to have all that in one good application, 
inside Zope. But it would not change the world as we know it, since 
there are other application that do it. From Microsoft and from Notes, 
IBM. Second best solution would be to have the possibility run Zope 
next to these PIM features running either in Notes or MS solution, 
linkid in a way that user would not know the difference jumping from 
one to another.


> Yep now if we could get the $ to do that it would be great ;)


Well $ is not everything, it only the rent, food, books, internet connection, 
pepsi-max, coins to videogames, mobile phone... well yeah. It would be great 
to get money for that.


But also I would like to do it, and prove it to work. Have people use 
it and improve it. From the strategic viewpoint I feel that there are 
two possible uses for Zope in intranets, just like for any other 
application or application framework:

    1) To be the main framework for intranet - authentication, 
publishing system, search engine etc. - and wrap parts from other 
systems inside Zope.

    2) Be just one application in the intranet, concentrating in some 
task like project workspaces or similar

It would be nice to show people that, yes - you can use it in either 
way. If your boss buys the whole idea, then go ahead and build 
everything with Zope. If not, do just that one really innovative and 
important application that you need to get done. And here is a way to 
get started.

-huima