ConcourseConnect was developed by Concursive Corporation (noted for their Open Source CRM ConcourseSuite) and is a platform for deploying large scale web-based communities. The platform is unique because it integrates Customer Relationship Management software with a front-facing Social Networking application, providing data integration between two separate business scenarios and allowing both the end-user and administrator to better benefit from transparent social associations.

Features

At the center of ConcourseConnect is a community creation platform with an integrated business directory

Business directory

A Business directory is a website or print media listing of information which lists all businesses within some category. Businesses can be categorized by business, location, activity, or size. Business may be compiled either manually or through an automated online search software.The details...

 front-end that provides intuitive searching and viewing of all community content. On the backend, ConcourseConnect communities integrate with a powerful suite of Customer Relationship Management

Customer relationship management

Customer relationship management is a widely implemented strategy for managing a company’s interactions with customers, clients and sales prospects. It involves using technology to organize, automate, and synchronize business processes—principally sales activities, but also those for marketing,...

 (CRM) tools and a comprehensive management console.

During installation the software can be configured for one of several purposes, including:

• Social networking
• Local search
  Local search (Internet)
  Local search is the use of specialized Internet search engines that allow users to submit geographically constrained searches against a structured database of local business listings...
  
  
• Review site
  Review site
  A review site is a website on which reviews can be posted about people, businesses, products, or services. These sites may use Web 2.0 techniques to gather reviews from site users or may employ professional writers to author reviews on the topic of concern for the site...
  
  
• Enterprise 2.0
  Enterprise 2.0
  Enterprise 2.0 is the use of "Web 2.0" technologies within an organization to enable or streamline business processes while enhancing collaboration - connecting people through the use of social-media tools. Enterprise 2.0 aims to help employees, customers and suppliers collaborate, share, and...
  
   corporate intranet
• Project management
  Project management software
  Project management software is a term covering many types of software, including estimation and planning, scheduling, cost control and budget management, resource allocation, collaboration software, communication, quality management and documentation or administration systems, which are used to...
  
  
• Content management

The modules are based on the Java Portlet Specification

Java Portlet specification

The Java Portlet Specification defines a contract between the portlet container and portlets and provides a convenient programming model for Java portlet developers.- JSR 168 :...

 and can be configured and arranged within the embedded Enterprise portal

Enterprise portal

An enterprise portal, also known as an enterprise information portal or corporate portal, is a framework for integrating information, people and processes across organizational boundaries. It provides a secure unified access point, often in the form of a web-based user interface, and is designed...

. The features include:

• Wiki
  Wiki
  A wiki is a website that allows the creation and editing of any number of interlinked web pages via a web browser using a simplified markup language or a WYSIWYG text editor. Wikis are typically powered by wiki software and are often used collaboratively by multiple users. Examples include...
  
  
• Blog
  Blog
  A blog is a type of website or part of a website supposed to be updated with new content from time to time. Blogs are usually maintained by an individual with regular entries of commentary, descriptions of events, or other material such as graphics or video. Entries are commonly displayed in...
  
  
• Ratings
• Review
  Review
  A review is an evaluation of a publication, a product or a service, such as a movie , video game, musical composition , book ; a piece of hardware like a car, home appliance, or computer; or an event or performance, such as a live music concert, a play, musical theater show or dance show...
  
  s
• Online classified advertising
  Classified advertising
  Classified advertising is a form of advertising which is particularly common in newspapers, online and other periodicals which may be sold or distributed free of charge...
  
  
• Document management
• Project management

Software Requirements

The product is a pure-Java server-side web application and will run on any platform where Java (JDK 5 or better) is installed.

• Operating Systems
  • Microsoft Windows
    Microsoft Windows
    Microsoft Windows is a series of operating systems produced by Microsoft.Microsoft introduced an operating environment named Windows on November 20, 1985 as an add-on to MS-DOS in response to the growing interest in graphical user interfaces . Microsoft Windows came to dominate the world's personal...
    
    
  • Linux
    Linux
    Linux is a Unix-like computer operating system assembled under the model of free and open source software development and distribution. The defining component of any Linux system is the Linux kernel, an operating system kernel first released October 5, 1991 by Linus Torvalds...
    
    , Solaris
  • Mac OS X
    Mac OS X
    Mac OS X is a series of Unix-based operating systems and graphical user interfaces developed, marketed, and sold by Apple Inc. Since 2002, has been included with all new Macintosh computer systems...
    
    

• Application Servers
  • Apache Tomcat
    Apache Tomcat
    Apache Tomcat is an open source web server and servlet container developed by the Apache Software Foundation...
    
     (5.5 or better recommended)

• Databases
  • Postgres (8.0 or better recommended)

Background

ConcourseConnect was built to tie into ConcourseSuite (Concursives' CRM Software) which allows its robust capabilities and features to work together seamlessly. ConcourseConnect is derived from Concursive's Open Source Software Team Elements software product. The Team Elements source code has been available since August, 2004. On March 27, 2009, Concursive rebranded the product as ConcourseConnect and publicly released the product as beta, encouraging community members to collaborate and help refine the product. ConcourseConnect compares to Socialtext

Socialtext

Socialtext Incorporated is a company based in Palo Alto, California that produces enterprise social software, comprising an integrated suite of web-based social software applications including microblogging, user profile, directories, groups, personal dashboards using OpenSocial widgets, and shared...

, Jive Software's Clearspace

Clearspace

Jive Engage is a commercial Java EE-based Enterprise 2.0 collaboration and knowledge management tool produced by Jive Software...

, Elgg

Elgg (software)

Elgg is open source social networking software that provides individuals and organizations with the components needed to create an online social environment. It offers blogging, microblogging, file sharing, networking, groups and a number of other features....

, and Yelp!.

External links

• ConcourseConnect product page
• Connect321 website - an example of local search using ConcourseConnect