Commercial Software

ArsDigita Community System (ACS)

A suite of open source modules designed for building web-based communities. 
Developer: ArsDigita Corp.
Platform: UNIX

 

BSCW Shared Workspace System

An interesting Web-based environment for collaborative document editing and other shared work.
Developer: OrbiTeam Software GmbH.
Platform: UNIX, Windows NT & 2000

 

 

BuzzPower

A toolkit for building e-Commerce sites, with a strong emphasis on forums. Also offers chat rooms. An API allows full customization of the user interface.
Developer: Multex.com
Platforms: UNIX, Windows

cassiopeia Community

Suite of applications for workgroup collaboration.
Developer: Cassiopeia
Platforms: UNIX, Windows NT

Caucus

High-end, powerful, and extremely customizable linear forum system. Also available as a hosted service.
Developer: CaucusCare
Platform: UNIX

 

CDboard

Very inexpensive. Includes chat and voting features.
Developer: LabGO
Platform: UNIX (written in Perl)

 

Cold Fusion based forums

The Allaire Cold Fusion site features a Developer's Exchange, where developers of Cold Fusion based applications can post their products. Several forum, message board, and chat applications are listed, some free, some not. All require the Cold Fusion software.
Developer: various
Platform: Windows

 

CommunityForums

Developer will install the software at your site.
Developer: Ecreations
Platform: UNIX

 

CommuniWare Enterprise

A full suite of community tools designed to support large-scale, commercial online communities.
Developer: Akonix, Inc.
Platform: Windows

 

CrazyWWWBoard

Inexpensive message board. A limited version is available free.
Developer: Nobreak Technologies, Inc.
Platforms: UNIX, Windows

 

DCForum

A database-driven BBS.
Developer: DCScripts
Platforms: UNIX, Windows NT (written in Perl)

 

Dialogue Forums

Free for noncommercial use. Stores messages in a Microsoft Access database.
Developer: Phillip Kallerman
Platform: Windows 95 & NT (written in Perl)

 

DigiPosts

Simple linear message board, integrated with DigiChat. Requires mySQL. Also available as a hosted service.
Developer: Digi-Net Technologies, Inc.
Platform: UNIX, Windows

 

Discuss It!

This is a standalone component of Darasoft's Class Act system for web-based instruction management.
Developer: Darasoft Ltd.
Platform: Windows 2000

 

DNEWS

Usenet News server with a built-in Web gateway. Free to nonprofits and educational institutions.
Developer: NetWin Ltd.
Platforms: UNIX, Windows, Macintosh, OS/2, VMS, Novell Netware

 

EIES (Electronic Information Exchange System)

Web interface to the venerable EIES conferencing system.
Developer: CCCC, New Jersey Institute of Technology
Platform: UNIX

 

Encore Web Forum

Uses a linear discussion structure, organized in topics and subtopics. Also features email notification. A free limited version is available for evaluation.
Developer: Arborior
Platforms: Windows, UNIX (written in Perl)

 

eRoom

Collaborative workgroup environment. Users must have a Web browser plus eRoom client software.
Developer: eRoom Technology, Inc. (formerly Instinctive Technology)
Platform: Windows NT

 

eShare Expressions Forums

A Web server featuring integrated bulletin board and chat features.
Developer: eShare Technologies
Platforms: UNIX, Windows
Sample site: FOX News

 

EZsite Forum

Threaded forum based on Active Server Pages. Requires Microsoft IIS and an ODBC database.
Developer: Doug Dean
Platform: Windows

 

Facilitate.com

An environment for collaborative group work, including realtime chat, asynchronous discussions, surveying, and brainstorming tools.
Developer: Facilitate.com, Inc.
Platform: Windows NT, Macintosh

 

FirstClass Intranet Server

Designed as a complete intranet server, with conferencing and e-mail capabilities. Conferences can be accessed via a Web browser, but to take full advantage of FCIS requires special client software.
Developer: SoftArc, Inc.
Platforms: Windows NT, Macintosh

 

fuseTalk

Linear message board with realtime chat, instant messaging, and email subscriptions. Requires Cold Fusion and a relational database. Source code is available.
Developer: e-Zone Media Inc.
Platforms: Windows, UNIX

 

Groove

Peer-to-peer collaboration system.
Developer: Groove Networks
Platform: Windows

 

GroupSystems

A suite of team-based decision software tools, including brainstorming, topic commenting, group outlining, voting, surveys, etc.
Developer: Ventana Corp.
Platform: Windows NT / Citrix WinFrame

 

He Bulletin Board

Inexpensive bulletin board implemented with PHP and MySQL.
Developer: Hescripts
Platforms: Windows, UNIX

 

HeyMax Message Boards

HeyMax builds customized community sites for their clients, including message boards and chat rooms.
Developer: HeyMax Interactive

 

Infora

Forums may be hosted on Infora's site for a monthly fee, or the software can be purchased for installation on your own server.
Developer: Infora Forum Management
Platform: UNIX, Windows NT (written in Perl)

 

 

InTandem

Web-based groupware applications suite that includes conferencing.
Developer: IntraACTIVE, Inc.
Platforms: UNIX, Windows NT

 

Interaction

Features both threaded discussions and real-time chat.
Developer: Media Design in Progress
Platform: Macintosh

 

Interactive Web BBS Systems

I-Web offers several different inexpensive BBS systems: Javascript BBS, FrameBoard, and WebForum.
Developer: The CCS Network
Platform: UNIX, Windows NT

 

InterBoard

Runs as a separate server (not as a CGI application).
Developer: Forge Foundation, Inc.
Platform: UNIX, Windows NT (written in Perl)

 

InterChange

A discussion template based on Lotus Notes/Domino.
Developer: Kryos Systems
Platform: UNIX, Windows NT

 

Intraspect

"Knowledge management" software for workgroups.
Developer: Intraspect
Platforms: UNIX, Windows NT

 

KOM 2000

Groupware system featuring forums, chat, email, support for distance education, and other features. Users may participate in forums by email.
Developer: Stockholm University, & KTH Technical University
Platform: UNIX

 

KOZ Community Publishing System

The KOZ CPS provides an integrated suite of tools for groups, including public and private message boards, chat, group calendars, and template-based Web page publishing. This is a high-level product targeted at businesses that plan to resell online community tools in vertical markets.
Developer: KOZ.com
Sample sites: Family Shoebox | SchoolLife.net

 

Kudosnet Web Forum

Web bulletin board that also allows e-mail subscription. Forums can be run on your own server or on Kudosnet's server.
Developer: Kudosnet
Platforms: UNIX with PHP/fi

 

Lotus Domino

Domino permits any Web browser to interact securely with a Notes database (including discussions).
Developer: Lotus Development Corp. (subsidiary of IBM)
Platforms: UNIX, OS/2, Windows NT

 

Lotus QuickPlace

Team collaboration work space. Also available as a remotely hosted service.
Developer: Lotus Development Corp. (subsidiary of IBM)
Platform: Windows NT

 

Message Board

Very simple and inexpensive; free to nonprofits.
Developer: Techno Trade Online Solutions
Platform: UNIX (written in Perl)

 

Message Boards

Integrates with ichat's realtime chat software; supports NNTP clients.
Developer: ichat, Inc.
Platforms: UNIX, Windows

 

Messager

Very simple and inexpensive.
Developer: Alex Heiphetz Group, Inc. (AHG)
Platform: UNIX, Windows NT (written in Perl)

 

Microsoft FrontPage

General-purpose tool for managing Web sites. Forums can be created through a "Discussion WebBot".
Developer: Microsoft
Platform: Windows

 

Motet

Fast and feature-rich system modeled after the WELL.
Developer: Bryan Higgins and Leha Blaney
Platform: UNIX
Sample sites: Cafe Utne | The Gate

 

NetBoard Pro

Very simple and inexpensive.
Developer: IServices/ CGI World
Platform: UNIX (written in Perl)

 

NetForms

General-purpose tool for handling HTML forms that supports simple conferencing.
Developer: Maxum Development
Platform: Macintosh

 

Netscape Collabra Server

Successor to Netscape News Server
Developer: Netscape Communications Corp.
Platforms: UNIX, Windows NT

 

Oracle InterOffice

Workgroup collaboration system.
Developer: Oracle Corp.

 

Orchestra

Threaded message board with instructions in English and French.
Developer: Crossdraw
Platform: Windows (requires Cold Fusion and SQL database)

 

ProvideTalk

French language product.
Developer: TimSoft
Platform: Windows NT with SQL Server

 

ProVillage Collaboration Engine

Suite of applications designed for workgroup collaboration.
Developer: ProVillage, Inc.
Platforms: Windows, UNIX

 

RZ Forum (beta test)

Simple BBS.
Developer:RZ Soft
Platform: UNIX (written in Perl)

 

Simplify

A platform for building intranets for collaboration, implemented entirely in PHP. Requires MySQL or other SQL database.
Developer: Tomoye
Platforms: Linux (Windows version under development)

 

SiteScape Forum (previously called Alta Vista Forum and Workgroup Web Forum)

Groupware featuring forums, chat, document management, calendars, etc. Offers two methods for viewing responses: "dialog view" (continuous text) and "table view" (index of responses).
Developer: SiteScape, Inc.
Platforms: UNIX, Windows NT

 

Spinnaker

Web implementation of a traditional BBS.
Developer: Searchlight Software
Platform: Windows NT & 95

 

TeamCenter

A suite of groupware tools, including a "collaborative outliner" that functions similarly to a tree-structured discussion forum. Implemented entirely in Java.
Developer: Inovie Software, Inc.
Platforms: Windows 95 & NT, UNIX

 

TeamWave Workplace

A workspace for virtual teams, including message boards, whiteboards, file sharing, scheduling, and other group tools. The tools can be customized or extended with a Software Developer's Kit using the Tcl/Tk.
Developer: TeamWave Software Ltd.
Platforms: UNIX, Windows, Macintosh

 

Thread-ITSQL

Message board implemented with Active Server Pages and SQL. Requires SQL Server.
Developer: yMonda
Platform: Windows

 

TopClass

A system for developing and delivering Web-based training, including discussion forums.
Developer: WBT Systems
Platforms: UNIX, Windows, Macintosh

 

Twister

A discussion and newsgroup server designed for large enterprises.
Developer: bCandid Corp.
Platform: UNIX

 

Ultimate Bulletin Board

Extremely popular, inexpensive BBS with a linear conversation structure.
Developer: Infopop
Platform: UNIX, Windows NT

 

UltraBoard

Very inexpensive BBS. Free for personal and nonprofit use.
Developer: Ultrascripts.com
Platform: UNIX, Windows NT (written in Perl)

 

vBulletin

Popular and inexpensive bulletin board based on PHP and MySQL. Features e-mail notification and user profiles. A limited freeware version is available.
Developer: JelSoft Enterprises Ltd.
Platforms: UNIX, Windows

 

Virtual-U

A system for design and delivery of education over the Web, with support for discussion forums.
Developer: Virtual Learning Environments, Inc.
Platform: UNIX

 

WarpWare BBS (Currently in beta testing)

Shareware, open source BBS. Requires Perl and SQL on the server, Javascript-capable browser.
Developer: Max Baker, WarpWare
Platforms: UNIX, Windows, Macintosh

 

Washington Web Conferencing System

Very simple demonstration system. Developer will modify it to suit customers' needs.
Developer: Washington Web / Internet Online, Inc.
Platform: UNIX (written in Perl)

 

WebBBS

Uses cookies to keep track of what users have read, and has an e-mail notification feature. Distributed as shareware.
Developer: Darryl C. Burgdorf
Platform: UNIX (written in Perl)

 

WebBoard

Includes features for user profiles, listing recent users, etc. Also features realtime chat rooms.
Developer: Duke Engineering
Distributor: O'Reilly & Associates
Platform: Windows

 

Web Crossing

Highly customizable; very flexible access controls. User portraits can appear in each message.
Developer: Web Crossing, Inc. (previously Lundeen & Associates)
Platforms: UNIX, Macintosh, Windows

 

WebCT

A tool for developing Web-based educational environments, including conferencing, chat, and e-mail.
Developer: University of British Columbia
Platform: UNIX

 

WebLines

Web implementation of a traditional BBS, designed for compatibility with Worldgroup and Major BBS.
Developer: Computerized Horizons
Platforms: DOS, Windows

 

Web Training Toolbox

A collection of tools for developing interactive training, including forum and chat functions.
Developer: Janison Solutions
Platform: Windows (requires Microsoft's Internet Information Server)

 

Web-4M

Primarily a suite of realtime groupware tools, but features private newsgroups. Implemented entirely in Java.
Developer: JDH Technologies
Platforms: Windows NT, UNIX

 

Web+

General-purpose Web development tool that includes a conferencing application called Web+Conference.
Developer: TalentSoft
Platform: Windows, UNIX

 

WELL Engaged

The WELL's own conferencing software. Not available as a packaged product, but the developer will customize it for your site.
Developer: WELL Engaged
Platform: UNIX
Sample sites: The WELL

 

Wildcat! Interactive Net Server

BBS-style Web server.
Developer: Santronics Software, Inc.
Platform: Windows

Worldgroup

Web implementation of a BBS. Requires users to install a Netscape plug-in.
Developer: Galacticomm
Platform: Windows

 

WWWThreads

Inexpensive. Supports both linear and threaded discussions, moderated forums, and daily digests by e-mail. Requires an SQL database.
Developer: Rick Baker
Platform: UNIX, Windows (written in Perl)