An open-systems model for computer-supported collaboration

Computer-supported collaborative work (CSCW) involves the concurrent sharing of application packages by various geographically distributed users, the sharing of common databases, and the sharing of electronic messages. MOSAIC (multimedia open system for augmented interactive collaboration), a model for CSCW systems, is described in detail. A prototype designed to support collaborative decision-making is discussed. The main contribution of MOSAIC to CSCW is the delineation of how user interfaces, user collaboration, and information management functions fit together. This model differs from others in that special attention is paid to the dialogue between system users and the ways in which the system can augment that dialogue. The authors suggest that this model can provide a development framework much as the ISO reference model has in the development of standardized protocols for communication systems