Office for Java gets groupware

Corel (COSFF) today struck a deal with Sanga International to integrate Sanga's application development environment and middleware into the forthcoming Corel Office for Java.

The license will let Corel integrate Sanga's technology into its office suite written entirely in Sun Microsystems' Java programming language.

The deal reflects Corel's goal of expanding its desktop application suite with groupware or collaborative software, thus challenging Lotus and its Notes groupware and SmartSuite. Terms of the deal were not disclosed. A Sanga spokesperson said the agreement is not exclusive.

Sanga Pages is a rapid application development environment and middleware that allows developers to work from any Java-enabled Web browser. Sanga was among the first vendors to implement JDBC, the Java-based protocol for retrieving data from existing corporate databases.

Sanga will announce next week at Internet World in New York that Sanga Pages now supports both Java Beans and ActiveX components. That means software developers can utilize Java Beans components and existing ActiveX or OCX controls by letting Sanga Pages function as a universal container. That functionality is due by June next year.

A preview version of Corel's suite is scheduled for release later this month and will include a word processor, spreadsheet, charting program, personal information manager, and a presentation program.