Has Novell got any tools for directory SYNC with Azure??

Maybe with IDM, but is sync what you really want?  GroupWise can simple consume Microsoft Active Directory as a directory source via LDAP, with the real question being is Azure's AD close enough to the in house AD. 

As for the rest of the integrations, doable depending on how it is all setup and what you are doing with the internet domain integration and all the other moving parts in this setup.

Hi,

If it helps with the discussion - o365/Azure syncs to AD, since Groupwise can use AD (via LDPA) in this Hybrid setup, there should be no issue with user accounts etc.  However, the real issue will be product integration, and I am also looking for an answer to this (since in the future I may be in a position to replace our exchange server for Groupwise).

The integration issue is based around the Add-Ins for Teams, and the calendar sync.  Normally, in a Microsoft focused world, the Teams App installs an Outlook  Add-in to allow Outlook to create and join Teams meetings (video calls etc).  Appointments made in Teams/Outlook show in the calendar in Outlook (connected to exchange), and in the Teams calendar (online or in App).  Additionally, an on-prem exchange 2016 server can connect to o365 for hybrid email transport, allowing a single domain for on-prem and o365 mailboxes.  Through this mechanism appointments/calendar entries can also be sent/receieved from either exchange based mailbox type and from systems like Teams (which has it's own calendar).  This means there is some sort of transport for messages for Teams between exchange on-prem and online, although Teams does not have an email client as such (although email can be sent to Teams, which arrive as posts), just a calendar.

What would help is if there was the following:

1 - An add-in for GroupWise that could do the same job as the Outlook add-in for Teams, i.e. make Teams meeting appointment which appears in owners/meeting makers calendar complete with link to meeting, and appears in their Teams calendar (available online via Teams).

2 - Some kind of connector/Agent for GroupWise, that could talk to and 'translate' o365/exchange messages for the purposes of collecting/sending 'meeting appointments' between Microsoft Teams & Groupwise.

Additionally, there are integrations with MicroFocus products for other components of o365.  The Microsoft Office suite can out the box connect to o365 (onedrive/sharepoint) to edit documents, similarly add-ins for Filr and Vibe exist allowing connectivity from Office to edit/share files via those products.  So conceivably, there could be a need for more integration with o365 to allow Filr for example access to OneDrive stores, or Vibe to sharepoint databases, for file access etc.  MicroFocus should/could then extend integration at the client level for more mechanisms to support o365 file access in GroupWise (attachments from Sharepoint/onedrive file stores for example), as well as perhaps the Teams meetings/calendar integration.

Having said that Gmail has some sort of mechanism available to sync calendars with Teams (https://zapier.com/apps/google-calendar/integrations/microsoft-teams), and there is a Teams App for Linux desktops (https://www.howtoforge.com/how-to-install-microsoft-teams-linux-on-ubuntu-and-centos/), so MicroFocus could develop something to help if inclined.

Hope this helps.

Teams scheduling is awful as you cannot change the from address, but if you need to schedule a Teams meeting in GW, just create the meeting in Teams, then hit "Copy Link" and go to GW. Create an appointment just as you would normally and paste the link.

FWIW, Teams is what people use when they do not have a chioce. If they have, then they use Meet or Zoom

Teams is designed to work with Exchange (online, or via Hybrid to on-prem).  This allows calendar sync, so if you have Teams and create a Teams meeting using your exchange outlook client (with add-ins), the appointment appears in your Teams Calendar.  

Teams is nothing like Zoom or Meet, it is a persistent collaborative environment, more like Vibe but with Video/voice calls.

Certainly in education, unless you are hooked into Google Classroom, Teams is the gold standard - it would make sense if there were add-ins for Groupwise to allow a Teams meeting (where Teams or Channels could be invited), and some sort of gateway to sync with Azure/Exchange Online.

Teams is designed to work with Exchange (online, or via Hybrid to on-prem).  This allows calendar sync, so if you have Teams and create a Teams meeting using your exchange outlook client (with add-ins), the appointment appears in your Teams Calendar.  

Teams is nothing like Zoom or Meet, it is a persistent collaborative environment, more like Vibe but with Video/voice calls.

Certainly in education, unless you are hooked into Google Classroom, Teams is the gold standard - it would make sense if there were add-ins for Groupwise to allow a Teams meeting (where Teams or Channels could be invited), and some sort of gateway to sync with Azure/Exchange Online.

The root issue is Teams calendar is tied directly to an exchange/365 mailbox, so you really can't get the full Teams scheduling without also paying for and managing exchange online.  I don't think a plugin to grouwise would do any good unless MS let go of the exchange calendar requirement.

Exactly. We only want to use teams for conferencing.

FWIW, you might want to check out the mess they made of Teams in Stockholm. Manage to expose tons of sensitive data online: https://computersweden.idg.se/2.2683/1.722339/stockholms-elevers-omdomen-tillgangliga-pa-skolplattformen

That's what we do currently.

We use teams for calls and chat etc... and groupwise for email.

We could have used access manager to integrate the logins with edirectory but we ended up just creating all our uers afresh on azure for it.  We store some documents in the files section of teams (I guess that's essentially creating a sharepoint site for each group within teams) but most of our users don't see that, and changing from oem office with new laptops or pc's to just adding a full o365 license for them.

And we use ZOHO for managing CRM and Telavox for calls and GW for email. We only use Teams for online training but are actively evaluating alternatives.

As I said earlier ie Teams what people use when they do not have a choice