The PUBLIC VOICE Lab mission is to support individuals and organisations to use groupware for their everyday communication needs. PUBLIC VOICE Lab creates value by bringing together vendors and end-users who possess key pieces of the Internet groupware puzzle, and helping them to build up virtual communities and jointly seize important market opportunities. We provide whatever it takes to ensure successful integration - vision, technology, user requirements, project management, public relations, and/or legal/policy advocacy. Often, such services are delivered in partnership with our members, creating business opportunities for them. 

We maintain our edge by providing insight into the next generation of community and groupware applications, strategies, and business models - by keeping our focus on business and technology, staying forward-looking, action-oriented, and involving our members in everything we do. We provide tangible deliverables, a global perspective, local community development, and we participate in path breaking research and development activities. 

We approach all issues from a multidisciplinary perspective encompassing technology, user requirements and regulatory policies. And we operate as a virtual organization, relying heavily on the expertise and resources of our members and partners. 

Our projects are exhibited at the biggest EC conferences, such as "Information Society Technology" (Vienna Dec. 1998, Helsinki Nov. 1999), "Telematics Application Programme Conference and Exhibition" (Barcelona Feb. 1998) or at "Global Village" events, such as "Third Sector and the Information Society" (Vienna Austria Center March 1999). 

A sponsor (membershipmodel: patron) has the following benefits:  

• access to all groupware services, which are provided by PUBLIC VOICE Lab
• PUBLIC VOICE Lab newsletter
• market and technology reports
• questions and requests for comments may be sent to the PVL manager mailing list
• the sponsor may send an expert or take an expert from/to PVL for maximum 2 days per year
• a sponsor is invited to participate in Research and Development proposals to the European Commission, if the sponsor matches to a research action line
• a sponsor may submit a groupware related product for review once a year

The sign-up fee for patrons starts with Euro 9.500.- and the monthly membership fee is Euro 1.450.- minimum. PUBLIC VOICE Lab has applied for tax reduction for donations done by sponsors located in Austria. 

If you are interested in becoming a patron, please contact Roland Alton-Scheidl ras@pvl.at.