Group Office

Group‑Office is a PHP‑based enterprise groupware and CRM platform that bundles email, calendar, file storage, project management, and contact handling into a single web‑centric interface. From a developer’s standpoint, it functions as a modular MVC application that exposes RESTful endpoints and SOAP services for integration with external systems. The core engine is built on Symfony components, while the frontend leverages a modern TypeScript stack that compiles into static assets served by an Apache or Nginx front‑end. The system’s architecture is intentionally pluggable, allowing developers to inject custom modules or override existing services without touching the core codebase.

Technical Stack

• Language & Frameworks: PHP 8.x with Symfony components (routing, dependency injection, event dispatcher). The UI is written in TypeScript/React and compiled via a custom build pipeline that uses SASS for styling.
• Database: MySQL/MariaDB is the primary relational store, with optional support for PostgreSQL via Doctrine. File metadata and user data are stored in the database while actual attachments reside on a WebDAV‑compatible file system.
• Web Services: Group‑Office implements standard protocols—IMAP/SMTP for mail, CalDAV/CardDAV/WebDAV for calendar, contacts, and file sharing, and ActiveSync for mobile device sync. A REST API layer is available under /api/ and can be extended with custom endpoints via the plugin system.
• Containerization: Official Docker images are maintained on GitHub (intermesh/docker-groupoffice). A dedicated development compose stack is provided for rapid iteration, exposing services like db, web, and optional mailcatcher containers.

Core Capabilities & APIs

• Email & Messaging: Full IMAP/SMTP stack with MIME parsing, attachment handling, and thread reconstruction. Developers can hook into the mail filter pipeline to implement custom spam rules or forwarding logic.
• Calendar & Contacts: CalDAV and CardDAV endpoints are exposed for integration with Outlook, Apple Calendar, or mobile clients. The API supports bulk CRUD operations and search filtering.
• File Storage: WebDAV is the underlying protocol; custom storage backends (S3, MinIO) can be configured via a plugin that implements the FileStorageInterface.
• CRM & Projects: The system offers dynamic custom fields, workflows, and task management. Developers can create new modules that register their own database tables via Doctrine migrations and expose them through the UI.
• Extensibility: A plugin architecture allows registration of services, routes, and Twig templates. Hooks (e.g., onUserLogin, beforeMailSend) provide event‑driven customization without modifying core code. Webhooks can be configured to push events to external services.

Deployment & Infrastructure

Group‑Office is designed for on‑premises deployment but can also run in a cloud environment. The Docker images simplify scaling: the web tier can be load‑balanced behind an Nginx reverse proxy, while the database can be promoted to a managed service. For high‑availability, multiple web instances share a common file system (NFS or cloud block storage) and a replicated database. The application’s configuration is driven by environment variables, making it CI/CD friendly. Backup strategies include database dumps and file system snapshots; the UI also supports incremental backups to external storage.

Integration & Extensibility

The platform’s open‑protocol compliance (IMAP, CalDAV, CardDAV, WebDAV, ActiveSync) ensures seamless integration with existing email clients and mobile operating systems. Developers can expose custom REST endpoints or SOAP services, register OAuth2 providers for single‑sign‑on, and consume external APIs to enrich contact data. The plugin system is documented in the developer guide and allows adding new modules that can register their own database schemas, UI components, and business logic. Custom fields and filters enable tailoring the CRM to domain‑specific data models without code changes.

Developer Experience

Group‑Office offers comprehensive documentation on ReadTheDocs, covering installation, API reference, and plugin development. The codebase follows PSR‑4 autoloading and Symfony best practices, making it approachable for developers familiar with modern PHP. Community support is available via GitHub issues and a dedicated forum; the maintainers actively review pull requests and provide guidance on extending the platform. The build process (./scripts/build.sh) automates SASS compilation, Composer dependency resolution, and TypeScript transpilation, streamlining local development.

Use Cases

• Enterprise Intranet: A mid‑size company can deploy Group‑Office to replace disparate email, calendar, and file sharing tools while keeping all data on-premises for compliance.
• CRM‑Powered Service Providers: Agencies can extend the CRM with custom workflows and integrate with external ticketing systems via webhooks.
• Educational Institutions: Schools can use the platform for student‑faculty communication, project collaboration, and secure file exchange while adhering to GDPR.
• DevOps Automation: By exposing REST endpoints, CI/CD pipelines can trigger email notifications, update task statuses, or create calendar events automatically.

Advantages

• Full Control: Self‑hosting guarantees data sovereignty and full customization of the stack.
• Open Protocols: Native support for IMAP, CalDAV, CardDAV, and ActiveSync eliminates vendor lock‑in.
• Modular Architecture: Plugins and custom fields allow rapid feature addition without core code changes.
• Performance & Scalability: PHP‑based microservices can be horizontally scaled; the database layer supports read replicas