Unlike individual applications, it is extremely hard to obtain user requirements for group systems, since there exists very complicated dynamics in group. This may result in spreading a great amount of products with a broad range of contents. Thus, this study presents a comparative analysis of groupware products. As a result, these products have been categorized into three areas which include cooperation/document management systems, collaborative writing systems, and decision-making/meeting systems. While the systems reviewed here focus on the cooperation/document management systems, the other two areas will be dealt in details in part Ⅱ. The first area ends up with two large categories such as proprietary groupware products and intranet groupware products. However, it has been observed that there is a natural convergence between these two categories. Consequently, the comparative analysis has been performed in terms of functions provided on the two categories and a combined category. Each group of the functions has been divided into three parts which consist of basic functions, quasi-basic functions, and others. Such a decision has been made based on the frequency rate of the functions provided in the products. With a more strict rule, the basic functions comprise electronic mail, sanction, bulletin board, document management, scheduling, security, Web browser, and Internet connectivity. This study also provides a framework for integrated functional model of groupware systems. The basic functions are merged into the model. However, the model is so flexible that it can partially include the quasi-functions in addition to the basic functions. In the future, it is expected that a large number of products will stem from the modification of the functional model.