Tools that members use in a workspace often drive the nature of the person-to-person collaboration that ensues. Groove provides various tools that can be added to (and removed from) a workspace to customize the functionality of each space (for example a calendar, discussion, file sharing, an outliner, pictures, notepad, sketchpad, web browser, etc.). Tools are mini-applications that rely on Groove's underlying functionality to disseminate and synchronize their contents with other members' copies of the workspace.

Groove's basic set of services (including always-on security, persistent chat, store-and-forward messaging delivery, firewall/ NAT transparency, ad-hoc group formation, and change notification) may be customized with tools. Groove was initially developed by Lotus Notes creator Ray Ozzie, and developed by Groove Networks of Beverly, Massachusetts, until Microsoft's acquisition of Groove Networks in March 2005. It is also used as a staging system for documents in development, where content can be developed then transferred to a portal when complete. Groove's uses have included coordination between emergency relief agencies where different organizations do not share a common security infrastructure and where offline access is important, and amongst teams of knowledge workers, such as consultants who need to work securely on client sites. It has been replaced by a web-based service called OneDrive for Business. It is no longer included with Microsoft Office 2013. Microsoft SharePoint Workspace (formerly Microsoft Office Groove ) is a discontinued desktop application designed for document collaboration in teams with members who are regularly off-line or who do not share the same network security clearance.

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