A mission-specific computer peripheral provides a portable linkable work platform, useful for establishing a collaborative electronic work group quickly, at low cost, and without professional computing expertise. The office infrastructure device (“OID”) includes data storage (for storage of system and user data files), a unique device identification code (for identification when the device is plugged into a host personal computer), and an index (for registering user data files available within the work group). When connected, user executable code within the device is accessed through the host personal computer to launch thereon a user-definable work space. The work space provides, among other office infrastructure functions, access to programming that enables sharing of personal user work and data files among the authorized member nodes of the work group. The sharing is facilitated by the index, preferably in combination with a complementary work group server integrated within the underlying OID network.