Video takes back seat to voice,
data collaboration
By Scott Berinato, PC Week Online
September 24, 1998 12:51 pm ET
More than ever, conferencing has less to do
with video than with data collaboration.
Announcements slated for the next couple of
weeks from Contigo Software LLC,
Northern Telecom Ltd. and White Pine
Software Inc. bear that out.
All three companies are set to ship
Web-based conferencing systems that focus
largely on their ability to use the Internet to collaborate using data and
voice.
Contigo, for example, plans to ship its Internet Conferencing System, a
completely Java-based suite that offers so-called "pre-event,"
"during-event" and "follow-up" features.
Pre-event, users can send out invitations, publish a presentation schedule
on the Web and perform other calendaring functions, according to
Contigo officials in San Diego.
The heart of the product (during-event) includes common conferencing
features such as a whiteboard, the ability to capture a screen and deliver
it to participants, co-presentation with remote users, and polling, which
allows an administrator to ask conference members questions and
receive instant feedback.
For follow-up, the Internet Conferencing System collects data defined
by a presenter that can be imported into an enterprise database or
contact manager.
Audio is transferred over the phone. Video is not supported because of
a lack of demand and the limited bandwidth of the Internet, officials said.
The Internet Conferencing System will start at $9,995 for a setup
supporting five presenters and 25 conference members.
Nortel, meanwhile, will add Internet voice to the conferencing mix --
with Web-based scheduling and data-sharing capabilities similar to
Contigo's -- in its Internet Conferencing suite. The Brampton, Ontario,
company has tapped Voxware Inc. for the system's voice conferencing
capabilities and Databeam Corp. for its data conferencing features.
Nortel is targeting service providers that, in turn, will sell the
conferencing software and service to corporate customers, officials said.
The Internet Conferencing system will be available immediately. Pricing
was not available.
For its part, White Pine will upgrade its MeetingPoint conferencing
system to Version 3.5. While the Nashua, N.H., company is the most
video-focused of the three, even this upgrade focuses more on data
enhancements, although audio and video codecs have been improved.
White Pine has also optimized its server for better interoperability with
third-party client software, including Microsoft Corp.'s NetMeeting and
Intel Corp.'s ProShare. Administrators will be able to load the
management console onto third-party servers, officials said.
In addition, Version 3.5 gives more control to end users, who can now
schedule meetings and choose whose video, if any, they see on the
screen.
For service providers offering conferencing service and corporate
administrators tracking usage, Remote Authentication Dial-In User
Service authentication and billing has been added as well.
Available now for Windows NT and in November on Unix systems,
MeetingPoint 3.5 lists at $9,000 for a 10-user license and $16,000 for a
25-user license.
Contigo can be reached at www.contigo.com. Nortel (NT) is at
www.nortel.com. White Pine is at www.wpine.com.
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