Web conferencing: It's like being there, virtually

With enhanced audio support, improved usability, and integrated asynchronous multimedia playback, Breeze has made good strides in the live-meeting arena. For enterprises already invested in Breeze for training and presentations, it’s sensible to use it for Web conferencing and events, too. If you’re just starting to investigate these services, Breeze’s wide platform support and functionality are advantages, but the higher cost may be a barrier for smaller organizations or departments.

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Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2005

Ranging from SharePoint to Live Communications Server, Microsoft’s diverse array of collaboration offerings requires users to learn multiple interfaces and face products that sometimes don’t connect. As a result, the company is working hard to simplify and integrate communications this year. For example, the forthcoming Microsoft Office Communicator 2005 gives a single interface for traditional telephony, audioconferencing, videoconferencing, Web conferencing, and IM.

Yet Microsoft is also investing heavily in its backbone applications, which in the case of online meetings is Microsoft Office Live Meeting 2005. As a longtime user of Live Meeting, I believe the 2005 version represents a vast improvement over the Placeware service Microsoft purchased in 2003. Beyond providing broader Microsoft Office interoperability, it adds VoIP and includes enhanced presenter controls. Overall, Office Live Meeting delivers a rich, integrated experience.

All it takes to schedule a live meeting are participant e-mail addresses and a meeting time. Advanced meeting functions, such as setting participants’ viewing rights, are available from one form, thereby saving setup time. Moreover, I was able to initiate a session directly from Outlook; the add-in also allowed me to schedule a meeting while offline -- an element that should prove beneficial to remote workers.

The new Meeting Lobby deserves mention because it enabled me to conduct a preliminary meeting with presenters so that we could complete preparations before allowing the larger group in.

Live Meeting 2005’s Console is somewhat intimidating for new users, but Microsoft has done a respectable job rearranging presenter controls in more logical groups. It has also added some much-needed features for managing meetings. For example, a toolbar button enabled me to batch import presentation documents that later appeared in the Resources pane for easy access during the meeting. Live Meeting’s drag-and-drop functionality enables any printable file type to be imported, a notable benefit over WebEx and Breeze.

Additionally, I appreciate the new thumbnail navigation that previews any document, which should ensure presenters don’t show the wrong material.

Other console areas show audience information, including the Seating Chart and Q&A area, whereas the main application toolbar is reserved for presentation and attendee tasks such as slide controls, annotations, and sharing functions. Those familiar with Microsoft desktop applications should feel comfortable navigating the menus and palettes after making one or two meetings.

Most uploaded documents are converted into the Microsoft Document Viewer format, which permits zooming without quality loss. Moreover, an updated PowerPoint Viewer displays animations and slide transitions.

Application sharing is much improved over Live Meeting 2003. After selecting the program I wanted to present, Office Live Meeting 2005 grayed out the rest of my desktop, removed the console, and added a Live Meeting sidebar, which provides access to some tasks and a quick way back to Live Meeting. This worked very well, but I still prefer the flexibility of WebEx’s PowerPanels because they make it easier to access most tasks without having to go back to the main presentation application.

Office Live Meeting 2005 developers did their homework in the attendee area. Version 2005 allowed me to promote an attendee to presenter, change permissions for individual attendees, and invite additional participants quickly.

Audio controls proved solid. As presenter, I could mute, unmute, and disconnect participants from MCI, BT, and InterCall audioconferencing services. As an alternative, I also successfully tested audio via Internet Audio Broadcast; this streamed audio was easily invoked and of good quality. Plus, I didn’t have trouble adding conference audio along with my meeting recordings. VoIP, however, is currently only outbound broadcast.

The overall meeting center home page is well done, making it easy to locate and modify meetings, view reports, and play back recordings.

Microsoft has made significant strides with Live Meeting 2005, offering improved Office integration, additional audio capabilities, and a polished meeting experience for presenters and attendees. But there’s still no video, large enterprises must still use external hosts (although SSL encryption is now part of the standard service), and the experience is diluted on non-Microsoft platforms -- issues that WebEx and Macromedia Breeze better address.

WebEx Meeting Center 7

WebEx is synonymous with Web conferencing, and the latest release shows why this service continues to provide an exceptional meeting experience. Based on the company’s upgraded MediaTone network platform, WebEx Meeting Center 7 is easier to use, offers enterprises more control and security by keeping internal meetings behind a firewall, enhances audio functions with an IP audio backbone, and improves integration with Microsoft desktop applications as well as enterprise systems such as CRM.