Subject: [vmeet] TOOL: webex

From: Dave CROCKER <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:40:01 -0700

This is a cisco product that is starting to be added to some sessions 
experimentally.  I've only seen a little of it, but it's clearly an interesting 
tool and I thought that posting this as an example might prompt some follow up, 
if only to provide substance to its description as a tool, and possibly with an 
additional thread created that characterizes the FRAME of participation it supports.

d/
-- 

   Dave Crocker
   Brandenburg InternetWorking
   bbiw.net

---

From: Fred Baker <[email-masked]>
Date: Tue, 31 Mar 2009 13:36:08 -0700

On Mar 31, 2009, at 12:40 PM, Dave CROCKER wrote:

> This is a cisco product that is starting to be added to some  
> sessions experimentally.  I've only seen a little of it, but it's  
> clearly an interesting tool and I thought that posting this as an  
> example might prompt some follow up, if only to provide substance to  
> its description as a tool, and possibly with an additional thread  
> created that characterizes the FRAME of participation it supports.

I regularly use WebEx (Cisco context) and Marratech (ISOC Context),  
and as a member of the IAOC have investigated the use of Skype  
conferencing. Some thoughts.

The IAOC decided to not choose Skype for itself or recommend it for  
the I* committees to try. Skype works pretty well 1:1 and 1:few, but  
when "few" was "ten", we didn't like it so well.

Marratech (http://www.marratech.com/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marratech) 
  is a server-based application developed in Sweden and since  
purchased by Google, which appears to be in the process of shutting it  
down. The web site now recommends that potential Marratech customers  
investigate another option (http://www.elluminate.com/, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Elluminate) 
. It might be worthwhile for three of us to use Elluminate's 3-for- 
free promotion and report back to the list on the solution.

That said, ISOC finds Marratech a pretty effective way to hold inter- 
continental conferences for small meetings. They have a server, which  
serves as a session concentrator for a number of simultaneous  
sessions. The technologies there include:
   - video "head shot" display
   - audio
   - chat room (tiny)
   - PDF display
   - white board and markup capabilities - basically an overlay

The server also supports interaction with the PSTN. I'm not sure how  
that works (I have never set it up), but I would presume that it is a  
cable interchanging the audio inputs and outputs of two systems. Folks  
on Marratech often have trouble hearing people on the PSTN, which may  
be a setup issue.

We download the application for free - it is Java and seems to run on  
all of the interesting platforms - and it works pretty well.

The one real issue people have tends to be set-up; the interaction  
with the OS can be disconcerting, such as knocking all sound levels  
down low, selecting the wrong audio devices, or such.

If Marratech were going to be staying around, I would have strongly  
suggested looking into it - I have been saying as much to the IAB and  
IESG for the past year, although to my knowledge they have not tested  
it.

WebEx (http://webex.com, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WebEx) is a  
similar tool, or perhaps I should say "collection of tools". I tend to  
think of it as a "remote presentation" tool more than a "discussion"  
tool; the various capabilities are there to enable a host or presenter  
to control a meeting. Like Marratech, it offers
    - VoIP audio (although Cisco doesn't use it internally)
    - window display (where Marratech lets you display a file,
      WebEx lets you display a window with an application in it)
    - presenter markup (not general whiteboard, presenter whiteboard)
    - chat room with controls on who a message gets sent to
    - simple floor control

There is a 14-day free trial available at the site, which I suggested  
on the wgchairs list that folks use to have interim meetings among  
groups of 25-or-less people. If you want to have such a discussion for  
this list, that can probably be arranged, the simplest way being for  
you to get a free trial (I don't have an account yet or I would just  
offer it).

I understand that we will probably have WebEx support for the  
Stockholm IETF. The big issue will be audio - Dave Ward says that the  
VoIP isn't up to his standards, and while I can't comment on that I  
note that Cisco doesn't internally use it. I also hear that it might  
be changing. In any event, Cisco internally uses our VoIP telephone  
system, and I understand that we will suggest that for the July IETF  
folks Skype to a US toll-free number to provide audio support.

As to my recommendations on it, I have some issues that I have  
commented to WebEx regarding, but in general find it useful.