We will be holding a conference about Online Meetings.
Topics include:
- Online meetings and the recession
- Online meetings and global warming
Location:
The Moon Bar,
138 Upper Street,
London
Tickets: 5 pounds on the door
We will be holding a conference about Online Meetings.
Topics include:
Location:
The Moon Bar,
138 Upper Street,
London
Tickets: 5 pounds on the door
You can download a 30 day free trial of GoToMeeting here. Follow the install procedure. Once finished, the GoToMeeting Suite icon is placed on your desktop. GoToMeeting can now be moved from the desktop to anywhere you wish, including your dock.
How to set GoToMeeting preferences on a Mac
To alter the preferences for participating in a meeting doucle click the GoToMeeting Suiteicon (on the desktop) and select preferences from the menu.
GoToMeeting is a strong online meeting contender. It has a low cost compared to some of the older products, and is probably requries the least technical ability out of all the options. WebEx have a number of different packages available, and has very mature products DimDim and Zoho both produce open source offerings that are a great choice for any Linux users. Yugma is the new guy on the field, and is perhaps the least polished. Microsoft Live Meeting lacks features but not surprisingly integrates well with other office products. Adobe connect.. well Im not a fan. Web Huddle however is one of the better options for those looking for a basic, free meeting solution.
Weebex provide a free 14 day trial of MeetMeNow. To do so, follow this link and complete the quick sign up procedure. Once installed, you can lauch meetings by clicking the MeetMeNow icon on the system tray.
As far as I am aware GoToMeeting doesn’t support Linux. However, WebEx does work with Linux. You could also try VNC.
If you want to try gotomeeting, there is this gotomeeting promo code which will allow you to use it free for 30 days.
Just another reminder that there is a free 30 day trial of GoToMeeting available. Its a small download (a few of megabytes) and worth trying if you’re thinking about an online meeting solution. More
How to make the most out of the GoToMeeting Codec
As good as the GoToMeeting codec is at transferring audio and video data, the
quality (particularly of sound) depends alot on correctly setting up your
meeting.
Most importantly, carefully choose your microphone. A USB headset will offer
better quality than a traditional analogue microphone. Also avoid using a
microphone right next to your speaker to avoid feedback.
There are also settings in GTM that can be improved:
all participants.
You can try an online meeting here for free with GoToMeeting, and remote computer access for free here with GoToMyPc.
The costs of travel, both financially and also conservationally, are
shooting up. Many of the worlds leading companies are adapting to this
through the use of technology, in particular by transporting bits
rather than people. Accenture, a global technology consulting firm,
has plans to have instaled 22 video conferencing rooms by the end of
the year. The advantages extend beyond just cutting costs. “These technology
tools are going to change the way corporations think about travel and
work in the long run,” says Claire Schooley, an analyst at Forrester
Research.
This isn’t the first time that technologists have claimed that technology will soon replace travel, but the difference today is in the statistics of the numbers of companies employing remote meeting products such as WebEx PcNow and remote access tools such as GoToMyPc. Two years ago at IBM, an expert in IBM’s global services unit called
Michael Littlejohn was on the road around 15 days each month. Now, he
says, he travels around 10 days a month. “But my time spent with
clients is not less,” he said. “To really understand a client’s
problems or to close a deal, you need face to face.”
The applications now extend beyond buisiness meetings. As part of an
effort to help retrain injured soldiers returning from Iraq, the
Walter Reed Equal Employment Opportunity Office (EEOO) has begun to
offer online courses to help train veterans for careers in IT. The
course uses WebEx to provide on demand classrooms.
“At Walter Reed, we strive to not only provide the physical care that
our soldiers need, but also help them to gain the confidence they need
to excel professionally when they return home,” said Karen Ruby,
Walter Reed Equal Employment Opportunity Office. “WebEx has allowed us
to offer a full range of training, from basic IT support skills to
advanced certification programs.”
There are also refreshing stories of people being stuck in the office
less due to the new technologies. The Editor of Bass West USA magazine
manages to spend 5 days a week fishing at the same time as editing the
magazine by using Citrix’s GoToMyPc to access his office computer from
his boat to edit articles.
“Using GoToMyPC, my laptop and an Internet connection through my cell
phone, I can look at magazine layouts and collaborate with tournament
directors on how to post results to our Website – all from the deck of
my boat,” said Leogrande. “Instead of being anchored to my office PC,
I can combine work and fishing.”
You can get Webex MeetMeNow: free [here]
You can also try GoToMeeting:(a webex alternative) free [here]
For a truly free webex alternative there are some open source options, which seriously lack the features of their commercial competitors but which can easily be developed. For example, Dim Dim can be used to host meetings. There is also CrossLoop which can be used for remote desktop sharing.