Introduction

WebCollab is a Java based tool that can be used for shared presentation of static images during teleconferences. Participants in a WebCollab conference session view and interact with a set of slides while on the telephone or Internet phone. WebCollab provides synchronization facilities to ensure that all participants see the same slide while connected. Rich interaction with the presentation material is provided to all participants through the Live Pointer (a shared cursor that dynamically tracks user mouse motions) and a set of drawing tools to mark and annotate directly on the slides. Marked-up slide images can be saved to the server during the session and downloaded by each participant at the end.

Figure - WebCollab Overview

WebCollab is designed to be extremely easy to use. A Java enabled web browser such as Netscape Navigator and a link to the Internet or Intranet are the only user requirements. Users activate WebCollab by simply using their web browser to connect to the server. There is no application to download, install and configure by the end user. WebCollab clients can run on multiple platforms (any machine/operating system that can run Netscape or a Java enabled browser is capable of running WebCollab). In addition, it places very little demands on system resources and network bandwidth. Typically, multiple participants interacting in a single WebCollab Session connect across remote locations to a central WebCollab Server. WebCollab only provides the visual link - participants are expected to have an audio link either through the telephone system or by an Internet Phone. WebCollab is also not a videoconferencing tool - it does not provide the facility to view live video of remote sites. However, WebCollab is designed to significantly enhance communication by provide an effective shared visual workspace. Since the bandwidth and resource requirements of WebCollab are very small, it can be used with other Internet based tools such as Internet telephones and Internet Videoconferencing solutions.


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