Microsoft Corporation
Updated: July 15, 1997
Microsoft® NetMeeting™ lets people communicate and collaborate over the Internet and corporate intranets, holding real-time meetings where they can see, hear, and exchange information with each other. NetMeeting supports industry standards and offers rich data conferencing, audio conferencing, and video conferencing capabilities in a seamless, easy-to-use client. NetMeeting also offers a platform for real-time communication, enabling third-party vendors to easily integrate Internet conferencing into their applications and services.
You're bound to have questions about a product that offers such groundbreaking new features. Choose from the following topics for answers to commonly asked questions about Microsoft NetMeeting version 2.0:
Systems Requirements and Platform Compatibility
What is Microsoft NetMeeting 2.0?
Microsoft NetMeeting 2.0 delivers a complete Internet-conferencing solution for real-time communication and collaboration over the Internet or corporate intranets. NetMeeting 2.0 is the successor to NetMeeting 1.0, the leading real-time, multimedia communications client for the Internet, which first shipped with Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0. The new version of NetMeeting offers new features and capabilities to make the product easier to use, more powerful, faster, and more manageable. Support for the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) H.323 and T.120 standards for audio and video conferencing, and multipoint data conferencing, respectively, enables cross-vendor, cross-product, and cross-platform interoperability. NetMeeting 2.0 includes the following key components:
What's new in Microsoft NetMeeting 2.0?
There are four key areas of enhancements that are new in NetMeeting 2.0. These include support for Internet telephony and video-conferencing capabilities based on the ITU H.323 standard, support for the Microsoft Windows® NT® 4.0 operating system, significant user interface enhancements to make the product even easier to use, and platform improvements available through an updated software development kit (SDK). The most visible change in NetMeeting 2.0 is, in fact, visual: Using a digital video camera, you can now see the people you're talking with over the Internet or corporate intranets, communicating face-to-face with family, friends, and business acquaintances.
What are some of the scenarios in which NetMeeting can be used?
NetMeeting will change the way people communicate and collaborate on the Internet and corporate intranets by expanding the situations in which the PC can be used. Possible scenarios include these:
How is Microsoft NetMeeting 2.0 different from other Internet phone and conferencing products?
NetMeeting 2.0 is the first real-time communications solution for the Internet that provides standards-based audio, video, and multipoint data-conferencing capabilities. It offers both a complete, easy-to-use client, and an open, extensible platform for third parties to build or integrate real-time communications with their products and services.
There are four key areas that set NetMeeting apart:
If you want to read more about how NetMeeting compares, see the NetMeeting Reviewer's Guide (http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/press/revguide.htm).
What are the different communication and conferencing standards that NetMeeting 2.0 supports?
There are a number of industry standards that have been ratified or proposed through the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) or the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). In brief, these standards include the following:
Why is support of standards important?
Broad support of standards ensures interoperability among solutions from different vendors. For example, the telephone industry uses a set of international standards to ensure that a person making a telephone call can connect to another person regardless of the manufacturer of either phone handset. Support for standards for audio, data, and video conferencing will provide the same transparent interoperability that customers expect. In addition, support of H.323 and T.120 enables interoperability with other standards-based products including servers and gateways, enhancing the capabilities available to users of NetMeeting.
What tools or information are available to help organizations deploy NetMeeting?
To help organizations deploy NetMeeting, Microsoft has prepared the NetMeeting 2.0 Resource Kit, a companion technical information resource for system administrators. The kit provides detailed information, based on customer feedback, to help administrators deploy NetMeeting in their organizations. This includes how to configure the firewall, optimize bandwidth, and take advantage of the Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0 operating-system policy mechanisms to remotely administer and control the features and functionality of NetMeeting. The NetMeeting Resource Kit can be downloaded from the NetMeeting Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/). In addition, organizations can deploy the Microsoft Internet Locator Server to provide directory services for NetMeeting on the corporate intranet, making it easy for users within the company to find and connect to each other.
What is the Internet Locator Server (formerly known as the User Location Server)?
The Internet Locator Server (ILS) makes it easy for NetMeeting users to find other users of NetMeeting to connect to and communicate with on the Internet or corporate intranet. It provides a way to connect a user’s name with a unique network address (IP address in the case of TCP/IP on the Internet) just as a phone number connects to a person at a specific telephone. The ILS directory addresses the problem in which IP addresses are normally dynamic and assigned to a computer each time it connects to the Internet, providing up-to-date information that ensures an accurate way to contact other users. Internet service providers can set up their own ILS and provide a way for their customers and visitors to their site to find each other easily, and organizations can deploy an ILS on their intranet to support NetMeeting users on their network. Microsoft has submitted a specification on the ILS to the IETF as a proposed enhancement to the LDAP directory protocol standard; it is expected the specification will be integrated into the upcoming LDAP version 3.0 standard. To learn more about ILS, see the NetMeeting Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/).
What is the NetMeeting Software Development Kit?
The NetMeeting SDK provides application programming interfaces (APIs) that allow conferencing capabilities to be integrated with other applications using C, C++, or Microsoft Visual Basic® . In addition, the NetMeeting SDK will include an ActiveX™ control for conferencing, allowing Web site creators to integrate conferencing functionality directly on a Web page. For example, developers can extend the functionality of NetMeeting to add a business-card exchange capability or an answering machine feature, or to add conferencing capabilities to applications using macro-based scripting languages. Web site creators can integrate the ActiveX control with ActiveX scripting solutions such as JavaScript and Visual Basic, Scripting Edition to add conferencing capabilities to their Web site. For more information about the NetMeeting SDK, see the NetMeeting Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/).
What are some examples of how the NetMeeting SDK can be used?
There are a number of ways that the NetMeeting SDK can be used to open new market opportunities for third-party software developers, solution providers, and Web-site professionals. These include integrating real-time, multipoint data-conferencing capabilities into existing conferencing solutions such as video conferencing, developing custom-conferencing solutions to enhance service offerings, integrating conferencing functionality into Web pages, and extending the features of NetMeeting.
What are the main features of NetMeeting 2.0?
The main features include point-to-point Internet telephony (audio conferencing), point-to-point video conferencing, multipoint application sharing, whiteboard, file transfer, chat, and shared clipboard. Support for multipoint data conferencing allows people to communicate and collaborate as a group in real time, even though they may be located at different sites.
What can users do with the Internet telephony capability?
The real-time voice capability lets users talk to another person in a conference. This feature provides Internet phone services, allowing users to call and communicate with family and friends over the Internet.
What can users do with the video conferencing capability?
With a Video for Windows–compatible video capture card and camera, you can send and receive video images during a conference allowing you to hold face-to-face meetings over the Internet. Even if you don't have a video camera connected to your PC, you can still receive video images during a conference.
What can users do with application sharing?
Application sharing enables users to share a program running on one computer with other people in a conference. NetMeeting works with existing Windows operating system–based programs, allowing applications to be shared transparently without requiring any special knowledge of conferencing capabilities. When an application has been shared, the other people in the conference see the actions that are performed as the person sharing the application works on the program (that is, editing content, scrolling through information, and so on.). In addition, the person sharing the application can choose to collaborate, allowing other people in the conference to take turns editing or controlling the application. Each member of the conference does not need to have the given application on his or her system—only the person sharing the application. Examples of how the application-sharing capability in NetMeeting can be used to improve the way people communicate over the Internet in real time would include sharing a word-processing program to collaborate on a document; sharing a programming-language application to work with others on creating a program; sharing a spreadsheet program to work together on verifying and updating information; or sharing a web browser to enable collaborative browsing.
The application sharing protocol in NetMeeting was submitted by Microsoft and PictureTel to the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) as an enhancement to the ITU T.120 standard and has successfully cleared the fully "determined" stage by the ITU Study Group 16. The technology was previously known as T.SHARE while in draft form, and now is titled T.128. In addition, by inclusion as part of the T.120 standard, support for T.128 by conferencing vendors enables cross-vendor and cross-platform interoperability for application sharing available in compliant conferencing products. T.128 is expected to pass the ITU Study Group 16’s "decision" stage in January 1998 when it will become a fully approved part of the T.120 specification.
What can users do with the shared clipboard feature?
The shared clipboard allows a user to exchange the contents of the clipboard with other participants in a conference. This allows, for example, a user to copy information from a local application into the contents of a shared program as part of a group collaboration. This capability provides seamless exchange of information between applications that have been shared and local applications, providing the familiar cut, copy, and paste operations for use in a data conference.
What can users do with file-transfer capability?
The file-transfer capability in NetMeeting enables users to send a file to a specific participant or all the participants in a conference. You can use the right mouse button to select a person’s name in the conference and choose to send him or her a file, or you can drag a file into the Microsoft NetMeeting window and have a file automatically sent to each participant in a conference. The file transfer occurs in the background as everyone continues sharing a program, using the whiteboard, and chatting. Users have the option of accepting or declining the receipt of a file being sent to them. The file-transfer capability in NetMeeting is fully compliant with the T.127 standard.
What can users do with the whiteboard?
The whiteboard program is a multipage, multiuser drawing application that enables users to sketch an organization chart or a flowchart, draw a diagram, or display other graphic contents. The whiteboard is object-oriented (vs. pixel-oriented), allowing users to move and manipulate the contents by clicking and dragging with the mouse. With a remote pointer or highlighting tool, users can point out specific contents or sections of shared pages. This capability extends the application-sharing feature of NetMeeting by supporting ad hoc collaboration on a common drawing surface.
What can users do with the chat feature?
Chat provides a text-based mechanism to communicate with participants in a conference. Chat can be used to communicate about common ideas or topics with fellow conference participants or to record meeting notes and action items as part of a collaborative process. You can even use the "whisper" mode to send a private message to another person in the conference.
What are some of the ways that I can use the videophone capability of NetMeeting 2.0?
Now you can see and hear family and friends around the world through a local Internet connection. For example, grandparents a continent away can use NetMeeting 2.0 to see their grandchildren's first steps the moment they happen, and all family members can keep in more intimate touch with face-to-face conversations.
With NetMeeting installed on local desktops, people in organizations can use video conferencing to communicate more effectively with each other or with business associates in remote offices or other locations. This is a major benefit, especially for organizations with personnel located in different buildings.
Which video-capture cards or cameras are compatible with NetMeeting 2.0?
NetMeeting 2.0 supports most video capture cards and cameras that are compatible with Microsoft Video for Windows capture drivers. This includes commonly available video hardware for Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0. See the netmeet.txt readme file for issues with specific cameras.
What types of cameras work best with NetMeeting 2.0?
The following types of cameras tend to give better performance with NetMeeting 2.0:
What type of connection can I use for video?
Like NetMeeting audio, the product's video feature is designed to work over Transport Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) connections only, and can only be used to conference with one other person. For example, you can use video over a dial-up connection to your Internet Service Provider (ISP) using a 28.8kbps (or higher) modem.
How can I improve video performance and quality?
Here are a few suggestions for improving video performance and quality:
How is the video-conferencing support in NetMeeting 2.0 different from other video-phone solutions available for use on the Internet?
The videophone capability in NetMeeting 2.0 conforms to the H.323 standard, providing a video-conferencing solution that operates with other H.323-compatible products and services. Many existing videophone solutions are proprietary, so users can only connect and communicate with people who purchased the same product.
In addition, you can now enjoy higher quality audio and video than has traditionally been available over the Internet. Improved quality is possible through NetMeeting support for the H.323 audio and video codecs (G.723.1 for audio, and H.263 for video) used to send and receive audio and video over low-bandwidth connections. Support for Intel MMX technology enhances the performance of video during a call.
If an organization does not want to use video (or audio) over its corporate network, is there a way to centrally manage and control usage?
Yes. NetMeeting 2.0 supports the system policy feature in Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0, enabling information systems (IS) organizations to centrally deploy and manage the client capabilities of NetMeeting for their users on the network. Refer to the Microsoft NetMeeting 2.0 Resource Kit (http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/reskit/) for information on how to use NetMeeting system policies.
On which platforms will NetMeeting 2.0 be available?
NetMeeting 2.0 is available for Windows 95 and Windows NT 4.0. Support for other platforms (such as Apple® Macintosh® and Unix) will be available through products delivered by third-party vendors that use interoperable standards for communication and conferencing.
What are the system requirements for NetMeeting 2.0?
Your system must be running the Windows 95 or Windows NT 4.0 operating system and must meet the following hardware requirements (to run any of the international language versions of Microsoft NetMeeting 2.0, you should use the same language version of Windows 95 or Windows NT):
To use the real-time audio features of NetMeeting 2.0, you alsoneed:
To use the video features of NetMeeting 2.0, your system must meet the following requirements:
What is H.323?
H.323 is an International Telecommunications Union (ITU) standard that sets forth a specification for terminals (PCs), equipment, and services for multimedia communication over networks that do not provide a guaranteed quality of service (for example, guaranteed bandwidth). H.323 terminals and equipment can carry real-time video, voice, and data, or any combination of these elements, including video telephony. Products that use H.323 for audio and video let you interconnect and communicate with other people over the Internet, just as people using different makes and models of telephones can communicate over the public switched telephone network (PSTN).
What additional standards does H.323 support?
For low bandwidth use, the H.323 standard specifies standard codecs for audio (G.723) and for video (H.263) that enable H.323 products to send and receive voice and video images. Also, H.323 specifies that data-conferencing capabilities should conform to the T.120 protocol, providing a set of standards-based conferencing features to enhance audio and video conferencing. More than 120 leading companies in the industry publicly announced their intent to support and implement H.323 in their products and services. This broad support establishes H.323 as the leading solution for audio and video conferencing over the Internet.
What is T.120?
The ITU T.120 standard is made up of a suite of communication and application layer protocols developed and approved by the international computer and telecommunications industries. These protocols enable developers to create compatible products and services for real-time, multipoint data connections and conferencing. T.120-based applications enable many users to participate in conferencing sessions over different types of networks and connections. Depending on the type of T.120 product, they can make connections, transmit and receive data, and collaborate using compatible data-conferencing features such as application sharing, conferencing whiteboard, and file transfer.
Where can I read more about the conferencing standards?
The NetMeeting 2.0 Resource Kit provides additional information about the conferencing standards used by NetMeeting. You can download the resource kit from the Microsoft NetMeeting Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/).
Where can I find out more about NetMeeting?
For additional information about NetMeeting, visit the NetMeeting Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/).
Where can I find out more about the NetMeeting SDK?
For information about the NetMeeting SDK, visit the Authors & Developers section of the NetMeeting Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/sdk/).
Where can I find more information about the Internet Locator Server (formerly known as the User Location Service)?
For additional information about the Internet Locator Server (ILS), visit the NetMeeting Web site (http://www.microsoft.com/netmeeting/ils/).
Where can users obtain more information about the international standards used in NetMeeting?
There are several organizations in the industry responsible for defining, approving, and communicating standards. Following are some of the key organizations: