Transcript of the presentation: Enriching Meetings Over Distance

Transcript of the presentation: Enriching Meetings Over Distance.
Presenter: Gerry Murphy

"Hello I'm Gerry Murphy and I welcome you to this slide show on how to enrich meetings that by their nature must take place
over distance.

In the following presentation we will discuss: Tele-conferences and video- conferences. Their unique possibilities, advantages, and their limitations.

Useful tips on how to enrich content and collaboration at such meetings. And finally, How to set up a virtual meeting over the Internet, using Microsoft NetMeeting software. Not all meetings need to take place in a face-to-face manner. Sometimes it just isn't possible to get everyone in the same room at the same time.

Getting people together from many locations around Western Australia can be very costly in both time and money.

In many cases, if we did not have facilities like telephone conferences and video-conferences, these meetings simply could not happen.

However, meetings we either must have, or choose to have, using communications services such as telephone or video-conferences, will benefit greatly from the inclusion of live content with which we can collaborate. Before we look at how to do this, lets start by examining the key attributes of a typical Face-to-Face meeting. In a face-to-face meeting we can all see and hear each other. We are very much aware of each other's presence and body language. In this way we get a lot of feedback as to whether the people we are communicating with can understand what we are saying, and whether or not they are interested, not interested, agree or disagree. To help us communicate our ideas we might use visual aids, such as
overhead projectors, computer displays, or slide shows. In this way everyone present can focus on the point the speaker is trying to present.

If our display content is interesting and informative, then the audience will quickly and clearly understand what we are trying to communicate. For the same reason we may bring, papers, brochures, magazines, or even three dimensional objects to use in the meeting in order to help communicate
our ideas. In most meetings of value there are outcomes or actions that take place, such as signing of documents, distributing information etc.

However, when we don't have the luxury of a face-to-face meeting we need to recreate as near as possible the richness, interactivity, and atmosphere of such an event. Let's look now at how we can make sure that our virtual meetings are as close to face-to-face meetings, as possible. Take for instance a telephone conference with one or more people. In this situation we are really working blindfolded.

Who is to know who is at the far end. Are they actually listening?

How can we tell if anyone is paying attention? Do they understand our message?

Who is to know if all parties are looking at the same page of the content that
may have been faxed prior to the meeting?

Are they still there, or are we talking to ourselves?

These are real issues in a telephone conference. If we can introduce some live content into the meeting, so that all parties can
examine and interact with the same information at the same time, then we can introduce more focus into the meeting. Let's have a look at one of the options. Through the internet, or internal office network (also known as an Intranet), we can share content in a collaborative manner between all the sites in a call, using PCs.

In this way we can all be looking at the same content being discussed. We can have the opportunity to input variations into the data or document during the meeting as information emerges through the discussion. If, as a result of the discussion, there is an output such as a spreadsheet, or
drawing, the file can be transferred and distributed to all parties in real time before the meeting ends. The key benefit of this is that the content being considered is available to all parties at the same time. If modifications need to be made, these can be made on the spot. And when there is a final output, it is distributed to all before the meeting disperses.

This is a pretty good result for a meeting over the telephone! However to enhance this even further we can use modern video communications systems. Over and above the telephone conference, video conferencing brings two more dimensions to our meeting. Firstly, in a video conference we now can see who is in the room, who is paying attention, and in many cases, who understands or does not understand what we are saying. The value of this is that we are getting a level of feedback more like a face-to-face meetings, which is not available in a simple telephone meeting.

The second advantage of a video conference facility is the possibility of bringing material such as papers, brochures and three dimensional objects into the meeting. Combining collaborative software tools, such as Microsoft's NetMeeting, with the power of modern video conferencing, we have a potent communications medium. Using such technology, we are now approaching the level of communications
available in a face-to-face meeting, but without the cost in time or money of travelling to and from such events.

Let's now have a look at what technologies such as NetMeeting can do for us, and how we use them. Collaborative software tools such as Microsoft NetMeeting, allow PC's to connect to each other over the public Internet, or organisational intranets such as the LAN or the Local Area Network or WAN which is called the Wide Area Network. When we have two or more PC's connected in this manner there are many facilities
available be to us which can greatly enhance meetings by telephone or video conferencing.

At this point we would like to point out that, although products like NetMeeting do allow for voice and video communications in the PC network call, we are mainly interested in the data collaboration capabilities of the package, and so we usually prefer the audio and video to be switched off in the NetMeeting package. This enables faster communication speeds.

So what can you do if we are running NetMeeting in a conference? In a telephone conference the key meeting tool that NetMeeting provides is the facility to present slide shows such as PowerPoint presentations over distance. In a video-conference there is plenty of opportunity to present slide shows or static material, however, where NetMeeting adds value is in providing an interactive environment in which to view and interact with documents, spread sheets, and even some drawings. There is also a white board function that allows parties at each location to
annotate drawings or images in close to real-time.

During the NetMeeting connection there is also the very useful opportunity to transfer files from one computer to another. An example of this might be when negotiating the contents of a contract or document. At the end of the meeting when all parties are agreed on the content, copies of the files can be transferred from one location to another. This saves either E-mailing or faxing the document for later use.

Lets examine now what the NetMeeting interface looks like. When we initiate NetMeeting Version 3.0 on the PC, this is what the software interface looks like. While you can access all the resources via the drop down menus there are also quick use buttons on the screen.

For example:

The Call Button is the tool with which we initiate a call.

A dialogue box appears in which we enter the other person's address.

The End Button which is of course to terminate a NetMeeting session.

The Directory button is a utility to access addresses in your PC, or on any of the servers to which you may have access.

The In-Call List, in the middle of the dialogue box, shows the parties to which you are connected.

Then along the bottom of the dialogue box are the services that are available, such as:

The Share button, we use this to access another dialogue box in which we can nominate what applications we want to share with the other side, and what level of collaboration we want to allow.

The Chat button is a facility to message in real time, although this is mostly redundant in this environment because we have reliable live audio.

The Whiteboard is a facility to show and annotate images in real time between the locations.

The Transfer files button is a very useful tool because it allows us to transfer the results of our work to the other side at the end of a collaborative session.

Now let's look at the minimum requirements you need, to use NetMeeting for a telephone or video conference call.

Firstly we need our PC connected to the internet, or the same intra-network LAN, to which the other parties are connected. Secondly, it is imperative that we all have the same version of NetMeeting. Now how can you determine this?

NetMeeting is part of the Microsoft Office Suite. If you use the FIND utility in Windows by right clicking on the START button and then searching for "NetMeeting" on drive "C". You will quickly see if you have the NetMeeting software on your PC. If so, away you go.

Next, find out the IP address of your PC. This is a unique number that acts like a street address, to find your PC on the network or the Internet itself. You can determine the IP address of your PC by using the WINIPCFG command in the "RUN" utility behind the START button, in the bottom
left of your screen. If you cannot do this yourself, you may need a little help from a technical person.

Now, give your PC's IP Address to your partner so that they can use it to call you.

When the call comes in, accept the call, and you are now in a NetMeeting call! Now lets look at some useful tips in using NetMeeting. There is no doubt that NetMeeting is wonderful tool, however, there are a number of issues that need to be considered when using NetMeeting.

NetMeeting Versions: It is important that all parties in a NetMeeting call have the same version of NetMeeting. If not, some of the functions may not work. You can download an updated version through the normal Microsoft channels on the web. Data Transfer Rates: Because we are considering the use of NetMeeting in a telephone or video call, it is recommend that you un-tick the voice and video option in NetMeeting. This will maximise the data sharing speed.

Dialling Direct: While you can use a listed server on the Internet to connect to another party, it is usually recommended that you find the IP address of your partner and dial it direct. In this way you will have more privacy, and can avoid some of the more unsavoury aspects of the Internet.

Finally there is the issue of Firewalls: Please note that users in large corporate networks need to check with their network administrators to verify if they can use NetMeetings. Most large networks are protected from hackers and intruders by firewall software, and this can cause problems if the firewall does not accommodate NetMeeting calls.

So there you have it! In this presentation we have covered the basics of successfully conducting a virtual meeting, complete with rich inter-active
content, over even long distances. Now that you know how it's done, why not try it out for yourself? Good Luck!"