Taking business meetings online...

wbruce — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 18:04:00 GMT

This week we procurred licenses for Microsoft LiveMeeting Professional. This is an online meeting system that will allow the APA to host meetings over the Internet. Presenters will be able to share meeting materials such as files from Word, Excel, PowerPoint or other applications with meeting participants. It has many features, but its key value will be in its potential to lower meeting costs for the association.

Traditional conference calls cost around $.32 per user per minute. At that rate, a five person call lasting on hour would cost nearly $100. LiveMeeting supports computer based audio conferencing using VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) to allow users to hold conversations via their computers. Because LiveMeeting is licensed based on meeting organizers at a cost of $18 per month per organizer, using the system for even one meeting each month more than covers the cost of the system.

In addition to voice support, LiveMeeting works very well with webcams to allow for multi-point video conferencing. This will potentially allow for more personal interactions during conferences. The system also allows for computer to telephone audio conferenceing meaning that users who don't have the needed computer equipment can still participate in confereces that use LiveMeeting.

We are going to be using the system for some upcoming meetings supporting the DSMV and Budget committees.

More information cann be found at http://www.livemeeting.com

MacAttack at Microsoft's TechMentor and VSLive events...

wbruce — Mon, 12 May 2008 15:16:00 GMT

Among the many regular events that I find myself attending are Microsoft's TechMentor and Visual Studio conferences. These are usually held in wonderfully tropical cities where you can be cruelly trapped in windowless conference rooms for hours on end. As I write this post, I am on a brief break from a session on the evolution of Microsoft PowerShell and the nitty-gritty of modifying outputs for redirection, while just 30 feet away, a slight breeze is forcing the many palm and fern trees dance seductively around the pool. It is 82 degrees out there and the water is probably just the right temperature.

Meanwhile, back in Nerdville it is a cool 68 degrees with a steady deluge of PowerPoint slides. What is quite interesting is the choice of laptops among the attendees and more so among the event staff and presenters. Many of them are using Macs! Even the event registration is being done on Mac hardware. All are either using BoodCamp or VMWare Fusion to run Windows on them, but the choice is clear that Mac is preferred for the moment. This was not what I expected from a Microsoft conference, but I see it as a good sign for the industry.

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Taking business meetings online...

MacAttack at Microsoft's TechMentor and VSLive events...