WebDemo: Seeing--and Hearing--is Believing
WebDemo, from SpartaCom, is a beautifully simple software solution for collaborating
over the Web. Requiring only a Web browser and a computer connected to the Internet,
participants from multiple sites can communicate visual information combined with
simultaneous live voice communication.
Features
The host’s console has six icons and fits in a small window that can be
positioned anywhere on the host’s screen. From there, the host can set
up the “viewport”—a window that can be positioned anywhere on
the screen, and can be resized at any time by clicking and dragging. Anything
the host positions within the viewport window is broadcast to the other participants—anything
left on the desktop is not broadcast.
Participants can share PowerPoint slideshows, explain CAD/CAM diagrams, co-browse
live Web pages, or share virtually anything that can be shown on a computer
screen. This extreme flexibility is possible because the actual visual information
shared is an image of the viewport window. It is not necessary that the shared
applications reside on other participants’ computers.
But the image in the viewport is more than just a live picture of the host’s
computer screen. The host can transfer control of what is in the viewport to
participants, allowing users to open programs, type text, insert or delete objects,
and modify what is on the host’s screen within the viewport. This means
that remote users can add or modify PowerPoint slides, work on CAD/CAM diagrams,
or edit word processing documents, among other things.
One of the six icons mentioned earlier allows the host to view lists of participants
and their connection information, including screen resolutions and connection
speeds, so that hosts can adjust their presentations to meet the limitations
of participants’ connections. The host can actually see when each participant’s
data transfer is complete, and know when the participant can see the entire
visual. The host can also transfer hosting rights—including viewport—to
any-one on the attendee list. The host can grant and revoke remote control of
viewport content at any time.
WebDemo allows both one-way and two-way voice communication. The host has access
to full-duplex voice chat—allowing simultaneous talking and listening.
Participants have access to half-duplex voice chat, allowing each to either
talk or listen, but not both at the same time. Because current voice-over-Internet
technology presents some lag problems with two-way voice communication, a phone
conference call may prove more workable in some situations. If two-way voice
communication is not required, however, voice-over-Internet works well for one-way
broadcast, and keyboard chat provides satisfactory two-way communication. The
WebDemo host can enable keyboard chat for all or selected participants, and
each can “raise a hand” by right-clicking in the chat window. The
host is then alerted by a flashing username in his or her own chat window.
Applications
Ideal for help-desk use, WebDemo lets technicians view a user’s screen
(with the user’s permission) rather than rely upon verbal descriptions.
Technicians can diagnose problems by remotely taking control of a user’s
desktop, allowing technicians to serve greater numbers of staff or students.
WebDemo also provides opportunities for training and development: Users can
learn a great deal when technicians assume control of their desktops and demonstrate
solutions and workarounds.
As a presentation or demonstration tool, WebDemo allows instructors to share
visuals and talk about the images at the same time. Whiteboard tools let the
host mark on the visuals, circling key elements, enumerating points, and highlighting
ideas. Students can ask questions using either voice or keyboard chat.
Implementation
WebDemo requires very little bandwidth since the actual data exchange is facilitated
through a Java script. It can function with a 28.8 dial-up modem connection,
but runs best with a high-speed Internet connection.
WebDemo is available as either a server product or as a hosted solution. The
server product pricing is based upon concurrent users and is probably beyond
the means of most individual faculty, but may be within the means of individual
departments. The hosted product pricing is an annual license and is based on
concurrent users. It is more likely within the reach of individual faculty members,
and is likely within the means of most departments. Licenses are based upon
concurrent users rather than set user login accounts, providing flexibility
for departments wishing to allow different professors to use WebDemo with different
sets of students at different times, up to the concurrent user limit. This type
of license also works well for help-desk use: Technicians can help as many users
as the concurrent user limit allows.