Netmeeting.
What is a Netmeeting?
Netmeeting describes the concept of hosting a virtual online meeting through the use of web-based collaboration tools or software. During a netmeeting, the user can chat via text, audio, share files, and view a common whiteboard. Netmeetings can be conducted through web conferencing software, such as webinars, instant messenger protocols, and other online meeting software.
Uses for Netmeetings
Netmeetings are utilized to connect remote groups of people for meetings. Through the use of desktop sharing software, individuals share documentation real-time. Individuals participating in netmeetings for business, share slide presentations or engage in e‑Learning and online tutoring. The presence of the whiteboard application in some netmeeting software allows users to share most forms of data in an interactive environment.
Advantages of Netmeetings
Netmeetings save on travel time and expenses. Internet conferencing and web presentations are conducted remotely in an interactive environment through the use of netmeeting software. Some online meeting software offer more features than others. Webinar software allows meeting participants to view the presenter’s remote desktop and presentation, with limited interactive access with the participants during the presentation. In most Webinar meetings, participants are only allowed to interact with the moderator at the end of the presentation to avoid frequent interruptions from potentially thousands of participants. The moderator possesses the control over the amount of interaction he or she would like from participants during a presentation.
Using online collaboration software, the presenter can identify items of interest in the presentation with a pointing tool on the whiteboard. The presenter can also circle points of interest and write special notes on the whiteboard, as if he or she were in a boardroom presenting slides.
An online collaboration tool is also useful in educational environments such as distance learning software for the purposes of online education. During a netmeeting, the tutor or instructor can write a mathematical equation on the whiteboard. Then, the instructor can assist the student by solving the equation and coaching via text chat or via voice chat. Assistance can be furthered by remote access, which will allow the instructor to remotely control the mouse and keyboard of the student. The tool allows individuals to meet quickly when travel is not an option.
How Netmeetings Work
Netmeetings can be conducted through the use of Ethernet, VOIP and messaging applications. In order for callers to connect to an individual via the Internet, each user must be online. Once each user is online, one user initiates a call to another by an identifying email address. Alternatively, the user may be given a login and a password to access the webinar from a particular web page.
Once the connection is established, each user can initiate certain actions. The user can listen, view the visual presentation, and respond. In some netmeetings, the user can initiate the whiteboard sharing application or a file sharing application, if the software is available. The user’s actions at one location are viewed by other users at a remote location in real-time. It is helpful to have a moderator, so some sort of meeting protocol or etiquette is established. If the user plans to utilize the audio portions of netmeetings, the computer should be equipped with a sound card. Audio is not necessary for data sharing only.