REDMOND, Wash., May 29, 1996 — Microsoft Corp. today announced that its NetMeeting
™communications and collaboration software, in conjunction with the Microsoft®
Internet Explorer version 3.0 beta software, is available today worldwide to download at no charge (other than the cost of download time) from the World Wide Web. NetMeeting is the Internet’s first real-time communications client that includes support for international conferencing standards and provides true multiuser application-sharing and data-conferencing capabilities. NetMeeting makes voice and data communications over the Internet as easy as a phone call and workgroup collaboration as effective as all participants being in the same room. NetMeeting is another element of the suite of offerings available with Microsoft Internet Explorer.
“Talking and working together in real time will clearly be the next big thing on the Web,”
said Brad Chase, general mananger in the Internet platform and tools division at Microsoft.
“Microsoft NetMeeting supports application sharing and conferences among more than two people, and international standards for the broadest possible interoperability. It literally is as easy as making a phone call.”
Application Sharing and Multiuser Capabilities Set NetMeeting Apart
Unlike other Internet conferencing software, the application-sharing capabilities in NetMeeting allow two or more people to simultaneously share virtually any existing Windows®
operating system-based application across the Internet, a corporate LAN or the public telephone network, enabling business professionals and their clients around the world to review and edit documents without leaving their offices. Any participant in a conference can remotely view and control shared applications, enabling remote presentations, telecommuting or Web-based customer service. NetMeeting’s whiteboard, chat, file transfer and shared-clipboard features allow groups of people to conduct meetings, share information, and jointly annotate diagrams, text and comments in a shared workspace.
NetMeeting supports international standards, allowing two or more people to participate in real-time, interactive conferences even when separated by continents.
NetMeeting’s Internet telephone capabilities allow point-to-point voice conversations anywhere in the world for the cost of an Internet connection. The User Location Service (ULS) provides a mechanism for users of NetMeeting to locate other people on the Internet, even if their Internet addresses change. A sample of the ULS can be found at http://uls.microsoft.com/.
“Audio and data conferencing enables our design centers to collaborate on new product designs, which increases productivity and speeds the release of new products,”
said Roy Arild, a design and characterization engineer at Cypress Semiconductor.
“Support for international standards is a critical prerequisite to make conferencing an integral communications tool.”
Unmatched Support for Standards to Spur Interoperable Web Conferencing
Microsoft NetMeeting is the first software shipped on the Web to support International Telecommunications Union (ITU) standards for multiuser data conferencing, facilitating a truly interoperable multivendor Internet conferencing world, including multipoint servers, videoconferencing systems, secure firewalls, room conferencing systems, interactive whiteboards and other third-party products. NetMeeting currently supports open, international standards from both the ITU and the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF). The ITU T.120 data conferencing standard enables real-time multiuser collaboration and file transfer over the Internet, intranet or telephone network. NetMeeting also supports the Realtime Protocol (RTP) from the IETF, used to transmit and synchronize real-time streams over the Internet.
“Apple is committed to supporting international standards, including T.120 and H.323, for conferencing and collaboration over the Internet,”
said Carlos Montalvo, director of the Interactive Media Group at Apple Computer Inc.
“Our support for these standards is a key element of our strategy for ensuring a robust environment for conferencing and collaboration over the Internet between Macintosh® and Windows-based platforms.”
Industry Building Products Interoperable With NetMeeting
NetMeeting is based on the ActiveX
™
technologies conferencing platform, announced in March at the Microsoft Professional Developers Conference – Building Internet Solutions, with support from over 120 companies. Developers can easily add conferencing capabilities to their products using a software development kit that is also available on the Web.
“The Internet continues to grow by leaps and bounds, both in the number of users and the availability of new applications such as the Microsoft NetMeeting Internet conferencing software,”
said Philip Knell, president and general manager of networkMCI Conferencing.
“MCI plans to deliver multipoint Internet conferencing services compatible with NetMeeting.”
More than 20 companies are today announcing shipping or planned delivery of conferencing products and services that are compatible with NetMeeting (see attached list).
Microsoft NetMeeting is available now along with the beta version of Microsoft Internet Explorer 3.0, and can be downloaded without charge from the Microsoft Web site at http://microsoft.com/netmeeting/
Founded in 1975, Microsoft (NASDAQ
“MSFT”
) is the worldwide leader in software for personal computers. The company offers a wide range of products and services for business and personal use, each designed with the mission of making it easier and more enjoyable for people to take advantage of the full power of personal computing every day.
Microsoft, NetMeeting, Windows and ActiveX are either registered trademarks or trademarks of Microsoft Corp. in the United States and/or other countries.
Macintosh is a registered trademark of Apple Computer Inc.
ProShare is a trademark of Intel Corp.
LiveShare, LiveLAN and Live100 are trademarks of PictureTel Corp.
ObjectShare.120 is a trademark of VTEL Corp.
For online product information:
Microsoft NetMeeting Web page: http://microsoft.com/netmeeting/
Microsoft Internet Explorer Web page: http://microsoft.com/ie/.
Companies Announcing Shipping or Planned Delivery of Conferencing Products and Services Compatible With NetMeeting
