Microsoft gets into Net conferencing

Microsoft today jumped into the Internet audio and data conferencing market with a beta version of new conferencing software that has attracted endorsements from a wide range of vendors.

NetMeeting is designed to work with Internet Explorer and offers multi-user application sharing and data conferencing capabilities, as well as real-time Internet audio so that two or more people can participate in live conferences over the Internet.

NetMeeting is compliant with the H.320 and T.120 conferencing standards so that it can interoperate with other conferencing products, and several vendors announced today that their products will work with NetMeeting, including:PictureTel, OnLive Technologies, White Pine Software, and Databeam. MCI Telecommunications and Microsoft also announced a deal to make NetMeeting a part of MCI's networkMCI conferencing service.

The product also includes whiteboard, chat, file transfers, and shared clipboard features.

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