
Apache OpenMeetings: open source replacement for GoToMeeting/Webex - xn
http://incubator.apache.org/openmeetings/
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rb2k_
All of these "webex-replacement" solutions seem to have a horrible case of
feature creep.

SOAP API? Private Messages? Calendar?

Isn't there a plain and simple solution? Something like an open version of the
google plus hangouts

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nextparadigms
WebRTC.

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jtheory
WebRTC seems comparatively low-level, and I'm not sure it would support the
basic use case for webex, gotomeeting, etc.: i.e., conference calls with
audio, screen-sharing, and (less importantly) video of participants.

We use GoToMeeting (Citrix), and find we also regularly relay on the ability
to call in from a regular phone, so this has become a requirement.

Customers calling in, anyone non-technical who's having issues getting the web
client working (even the technical folks sometimes have trouble with it...
they have a Java applet install/launch client software), or anyone with a
flaky internet connection need this (that last one seems to happen quite
frequently whenever anyone is traveling...).

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ams6110
I have rarely experienced a web meeting where the first 15 minutes were not
spent twiddling thumbs because one or more participants were having issues
getting connected, seeing the video, dropping connections, etc. It even
happens more often than not on a simple conference call, where all you have to
do is dial a number and enter a code or two.

If ANYONE ever figures out a way to make this technology really work, they
will be swamped with demand.

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jlarocco
Practice has a lot to do with it. We have a lot of telecommuters at work, and
their first few meetings are problematic while they figure things out, but
eventually the problems die down and things run smoothly.

Most of our meetings run without problem.

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tmuir
There is a company in the current batch of YC companies that is in this space
as well, Screenleap. To share your screen with me, you go to screenleap.com,
click the share button, and get a 9 digit number. You give that 9 digit number
to me, which I then enter on the same screenleap.com, and I can see your
screen.

No visible revenue stream, but those are overrated anyways, right?

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pat2man
This app is a bit beyond basic screen sharing, Screenleap is more of a
competitor to Join.me and this is more of a competitor to WebEx etc.

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reagan83
Anybody else see the coincidence between the Apache announcement of the new
Citrix sponsorship (platinum level) and this? What does Citrix gain out of
sponsoring an organization that competes with their product line?

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ecaron
An excellent recruitment program to find talent for their own projects.

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scanr
I thought the real issue here is that you either need server infrastructure or
sufficient intermediate nodes to do NAT hole punching (like Skype)?

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bfrog
Google Hangouts are a nice replacement honestly. Just wish there was some
calendar integration and performance was better.

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xn
The 10-user limit and no dial-in option limits its usefulness.

The screen-sharing also doesn't work very well, at least on linux. You either
have to share your entire desktop, across all screens, or a single window of
an application.

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jwildeboer
Flash? I mean really? Shouldn't it be using HTML5 etc? Flash is so '95 - an
impression I get more and more from new projects at Apache. It starts to look
as if Apache becomes a dump store for old code.

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chc
What is the HTML5 alternative? I didn't think there was any accepted standard
for this stuff yet.

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georgemcbay
The great thing about having no real definition ('HTML5' is beyond meaningless
at this point as a name for real, actual technology) is that it means you can
theoretically use it to do _anything_ at all!

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corkill
Looks great, I agree with the other comments based on those screenshots they
have a lot of work to do on usability if they want people to use it. Looks
like the microsoft word of webinar software.

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chris_wot
I was thinking the same thing. I wonder how hard it would be to totally reskin
this?

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sundars
i have worked with Red5 previously. Its a good streaming server for putting
together a POC quickly but not the best tool for scalability and reliability.
I wonder how this new effort scales on top of Red5

Apache OpenMeetings seem to have got all the features of a typical webmeeting
but I wonder if it would be usable by a typical non-geek user

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hendi_

       but I wonder if it would be usable by a typical non-geek user
    

I'm working at one of the largest chip design companies, so you can assume
that the engineers around me have a sound understanding of technology (I mean
we know how to use all the EDA tools, if there wasn't SAP software I'd say
that's the most complicated software you can get :). We use WebEx heavily for
intra and inter company communication. Still many of us have trouble using it,
and explaining its workings to first time users almost always takes a lot of
time (and nerves!).

I'm eager to have a look at OpenMeetings. But assuming it already has all the
needed corporate functions I'd say concentrating on usability (especially for
new users) would be a major differentiation factor to other products in this
space.

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Ecio78
You can also try BigBlueButton: <http://www.bigbluebutton.org/>

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webwanderings
Thanks. This looks like a winner.

