Q. What is Cisco® Unified MeetingPlace® conferencing?
A. Cisco Unified MeetingPlace conferencing is a complete rich-media conferencing solution for midsize to large organizations that makes remote meetings as natural and effective as face-to-face meetings. The solution integrates enterprise-class voice, video, and Web conferencing with industry-leading setup and control capabilities to meet the needs of organizations looking for a single solution and user environment for all their conferencing needs. The solution is deployed on-network, behind the firewall and integrated directly into an organization's private voice and data networks and enterprise applications, to provide significant cost savings, security, and a superior user experience. As a component of the Cisco Unified Communications System, Cisco Unified MeetingPlace conferencing delivers productivity that goes beyond traditional conferencing solutions by enabling incorporation of rich-media conferencing into a broad range of communication scenarios.
Q. What new capabilities will be delivered with Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0, and when will this release be available?
A. The major additions being introduced with Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 include an entirely new Web conferencing solution, integration with Cisco Unified Personal Communicator and Microsoft Office Communicator, support for Cisco Security Agent and a software development kit (SDK). Availability is planned for May 2007.
• New Web conferencing: Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 integrates Adobe Flash-based Web conferencing capabilities that deliver an enhanced user experience and broader application support.
• Exceptional experience: The new Web conferencing is built using Adobe Flash technology, which helps ensure rapid and reliable meeting entry. Shared content scales to any screen resolution so that the content being shared always fits in your meeting-room window. The full-screen mode lets you maximize your view of the content. Whether on a Windows, Macintosh, Linux, or Solaris platform, users can easily participate in Web conferences and experience a consistent interface.
• Broad application support: Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 Web conferencing supports a wide variety of conferencing applications and user needs with the following features:
– Meeting templates for different meeting types (collaboration, presentation, or Web seminar) and user roles (moderator, presenter, or attendee)
– Animations in presentations and upload of Flash content (swf files) and Flash movies (flv files)
– User status icons for providing verbal feedback to presenters
– Scalability for large Web meetings: 500 per Cisco MCS 7845 with a maximum of 100 meetings; maximum of 1500 in a single meeting with multiple cascaded servers
– Additional interactivity functions: Chat, moderated Q&A, and polling
New integrations include the following:
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 is integrated with Cisco Unified Personal Communicator, enabling users to initiate impromptu Web conferences directly from the Cisco Unified Personal Communicator interface.
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator is a new integration option that helps organizations improve collaboration and speed business processes by using presence and instant messaging for fast and easy impromptu conferencing. Availability is planned for April 2007.
Directly from Cisco Unified MeetingPlace for Microsoft Office Communicator, users can do the following:
• Use presence to determine other users' availability to meet
• Initiate impromptu voice conferences on Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0
• Invite users and connect (out-dial) to the voice conference
• Control the voice conference (for example, mute, eject, lock, or end the conference)
Q. How do you access the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Software Development Kit?
A. To access the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Software Development Kit, customers and partners should sign up to the Cisco Technology Developer Program. Once signed up to the program, customers and partners will be given instructions on how to access the SDK, and be eligible to receive development support for the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace API.
Q. Will existing Cisco Unified MeetingPlace customers be able to upgrade their Web conferencing to the new Web conferencing solution?
A. Customers with Cisco Unified Software Subscription or Cisco Software Application Support plus Upgrades (SASU) contracts can upgrade to Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 Web conferencing at no additional charge. Those without an upgrade subscription can purchase the software upgrade.
Q. How do customers upgrade their Web conferencing deployment from Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 5.4 to 6.0?
A. In order to upgrade to Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0, customers can use their existing media convergence server (MCS) hardware, install a Windows 2003 operating system, and install the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 software. Cisco Unified MeetingP2lace 6.0 is not supported on the Windows 2000 operating system.
Q. How does Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 Web conferencing differ from Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 5.4 Web conferencing?
A. Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 includes an entirely new, Adobe Flash-based Web conferencing solution that delivers an enhanced user experience and broader application support. Table 1 provides a comparison of the capabilities.
Table 1. New Features Available in Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 Web Conferencing
User Feature Description
Cisco Unified
MeetingPlace 5.4
Cisco Unified
MeetingPlace 6.0
In-Session Features
Roster support for large meetings (more than 100 people)
No
Yes
Out-dial others (besides oneself) to automatically connect them to the meeting from the Web interface
No
Yes
Move multiple selected people to or from audio break-out rooms
No
Yes
Mute multiple selected participants
No
Yes
Change participant volume level
No
Yes
Merge separate user entries (Web, audio, and video) on the participant roster
No
Yes
User-status emoticons (for example, have a question or go slower)
No
Yes
Set user permission as moderator, presenter, audience, or spectator (no speaking ability)
No
Yes
Invite participants into an active meeting by e-mail from a meeting-room control
No
Yes
Eject multiple selected participants
No
Yes
Video dial-out and controls for Apple Macintosh desktops
No
Yes
Linux desktop viewing
No
Yes
Web Conferencing Features
Full-screen viewing
No
Yes
Shared content image automatically resized to fit participants' Web conference share window
No
Yes
Multiple whiteboards per session
No
Yes
Annotation tools
Yes
Advanced
File-share window
No
Yes
Multiple standard meeting templates: Collaboration, presentation, and Web seminar
No
Yes
Presenter and moderator-only capabilities and layout in presenter and Web seminar templates
No
Yes
Ability for presenter and moderators to switch between presenter, moderator, and audience views
No
Yes
Moderated Q&A functions
No
Yes
Flexible window sizing
No
Yes
Animations preserved in uploaded presentations
No
Yes
Search content of uploaded presentation and automatically move to location of searched term
No
Yes
Upload Flash content (swf files) and Flash movies (flv files) to present
No
Yes
Multiple standard meeting templates: Collaboration, presentation, and Web seminar
No
Yes
Customizable personal layouts
No
Yes
Side-by-side share windows, enabling multiple people to share content at the same time
No
Yes
Private chat communication between presenters and moderators
No
Yes
Automatic cascade across Web servers for large meeting
No
Yes
Scalable to 1500 participants in a single meeting
No (150 maximum)
Yes
Dual monitor support
No
Yes
Optional 24-bit color sharing
No
Yes
Web conference licenses enforced
No
Yes
Configurable co-branding of the meeting room
No
Yes
Web recordings stored with network attached storage (NAS) and storage area network (SAN) systems
No
Yes
Web Scheduling and Web Server Features
Invite participants with specific permission level
No
Yes
Save and edit personal meeting template
No
Yes
Enhanced name search with name and e-mail of usernames in directory
No
Yes
Schedule new meeting with standard or personal templates
No
Yes
Support for Windows 2003
No
Yes
Support for Cisco Security Agent
No
Yes
Launch Web session from Cisco Unified Personal Communicator
No
Yes
The features listed in Table 2 are available in Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 5.4 but not in 6.0:
Table 2. Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 5.4 Features Not Available in 6.0
Reorder uploaded slides
Yes
No
Thumbnail view of uploaded presentations
Yes
No
Leave meeting
Yes
No
Share part of a screen
Yes
No
Share through Microsoft NetMeeting
Yes
No
Share application with pointer
Yes
No
Take snapshots of annotations
Yes
No
Save annotations to disk - replaced by print annotations or print to pdf file
Yes
No
Automatically capture chat without recording meeting
Yes
No
Brainstorm feature within polling
Yes
No
Leave meeting menu option
Yes
No
Reference center portal - replaced by Flash user training modules
Yes
No
Q. How does Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 Web conferencing differ from Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express 2.0 Web conferencing?
A. Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 Web conferencing provides a comprehensive Web conferencing experience suitable for day-to-day collaborative meetings, internal and external presentations, and large-scale Web seminars. Table 3 lists the main feature differences between the Cisco Unified MeetingPlace and Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express Web conferencing.
Table 3. Differences Between Cisco Unified MeetingPlace and Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express Web Conferencing
Capabilities
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express 2.0
Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0
Application sharing
Yes (screen sharing)
Yes
Whiteboard and annotations
Yes (annotate shared content)
Yes
Integrated audio controls (for example, mute and control individual volume levels)
Yes
Yes
Show who is speaking and sharing
Yes
Yes
Chat
Yes
Yes
Notes pod
Yes
Yes
Initiate recording
Yes (voice only)
Yes
Send e-mail invitation to add participants
Yes
Yes
Out-dial to add new participants
Yes
Yes
Full-screen mode
Yes
Yes
Automatic resizing of shared window
Yes
Yes
Annotations
Yes
Yes
Multiserver - internal and external - deployment model
Yes
Yes
Secure Sockets Layer (SSL) support
Yes
Yes
Upload presentations
No
Yes
Support for uploaded Flash content (swf files) and Flash movies (flv files)
No
Yes
Remote control of shared applications
No (planned for maintenance release in H2 CY 2007)
Yes
File-sharing tool
No
Yes
Meeting templates - collaborative, presentations, and training
No
Yes
Customizable layouts
No
Yes
Polling
No
Yes
Presenter-only area
No
Yes
Web links tool
No
Yes
Moderated Q&A
No
Yes
Move participants to an audio break-out sessions
No
Yes
Integrated voice and Web recording
No
Yes
Mute all
No
Yes
Modify meeting entry and exit announcements
No (available in Phone View)
Yes
Dial-out to video terminals (room-based and desktop)
Yes
Yes
Modify video layouts
No
Yes
Pause video image
Yes (outcome of mute)
Yes
Modify other participants' speaking ability
No
Yes
Invite participants by permission level
No
Yes
Web server clustering for large meetings
No
Yes
Automatic failover of Web conferences
No
Yes
Edge server for WAN bandwidth optimization
No
Yes
Adobe Flash-Based Web Conferencing and Cisco's Relationship with Adobe
Q. What is the relationship between Adobe and Cisco?
A. Adobe and Cisco have partnered together around the area of unified communications. Adobe has licensed Acrobat Connect Professional™, Adobe Connect Server Web conferencing technology, and Adobe Connect Edge Server to Cisco. Cisco will integrate and sell these products as a part of the Cisco portfolio of unified communications solutions.
Q. What Cisco products integrate Adobe Connect Pro?
A. Adobe Connect Pro is integrated into Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0 and Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express. Both solutions extend the Connect Pro capabilities by integrating unique Cisco capabilities that enable integrated voice and video conference management and integrated setup and attend capabilities from multiple interfaces. Both solutions are also integrated with other Cisco Unified Communications offerings, such as Cisco Unified Personal Communicator and Cisco Unified Communications Manager.
Q. What is the Adobe Flash Player, and how does it help make Cisco Unified MeetingPlace and Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express Web conferences more accessible?
A. The Adobe Flash Player is a high-performance, lightweight client that delivers powerful and consistent user experiences across major operating systems, browsers, mobile phones, and devices. The Flash Player is already installed on 98 percent of Internet-enabled desktops worldwide, and it is the only desktop application that users need to access Cisco Unified MeetingPlace and Cisco Unified MeetingPlace Express Web conferences.
Q. What is the minimum version of Adobe Flash Player required for Cisco Unified MeetingPlace 6.0?
A. The minimum required version of Flash Player is 6.0.79, but Flash Player 8 is recommended.
Q. What is the Cisco Presenter plug-in?
A. The Cisco Presenter plug-in is an enhanced Flash Player that is required for users to share applications or upload documents. The plug-in is included as part of the Cisco Unified Web Conferencing software.
Q. What types of operating systems are supported for application sharing and uploading presentations?
A. Users on Windows and Apple Macintosh operating systems can share applications and presentations. Users on Linux and Solaris operating systems can attend meetings and view but cannot share.
