A Question on Browser Sharing Solutions

[esc]

Hi,

I want to improve my customer-service and have decided to use VoIP conferencing to assist and train some of my clients in using web applications which I’ve set up for them. While VoIP is no problem at all (I use Skype and am very satisfied with it), I have no idea how to setup application-sharing. I think I’ve read that one can do this with Windows XP Pro. I would need a shared browser window which both of us (my remote client and me) can control while discussing the application over Skype. Probably a third remote person should be able to join this setup from a third location too. All participants will be on broadband internet access but probably behind NATing firewalls.

Has anybody used something like this and can recommend a setup? MS NetMeeting is not an option as it can not handle NAT.

Erich

[esc]

After Googling around for quite some time and getting more and more shocked by the costs of some of those collaboration tools I've found (e.g. US$ 0.43 per minute and person -> US$ 77.40 for a 1 hour 3 person conference), I’ve finally discovered a browser plug-in from Advanced Reality Inc. called JYBE (Join Your Browser with Everyone) (http://www.jybe.com).

The software is no OpenSource project but free anyway which is a little suspect, as they claim in their FAQ that it’s no Spy-Ware and no User-Tracking software. On the other hand it’s still beta now and perhaps in some sort of public testing phase. I think I’ve seen some indications that Advanced Reality Inc. will make their money with a pro version which is placed in the gap between free and $$$-collaboration tools like WebEx and MS Live Meeting and Macromedia Breez.

Here are some links and discussions I’ve found about JYBE meanwhile and which I want to share with you:

http://share.skype.com/directory/jybe/view/
http://distlib.blogs.com/distlib/2005/04/thoughts_on_jyb.html
http://distlib.blogs.com/distlib/2005/04/even_more_on_jy.html
http://www.tametheweb.com/ttwblog/archives/001266.html
http://librarianinblack.typepad.com/librarianinblack/2005/04/jybe_demo.html
http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/index.php?p=208
http://meredith.wolfwater.com/wordpress/index.php/index.php?p=210

Erich

[Robert]

I've personally just used solutions like Vonage for internet telephone services. This lets me call anyone with a regular phone number, and it does not require any special tools/services on the other end.


Besides... for $24.95 a month, I can't complain for unlimited local/long distance calling. For $5 bucks more a month, ya can have a 1-800 number and 100 incomming minutes as well.

But the above links look interesting. Definately something to poke around a bit. :)