dev@glassfish.java.net

WebEx + Other Conferencing Software

From: Ken Paulsen <Ken.Paulsen_at_Sun.COM>
Date: Wed, 27 May 2009 13:07:58 -0700

I've been in a few meetings lately that have attempted to use WebEx with limited success.  It has been said that it does not work with FF 3 (although I have heard reports that it does in some cases), and it does not support recording on the Mac.  Anyway... since WebEx is at the very best an expensive, flaky product... here are a couple alternatives that I've found:

Elluminate:  http://www.elluminate.com/

Offers a free "v-room" for up to 3 people.  There are a few Sun employees with accounts as well that have the ability to have more attendees.  This software starts via Java Web Start and seems to be very efficient and full featured (more features than any other solution, I think -- video, audio, recording, whiteboard, slides, desktop sharing, etc.).  It is the best solution I've seen and works well on all machine types I've seen (Ubuntu, Windows, Mac).

Web Huddle: https://www.webhuddle.com/

An Open Source solution where you can even host the server on your own network.  It was recommended by the Java Posse as a free web conferencing alternative.  It has most of the features (all the important ones) that other solutions have, including VOIP and recording.  It worked well on Ubuntu and Mac for desktop sharing, although it seemed slower than Elluminate.  It worked -- so it was much better than WebEx!

Your millage may vary, but I thought I'd suggest some of these alternatives to help save money and give more people (like me!) access to see what's going on. :)

Thanks,

Ken