Conferencing eases onto Internet

In their continuing search for ways to differentiate themselves from larger competitors, smaller Internet service providers are getting a weapon that doesn't require big capital expenses to launch.

Over the last few months, audio and videoconferencing capabilities have improved to the point that most users are within the reach of even the most cash-strapped ISPs.

"In the last six months, the technology finished cooking," said Brian Lichorowic, vice president of marketing for White Pine Software. "[The industry has] basically had enough time to get a stable enough technology to get the video experience out there."

White Pine was one of the first vendors to hit the market several years ago with its CU-SeeMe client software and MeetingPoint hosting solution, both of which allow videoconferencing over the Internet. More recently, the company announced that Networks On-Line, a subsidiary of Comtech Consolidation Group, would use MeetingPoint to deploy desktop videoconferencing services. White Pine also counts CompuServe, Time Warner and UUNet among its client base, although all still are testing the software.

NOL will use White Pine's software in several different applications, depending on the client's needs, said Rick Behlman, president of NOL.

In one of the first deployments, the company is using ClassPoint to link top-level teachers in one school with students in 22 different locations. Unlike distance learning applications, though, NOL is looking more at tutoring situations.

"That application is all really one-to-one, and they don't need the big room-based systems," said Behlman.

In fact, NOL is getting into the videoconferencing market as a way to differentiate itself from the big ISPs and, just as important, as a way to expand its market beyond Net heads. "Most of the people we have that are interested in the product aren't Internet people. They have a mission to accomplish like teachers. They just want to click a mouse and go," Behlman said.

For its dial-up customers, the company will offer two levels of service:

* Virtual meeting rooms that can be rented by anyone with a camera and client software for $5 an hour per person.

* Six-seat permanent virtual meeting rooms that are controlled and administered by users for $1000 a month.

Customized meeting rooms such as those done for educational users run about $350 per seat for installation and administration, said Behlman.

To participate in meetings, customers can use any H.323 client such as CU-SeeMe, Intel Proshare or Microsoft NetMeeting. NOL will provide administration and support. In addition, the company will resell White Pine's MeetingPoint and ClassPoint products to Internet site administrators that want to host conference servers on their own networks.

"We view this as a great add-on to our network business," said Behlman. "And we've also been looking for ways to differentiate ourselves."

OnLive Inc. is offering similar services, though without the video elements. Under the Sunnyvale, Calif., company's model, business users participate in audio conferences and share documents over Internet protocol-based networks including the Internet.

Using two servers-one for text conferencing and the other audio-the company envisions on-line conferences in which large groups of people can break off into separate meetings and reconvene at specific times.

"The advantage with us vs. a regular audio conference is that you can hear two audio streams and it's much more natural," said Bryan Kerr, vice president of marketing and sales for OnLive.

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