Share drawings worldwide with eBeam

The whiteboard is the centerpiece of training and brainstorming sessions in corporate offices everywhere. Solutions such as Microsoft NetMeeting allow multiple PC users to share virtual whiteboards via the Internet. But how can users share the scribbling on a real whiteboard with employees, customers, or business partners in remote locations?

Electronics for Imaging provides one such solution: eBeam Moderator 2.0. The hardware/software package captures notes and drawings from a standard whiteboard (with dimensions ranging from 2 feet by 2 feet to 8 feet by 5 feet) into your computer. This drawing surface can then be shared immediately with others via the Internet or a private LAN, or saved for later distribution.

Version 2.0 adds a few important features: audio capture for saved sessions and multiplatform support. The latter feature is particularly important for the home and education markets where a disproportionate number of users have Macintosh computers. Access to multiple platforms is provided through a Java applet that requires Microsoft Internet Explorer. Audio for interactive sessions has been announced for the next version, eBeam Presenter, but is not yet available.

What makes eBeam unique is the capture hardware. Microsoft’s NetMeeting provides a whiteboard applet for shared drawings, but some users find drawing with a mouse to be stilted and restrictive and complain that it destroys the flow and energy of a live presentation. To address this issue, the eBeam Moderator uses standard dry-erase pens loaded into penholders that contain small lithium batteries and circuitry for pen recognition — providing a feel that is virtually identical to writing on a chalkboard.

In addition, the rest of eBeam’s hardware is easy to set up with clear pictorial directions. Two sensor pods are attached to the top left and right corners of the whiteboard. Two cable connections, keyed with different-size jacks, attach to a serial port. Plug in the cables and the setup is complete. Only a miscue in the software installation marred an otherwise perfect execution when we attempted the setup.

Once up and running, we were able to immediately capture sessions, and we required only minor reference to the documentation to share a meeting.

Our testing included meetings hosted locally and on Electronics for Imaging’s eBeam Internet server, with both PC and Macintosh clients. We evaluated network traffic and tested saved sessions. In all cases, eBeam performed admirably. Live sessions displayed rapid updates hosted from the Internet eBeam server or locally, and users joining a session were able to interact with the screen if granted permission by the moderator.

With eBeam Moderator, you can enable realtime or saved whiteboard meetings and sessions without requiring recipients to install yet another software application. We would recommend this product for any business with a dispersed work force or clients and a need for remote training or free-form collaboration. We further recommend eBeam for remote or dispersed instruction when a live video feed may not be practical. In short, eBeam will be useful in any situation that calls for a traditional whiteboard meeting with people who are 5 miles or 5,000 miles away.

Source: www.infoworld.com