Skype Journal: Print This

Skype Journal: Host Web Conferences during Skype Conference Calls - for free!!

January 5, 2006 05:00 AM

Just one click on this “Share” icon in a Skype Chat Window and all your Conference Call participants are invited to share an application or a presentation you deliver off your desktop —think PowerPoint, Spreadsheet, Word Document. Think instant Web Conferencing.

Just one click on this “Share” icon invites your Conference Call Participants to control your desktop —think remote help (delivering or receiving) or real time collaboration on any project … let your imagination fly.

For me, WebDialogs product Unyte will change how I respond to my daughter’s pleas for help from half way around the planet, “Dad, how can I…?” from a sad, “Tina, I wish I was there to show you.” to simply, “Tina, click the Share icon and I will show you how it’s done.” In this case Unyte brings my daughter Tina and I lot closer. And during my day job as a trainer for business process mapping Unyte brings me closer to paying clients at a much lower cost.

“Lite Web Conferencing” is my label for this new Skype product category.

I am not using “lite” in a disparaging fashion. Many software vendors use “lite” to try to differentiate what you get for “free” vs. what great functionality you could have if you paid them money. In my experience most Web Conferencing software is expensive and weighted down with non-contributing functionality. So it is “lite” vs. “kludge”; Porche vs. the Ford Edsel . Unyte passes the “Skype Toivo Test” for usability: soccer moms can make it work! I call this the "C-Level" test. Can anyone at the CEO, CFO, CTO use it? Skype is so polite to use soccer moms.

The tight integration that Unyte has with Skype through the Skype API is what really makes it shine.

On top of that it takes only 10 seconds to download and 15 seconds to install.

And Unyte passes my test: it makes my desktop more Skype centric.

The official joint Skype/WebDialogs press release for the Unyte product can be found here. As you will see it is Skype Certified!

Some key features:
• If you host the Skype/Unyte web conference, none of your participants need to download Unyte except you.
• You can currently join up to 5 people in a web conference (for now)
• No ports to forward (as with other desktop sharing apps)

Up until now my favorite desktop sharing application is TightVNC. It is not integrated to Skype, it takes a PhD to set up (Tina only has a Masters (grin) ) Unyte brings desktop sharing and lite web conferencing to the Skype masses. I like that. Maybe you will too.

You are the only person who can assess the value Unyte can make to your business. Download Unyte. Test drive it! Share your experiences with our readers!!!!!

It is so easy, install it, run it…

Click the Share Icon in the upper right hand corner of the Conference Chat Window.

A Unyte “Application Sharing” window will pop up with a list of all applications that are running on your desktop. Tick those you wish to share.

Click “Share Selected”.
Now watch the Skype Chat Message Window….
An invitation link will automatically be pasted in so you can send to all participants. Looks like this…

Your participant clicks on the link and 20 to 30 seconds later you are in a web conference.
Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: daughter tina, icon, skype, closer, desktop, help, web conferencing, real time collaboration, imagination fly, process mapping, planet dad, day job, word document, business process, spreadsheet, powerpoint, invites, conference call

TrackBack (1)

» Free Application Shareing within Skype from Martin's personal blog
Yes I like it, now, Skype Why? Because a long awaited cool service is here: Application Shareing. So I can work on same Document together with a friend that is far away from here. Or I can help him with configuration problems. I found the Information [Read More]

Tracked on July 1, 2006 2:27 PM

Comments (9)

Does "control" desktop mean that or does it just mean look at it (like Festoon's share desktop)?

Posted by: Wickham43 at January 5, 2006 5:36 AM

This is wonderful indeed. And just a hint of what is to come. All IM's will serve as clients for collaboration and business applications.

These applications don't have to worry about the client, voice, video stuff and just concentrate on their core application.

Good for them and good for Skype and YMGA.

Posted by: Rick at January 5, 2006 6:43 AM

Bill,

Not sure why you like this, i think it is not very good. I like www.persony.com even better.

Posted by: Hans Blaauw at January 5, 2006 1:39 PM

Very cool, extremely productive! Major incremental and simple tool to add into Skype.

Simple, Valuable and Functional

The three things all new applications are required to have to become keepers on my desktop.

Posted by: Rod Elder at January 5, 2006 2:17 PM

Great, simple, easy, ....
not reading Bills article before hand I just downloaded, followed the 'automatic install' tip and right clicked the icon in right bottom corner. From there it just went smoothly along inviting Bill to 'join' my desktop.
-
Remote control means that, with mouse and keys, on the shared applications.

Posted by: Torben at January 5, 2006 4:43 PM

I note there will be a charge when the product comes out of beta.

Any idea on how long that will be, which features will attract a charge to use and how much?

Posted by: Ray at January 6, 2006 1:23 AM

With Skype, Unyte and a single Video Projector connected to a remote laptop, you can make large group presentations from a remote location...this really is great software.

Posted by: John S. Richards at January 6, 2006 6:32 PM

I have probably done something wrong when i first evaluated the software.

I agree fully with the other people that have written a comment 'it is a very good product' and the people at WebDialogs are very helpfull.

Sometimes the first impression is not always the best :-)

For my business this is a very handy tool!

Posted by: Hans Blaauw at January 9, 2006 10:49 AM

I wish this software would be more like Logmein Rescue (https://secure.logmeinrescue.com/HelpDesk/Home.aspx)
and allow me to take control of a remote desktop
on demand, just sending a URL to the remote user.

Posted by: Alejandro at March 25, 2006 6:17 PM