Support for this project is limited.  Students with issues can e-mail vtc@gmu.edu.

---

Web Conferencing - Macromedia Breeze

The Videoconferencing Office purchased a server and license for Macromedia Breeze (60 site license). The server was setup in the Server Support Group in August of 2005. Purchasing our own server now allows for unlimited conferences for up to 60 people at one time. The Macromedia license is a one time purchase. If demand grows, Macromedia Breeze Live license key is upgradeable to 200 concurrent users.

Web Conferencing is used to share content in real time over the internet like white boarding, desktop sharing and PowerPoint. For Macromedia Breeze Meeting, participants only need a computer with an internet browser running Macromedia Flash. Audio can be broadcast through the PC or handled by a telephone audio conference.

The Videoconferencing Office gets requests for web conferencing on almost a weekly basis. Typically, we point customers to purchase their own solution from service provider like WebEx or Microsoft Office Live Meeting. These solutions can cost about $0.35 cents per minute per participant.

Through web service providers like WebEx, a four person seat web conference for 1 hour would only cost $84. This also means that 1 web conference with 50 participants lasting two hours could cost as much as $2,100 ($0.35/min x 120 minutes x 50).

Macromedia Breeze Meeting only requires the Macromedia Flash plug-in, which is the most popular plug-in for internet browsers and is already installed on over 95% of all computers. Therefore, most users have no extra software to install to use Breeze. This makes Breeze a very attractive product from a support standpoint. Breeze fully supports Macs. The Breeze Live Server also allows for advanced features like text chat, recording, "hand raising" and voice over IP (limited ability).

Web Conferencing + Audio Conferencing can be used for:

1) Distance learning classes. Classes where the professor is at one spot and students are located at their homes, businesses or other universities.

2) Meetings for GMU faculty and staff. - Faculty and staff having meetings between campuses

3) To supplement videoconferences. On the GMU campus, videoconferencing supports Dual Video (H.239), which means that content and video can be sent at the same time between sites. For example, if site A and site B were in a videoconference, site A could see the people at site B and site B's PowerPoint presentation at the same time. However, legacy systems, which represent a majority of offsite videoconferences, do not support Dual Video. In these situations a web conference is run in parallel with a videoconference. The web conference shows the people, the web conference shows the content of the local PC.

Current Pilot Groups:

1) KIHD classes - For the Fall 2005/Spring 2006, KIHD videoconference classes are also using the Breeze server for web conferencing as a supplement to the videoconference. They are also using it as a backup to videoconferences. KIHD has also purchased Breeze Presenter.

2) MSBM 720 - This class is taught in Enterprise where 8 students attend the class in person, but another 3 attend over web conferencing. Previously this class was taught using WebEx at a cost of $2,000/month. For Fall 2005, this class is being taught using the Macromedia Breeze server owned by the Videoconferencing Office. Audio bridging is being provided by VITA.

Audio Conferencing with Breeze

The audio portion of a web conference can be handled two ways:

1) Separate telephone audio conference

or

2) By the built in Voice Over IP (VoIP) functionality of Breeze.

For a telephone audio conference, the web conference runs in parallel with the audio conference. For meetings between two people users can just place a standard phone call. For multiple participants, GMU users can pay for the audio conference services provided by the state through VITA. http://www.vita.virginia.gov/services/voiceServices/audioConf/audioBridging.cfm

Polycom conference phones can be used for audio in conference rooms. These are available for checkout from the Telecom Admin. Please see http://telecomadmin.gmu.edu/conference.htm for more details.

The Breeze server allows for some limited VoIP capability. This capability is best suited for broadcast situations. If it is to be used or more than a broadcast capability, all participants should have headsets with microphones attached to their PC or laptp.

Support of Breeze

Part of the goal of the pilot is determine support needs. The VNOC will be first tier support for Breeze. Because the software is web based and runs on Flash, support and end user training is expected to be minimal. Audio bridging and telephone support are not handled by the VNOC.

If you would like to participate in this pilot project please e-mail vtc@gmu.edu or call ext. 3-4517. Currently there is no cost to use the Breeze server as part of this pilot project. Cost will occur for audio-bridging.