Conferencing Features in Communications Server Clients

Two separate client applications—Communicator 2007 and the Live Meeting 2007 client—use features in Communications Server 2007, the central server technology in Microsoft’s unified communications strategy, to support real time, multiuser communication sessions. Communicator 2007 is the Communications Server client for instant messaging, presence, and VoIP. The Live Meeting 2007 client will be the main client for Communications Server Web conferences that involve the exchange of data, such as PowerPoint presentations. It is also the main client for Microsoft’s forthcoming Live Meeting 2007 Web conferencing service.

Both clients can use Communications Server’s audio and video technologies to support multiparty audio and video, with both clients displaying either an indicator of which participant is speaking or an image of the speaker if the session involves video. Both clients provide control features that let the leader or organizer of the session mute or eject participants and end sessions. Differentiating the Communicator 2007 client, however, is the ability to add standard telephone users to a multiparty conversation (this requires deployment of Communications Server’s VoIP features).