Web Conferencing with Mikogo

by Bruce Preston

For several months the DACS MS Access SIG and ASP .NET SIG have been conducting virtual meetings using a free internet webinar product available from www.mikogo.com This means that SIG members may participate from their own home or office rather than need to physically meet at a common location.

Mikogo has the following features:

• cross platform—supports Windows and to a slightly lesser extent Mac
• desktop sharing
• multiple meeting participants
• switch presenter
• remote keyboard and mouse control
• session recording and playback
• whiteboard
• file transfer
• application selection
• participant pointer

To use it, the SIG leader must create a free account (free for private or commercial use, but restricted to 10 participants for a session.) Registration requirements are minimal, essentially you need to provide an e-mail address. Once an account is created the SIG leader downloads and installs the Mikogo software. This software does not need to be running at all times, only when conducting a session.

To conduct a session, the SIG leader launches Mikogo. It will put a small icon in the system tray (by the clock.) The SIG leader clicks this and selects “Start Session” from the roll-up menu. In a few seconds a session will start and be assigned a nine-digit identification number. The SIG leader may then give this session id number to participants by sending an e-mail invitation, or by voice. Upon starting a session it will remain live for 15 minutes unless it is joined by a participant. Once it is joined it will stay live until all participants leave or the session originator terminates it.

Participants have a choice—they may go to www.mikogo.com and click “Join a Session”. They provide the session ID, accept a very small download (RUN rather than SAVE) and within a few seconds they see the presenter’s screen.

Alternatively, participants may download the software and install it. In that case, they need not revisit the Mikogo site, instead they launch Mikogo, click the icon in the system tray, and select Join a Session. I recommend this mode.

Upon joining a session, participants provide their name solely for identification purposes. This allows the presenter to see who is connected and allows for the use of other features. If a participant clicks on the screen it will temporarily place an arrow on the broadcast screen (this is known as the participant pointer) and is useful when asking a question or making a comment. The arrow shows the screen name of the clicker.

Any participant may become the presenter if they accept the request by the current presenter. The current presenter may grant keyboard and mouse access to his/her machine.

The whiteboard feature provides a palette of tools (rectangle, circle, free-hand pencil, highlighter etc.) and colors such that the present may mark up the screen.

Mikogo also offers a teleconference capability, but requires a long-distance toll call by each participant. If participants have unlimited calling this is fine, but otherwise there would be a cost. For this reason the DACS MS Access SIG makes use of Skype’s conference calling capabilities. We have not observed degradation in screen sharing or Skype audio quality when running Mikogo and Skype simultaneously.