Maybe your not ready to commit to any type of web conferencing until you've had a chance to play around a bit with something. How about trying Elluminate's free "V-Room"?

Here's what you'll get...

• Up to three people at a time can use your V-Room
• Two-way audio
• Interactive whiteboard
• Direct messaging
• Application sharing
• File transfer
• Synchronized web tour
• Live webcam
• Breakout rooms (though you'll be lonely with only three people going off to their own breakout rooms (grin).
• And all the features described above for Elluminate Lite.

Here's what you can do...

• Meet one-on-one
• Meet online with up to three people at a time
• Support your 3-person team with live interaction that doesn't require travel (you can each be at home, in an Internet cafe, library, or anywhere with Internet access).
• If you're a teacher you can hold virtual office hours from home or anywhere making it easier to work with your students.
• You can work with other people anywhere in the world.
• If you need more seats for larger sessions its easy to get Elluminate to add them (but it may cost, depending on your project).

What kind of computer set up will this work on? You'll need at least...

• 20 MB empty disk space
• A sound card with speakers & microphone (or headset with noise canceling microphone boom)
• Minimum 28.8 kbps Internet connection

That's it. It doesn't matter if you're running a Mac, Windows, Linux or Solaris machine. Your V-Room will allow you to work with anybody, from anywhere, at anytime (provided they don't mind staying up late if there too many time zones away from you).

Visit http://www.elluminate.com/vroom/ to get your own V-Room now. It's free, so tell your friends to try it too.

Copyright © 1997-2009 by Gail Terry Grimes and Claude Whitmyer. All rights reserved. Published by The University of the Future, LLC.