My PC Is Your PC: Meeting Software Can Save the Day

The Problem

Thanks to flight delays between New York and Chicago's O'Hare (no big surprise there) I got home at some ungodly hour last night. First thing this morning I needed to be on the phone with two lovely but somewhat technologically challenged colleagues, teaching them how to maintain a web site/blog. Both live in different cities and need some gentle hand-holding.

Weighing the Possibilities

They could boot up their computers while simultaneously picking up their phones and try to follow along as I bellow "now click on this," but the thought of a three-way "Which menu did you say? Which page are you on?" conversation was overwhelming.

I needed to get a live virtual demonstration going, and fast. That way I could drive my PC as they looked on. Then I could relinquish control and watch them practice.

Setting Up a Virtual Meeting

There are quite a few virtual meeting solutions that do this sort of thing. Most function in a similar fashion. All parties involved in seeing the screen download a small piece of software from the web. They are sent an email invitation to join a demonstration and given a web address to click on. The designated meeting maker uses a slightly more robust version of the software, slating the time and emailing out the invitations. Most let you chat on screen as you're demonstrating, but hey…I just have them pick up the phone and talk.

The web site acts as a middleman. All parties are directed to a remote server where they can all view the same screen image. There are a number of web-based solutions that let you share what's on your screen with other people. They vary slightly. Some let you do video conferencing so you can share your faces as well as the screen, some have souped up highlighters, some can handle more participants, and some are better at running on mixed Mac/PC platforms. Some have what's often called "webinar" services where you can play to a crowd of thousands. Almost all of them have free trials; it's fairly standard that after the trial a small annual or per use fee is paid by the host of the session.

So Many Choices, so Little Time

I've used WebEx and Live Meeting as a participant. Both work well most of the time, but they seemed a bit too feature-rich. I had no time for a steep learning curve or much trial and error. I needed a simple solution to work right the first time.

I chose GoToMeeting. It's been around for a while and is powered by Citrix. The free trial didn't require a credit card or any personal information other than my name and email. The client download was over before I could start timing it. In a few minutes I had scheduled a conference and notified the folks via email. I could have invited up to 10 people to share the screen.

Big success for me; learning is so much less painful when you can see and hear. Now think of the possibilities for you. You can show your mom and dad how to do something on their PC without trying to describe it to them. You can present a sales pitch or concept to someone across the country while you're still in your pajamas. You can brainstorm with anyone from your web designer to your home designer by sharing the same document. You can even shop online or co-author documents together. A shared screen is a powerful thing.