FAQs & System Specs

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FAQs & Info

1-1
Q. To participate in a conference, do I have to install software first?

A. No prior installation is necessary. Simply access the conference URL included in the conference notice, which automatically downloads the necessary components. The download size is about 500 KB, which takes about one minute using an ISDN connection. The components are only downloaded the first time you participate in a MeetingPlaza conference. (If an update becomes available, the new components will be automatically downloaded.)

1-2
Q. Can I use MeetingPlaza from overseas?

A. Yes. MeetingPlaza is a Web-based service that can be used from any Internet connection. The client screen and Help files are displayed in Japanese on Japanese Windows systems, but are displayed in English on all other Windows systems. The conference notice can be sent in English or Japanese, based on user preferences.

1-3
Q. What sort of customer support do I have access to?

A. Go to http://www.meetingplaza.com/ for information about customer support. Phone support is available from Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to Noon and 1:00 to 5:00 pm, except for holidays. E-mail support is available on a round-the-clock basis. (E-mail inquiries will be responded to as quickly as possible, but may be delayed in some instances)

1-4
Q. Are there any contractual issues with using MeetingPlaza for conferencing with outside companies, as opposed to conferencing within our company?

A. There are no contractual issues with using MeetingPlaza for conferencing with outside companies. Any individual can participate in a conference, but each individual is subject to the Terms and Conditions.

1-5
Q. How is the MeetingPlaza server connected to the Internet?

A. The MeetingPlaza server is connected to the Internet by means of a high speed line provided by NTT SmartConnect Corporation. For more information, visit the Data Center & Partners links on the NTT SmartConnect Web site.

2-1
Q. I want to evaluate the service. How do I register for the trial conference room?

A. Click here to register for the free trial conference room.

2-2
Q. How long can I use the free trial conference room? What features are enabled?

A. The free trial conference room can be used for a period of ninety days from the date of registration.
The free trial conference room includes almost all of the features found in the subscriber version, including document sharing and video, voice, and text chat conferencing. The subscriber version includes communication controls for participants with special privileges, and conference room management tools for making reservations, sending E-mail notices, and mailing list management.

2-3
Q. Our business would like to evaluate the service. Can we register multiple participants for the trial conference room?

A. Yes. In order to evaluate our service, we recommend that you separately register multiple individuals, who will be issued separate user IDs and passwords. (Multiple users cannot log in using the same user ID.) By logging in to the trial conference room at the same time, each employee will be able to evaluate the voice, video, and text chat features of the MeetingPlaza service.

2-4
Q. How many participants (locations) can log into one trial conference room?

A. The number of participants is limited to 32.

2-5
Q. I registered for the trial conference room and received a trial account by E-mail. When I try to access the URL for the trial conference room, I get a CGI error when the MeetingPlaza program starts up.
(Or)
I received a conference notice, but I get a CGI error message when I access the conference URL.

A. The error message you are getting indicates that the URL used to access the conference room is incomplete. The URL used to access the conference room is quite long, and may be cut off by some E-mail programs. The URL should start with "http://asp1.meetingplaza.com" and end with "PASS=xxxx" or "LOGINDLG=FALSE". If you run into this problem, cut and paste the URL directly from the E-mail notice to your Web browser.

2-6
Q. When I try to access the URL I received, I get the following message from my Web browser: "Your current security settings prohibit running of ActiveX controls on this page." The Web browser won't proceed any further.

A. This message indicates that your settings are preventing the Web browser from running the ActiveX controls. If you are using Internet Explorer, open Tools/Internet Options/Security and set the security level to Medium or lower.

2-7
Q. Is it possible to gain exclusive access to the trial conference room during the trial period?

A. No. The trial conference room makes use of the public conference room, so that other individuals who have registered for the trial service are free to enter the trial conference room at any time. By becoming a subscriber, you can have access to your own conference room.

3-1.
Q. What are the different MeetingPlaza connection methods?

A. Click here for more information about the different connection methods.

3-2
Q. What port numbers does MeetingPlaza use?

A. Click here for the port numbers used by MeetingPlaza.

3-3.
Q. Which connection method gives the best quality?

A. The following is a list of connection methods in order of quality.

1. Direct connection (direct Internet connection)
2. Direct connection (NAT or IP masquerading)
3. Connection through MeetingPlaza dedicated proxy
4. Direct HTTP tunneling
5. HTTP tunneling through HTTP proxy

3-4.
Q. What do the different colors used for the connection status represent?

A. The following colors indicate the transmission quality of the connection.

Green: Good quality
Yellow: Usable quality
Orange: Barely usable quality
Red: Unusable quality

If the transmission quality starts to deteriorate, the audio transmission takes priority. When the transmission status is yellow (usable quality), the video frame rate for sending and receiving is cut in half in order to prioritize the audio transmission. When the transmission status is orange (barely usable quality) or red (unusable quality), the video transmission is temporarily suspended for sending and receiving.

3-5
Q. I can't connect to the MeetingPlaza server

A. If you are connecting to the MeetingPlaza server through a proxy, confirm that the "Follow setting for Web browser" check box has not been selected under Settings/Communication/Proxy. This setting can prevent a connection from being established. The setting should be changed to "HTTP Tunneling."

3-6
Q. The proxy is set to "HTTP Tunneling" under Settings/Communication/Proxy, but I still can't connect to the MeetingPlaza server.

A. Data transmission cannot be established if you are using a proxy server that provides full buffering of POST requests. This is caused by the proxy server's attempt to buffer the voice, video, and other data, which prevents two-way transmission from being established. We are currently looking into ways of resolving this problem.

3-7
Q. The audio cuts in and out.

A. Your network may be busy. To alleviate this problem, try reducing the rate of video transmission using one or more of the following methods.

(1) Select a lower frame rate.
(2) Under Settings/Communication/Video, select a setting with a lower quality.
(3) Try several different settings under Settings/Communication/Video.

3-8
Q. The connection status jumps in and out of the connection.

A. This situation occurs when the network status is very unstable. It is particularly common when HTTP tunneling through an HTTP proxy is used to establish a connection from an Intranet, and the network between the Intranet and Internet is busy. If you continue to experience problems, we recommend that you use a faster Internet connection, or switch to a dedicated dial-up or ADSL connection.

3-9
Q. How does MeetingPlaza determine the connection method?

A. The following default sequence is used to determine the connection method to the MeetingPlaza server.

(1) The default connection method under Settings/Communication/Proxy is "Follow setting for Web browser."

The program looks for the following registry keys:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Internet Settings ProxyEnable
HKEY_CURRENT_USER/Software/Microsoft/Windows/CurrentVersion/Internet Settings ProxyServer

If the above registry keys are found, the connection is made through the HTTP proxy indicated by the registry keys. If the above registry keys are not found, a direct connection is made.

(2) If the connection method has been changed from the default setting, the connection method chosen by the user is used.

3-10
Q. Is MeetingPlaza compatible with the NTT Flet's ISDN and ADSL services?

A. Yes. Click here for information about connecting to the MeetingPlaza server.

3-11
Q. How much data is sent from one location under each network setting? Also, how much bandwidth is reserved for the audio? (If the bandwidth is determined by the network settings, what is the bandwidth for each setting?)

A. The audio bandwidth is fixed at approximately 16 Kbps, regardless of the network speed. The amount of data sent from a single location varies according to the video data, which is in turn determined by the frame rate and video quality.

3-12
Q. What protocol does MeetingPlaza use?

A. Audio encoding conforms to the international GSM 6.10 standard, which is also employed as the audio encoding method for cellular phones in Europe and North America. Video encoding is implemented through a proprietary method that utilizes discrete cosine transformation (DCT) and variable-length encoding. In simple terms, the video encoding method is a somewhat simplified JPEG format.

3-13
Q. Is there any data encryption between the client and server?

A. Data encryption is not used between the client and server.

3-14
Q. What happens when different clients use lines with different bandwidths?

A. The server adjusts the data to match the bandwidth of each client, with the transmission of audio data having priority over video data.

3-15
Q. If our LAN has an Internet connection, can all the PCs on the LAN use MeetingPlaza?

A. Yes, as long as your LAN supports IP address conversion through Network Address Translation (NAT). By using HTTP tunneling or a dedicated proxy, there is no need to open a dedicated port on your router.

4-1
Q. How can I test my PC to see if I can connect to a conference?

A. The conference notice you received includes a conference URL that can be used to log in to the trial conference room. This URL can be used any time before your conference starts, in order to verify that your PC can connect to a conference. You can also visit www.meeingplaza.com to request a URL for the trial conference room.

4-2
Q. Can a conference be extended? Is the conference subject to forced termination when the scheduled time is up?

A. The system does not implement forced termination of a conference. When a conference continues for more than one hour past the scheduled time, users are prevented from newly logging into the conference past that point.

4-3
Q. Can I change or cancel a conference reservation?

A. You can change or cancel a conference up to 30 minutes before the conference is scheduled to start. The hours of use are calculated according to the actual hours taken up by the conference. If there are no participants for a reserved conference, the hours of use will be zero and no time is incurred.

4-4
Q. When can I log in to a conference?

A. Users can log in to a conference starting from 30 minutes before the scheduled conference time.

4-5
Q. Can I hold an emergency conference?

A. Yes. From the conference reservation page, select "In 0 minutes" for the start time.

4-6
Q. The maximum conference length is six hours. Can I extend a conference beyond six hours?

A. A conference can be extended by up to one hour, without any limitations. After one hour, new logins are not allowed, but the conference continues without being cut off. There are no special steps that need to be taken in order to extend a conference.

Users should note that the hours of use are measured starting from when the first user logs in until the last user logs out. If all users will be exiting a conference for an extended period of time before rejoining the conference later on, we recommend that you register two separate conferences, typically for morning and afternoon sessions.

Note: If you are using MeetingPlaza as a system integration (SI) product, the maximum conference time can be changed as desired

4-7
Q. I get an error message when I make a conference reservation and try to send notices from the mailing list.

A. Some mail servers are configured to give an error message when you send E-mail from a mailing list. Please contact your network or mail system administrator for more information.

4-8
Q. Describe the special privileges (communication controls) available to the conference organizer.

A. The conference organizer has the ability to implement the following features.

(1) Ban a participant from the conference room: This feature is accessed from the User List dialog box.
(2)Select the communication mode: Under meeting mode, all participants are allowed to talk. Under lecture mode, the audio transmission from specified participants can be shut off.
(3)Change the screen size during document sharing: Any changes to the screen size are automatically updated on all terminals.

5-1
Q. Can multiple users talk all at once?

A. Up to two individuals can speak at any time. The two audio streams are mixed together and transmitted to other users as a single audio stream. There is no priority given to select individuals. The audio is transmitted according to whoever speaks first.

5-2
Q. Can a conference have more than 32 participants?

A. The maximum number of participants for the conference is determined by the service plan. If you choose the Super 5 Plus or Super 20 Plus service plans, you can designate the maximum number of participants, up to a maximum of 32 participants. The system integration (SI) version of MeetingPlaza is capable of handling remote lectures involving several hundred participants, as well as remote lectures using a panel discussion format. Contact isg@meetingplaza.com for more information.

5-3
Q. We have ten connection points that all use an ADSL connection, except for a lone 64K ISDN connection. In this setup, the lone ISDN connection will receive the same nine video feeds and two audio feeds received by the other ADSL connections. If the network is configured to adjust the speed for each connection point, what kind of quality can I expect for the ISDN connection?

A. The video frame rate for the ISDN connection will be less than the frame rate for the ADSL connection points. In terms of the audio stream, the server side is configured to mix up to two audio signals to be transmitted as one audio stream. Therefore, the client will only receive a data stream equivalent to one person.

6-1
Q. For a conference using ISDN connections, is there a difference in quality between a two-user conference and a ten-user conference? At what number of users should we consider stepping up to an ADSL service or the NTT B Flet's service?

A. The number of participants will affect the video frame rate. Your choice of network service depends on your requirements in terms of the frame rate, image quality, and image size. An additional factor is the amount of network traffic at any connection point, above and beyond any traffic generated by the MeetingPlaza client. The customer should also evaluate whether the average traffic level is high or low, or if the traffic increases in bursts. Setup fees, monthly usage fees, and other costs should also be considered.

All of the above issues are dependent on the customer's unique situation, and should be evaluated by the customer before reaching a decision. NTT-IT is unable to provide blanket criteria for recommending one connection service over another.

6-2
Q. Is MeetingPlaza designed for corporate Intranet's that typically feature a PC/Intranet/Proxy server/Firewall (router)/Internet configuration? If so, what protocol do you use?

A. Corporate Intranet's are supported by the MeetingPlaza service. MeetingPlaza was designed for use in a wide range of network environments including corporate Intranet's In order to connect to the typical corporate Intranet (LocalNet) environment you describe, MeetingPlaza utilizes tunneling through an existing HTTP proxy. However, some HTTP proxies are not supported using this method.

MeetingPlaza uses an HTTP tunneling method that is presently proprietary in nature. Customers should be aware that the HTTP tunneling method employed by the MeetingPlaza service does not support HTTP proxies that fully buffer POST requests. Since audio and video data is uploaded to the server by encapsulating the data within an HTTP POST request, an unsupported HTTP proxy will buffer the audio/video data and thus prevent two-way transmission from being established. However, MeetingPlaza is designed to withstand a reasonable level of buffering on supported HTTP proxies.

6-3
Q. Exactly how does MeetingPlaza offer better connectivity through HTTP tunneling and dedicated proxies?

A. Other conferencing products typically require a terminal with a direct Internet connection. MeetingPlaza delivers improved connectivity by offering more connectivity options, such as connectivity through corporate LAN's, which is possible through the use of HTTP tunneling and dedicated proxies.

6-4
Q. How do I connect through an HTTP proxy?

A. Click here for details about connecting through an HTTP proxy.

6-5
Q. I can't connect to the MeetingPlaza server from my corporate network (Intranet).

A. Some networks limit how much HTML data can be downloaded, which is determined by the HTTP proxy for your network. This may be the source of your problem. Please verify the settings for your network with your network administrator. Then go to Settings/Communication/Proxy and set the maximum download size according to the settings for your network.

6-6
Q. Which HTTP proxies are compatible with MeetingPlaza? Which ones are incompatible?

A. Based on our internal testing and reports from our customers, the following HTTP proxies and firewall's have successfully been used with MeetingPlaza.

Squid (most frequently used in the world)
NetCache CERN HTTP Server (in proxy mode)

To the best of our knowledge, the majority of our customer's networks use Squid. The following HTTP proxies are reported to be incompatible with MeetingPlaza.

DeleGate
Netscape Proxy
Microsoft Proxy

If your machine uses one of the above HTTP proxies, the process of installing Squid over a separate port may allow you to use MeetingPlaza. Click here to learn more about Squid. Click here to learn about Squid for Windows NT.

6-7
Q. What precautions should I take when installing the MeetingPlaza dedicated proxy?

A. Installation of the MeetingPlaza dedicated proxy requires that you open the following ports on your firewall or router.

External Ports on Dedicated Proxy (Internet Side)

Ensure that the following ports on the dedicated proxy are open to the Internet:
TCP: 15101 15201 15301 15801
UDP: 16101 16201 16301 16401 16601 16701 16801

Internal Ports on Dedicated Proxy (LAN Side)

Ensure that the following ports on the dedicated proxy are open to the LAN client:

TCP: 15901
UDP: 16901

The MeetingPlaza dedicated proxy supports the following operating systems and versions:

Windows NT 4.0, Solaris 2.4/2.5/2.6 for Sparc, RedHat Linux 6.2/7.0

7-1
Q. What audio devices are supported?

A. We recommend installing a Sound Blaster-compatible audio device on your PC. Most current products are Sound Blaster-compatible, so device support should not be a problem.

7-2
Q. What headsets do you recommend?

A. Your local PC retailer will stock a variety of headsets that can be used. NTT-IT has tested products from several manufacturers and did not find a great difference in performance between various headsets. We recommend that you try on the headset to make sure that it is comfortable when worn. Most headsets cost around 1,000 yen.

7-3
Q. How much audio delay can I expect?

A. With a good connection, the audio delay generally is about 500 milliseconds. The audio delay in a LAN environment has been measured at about 350 milliseconds. The actual delay will also factor in the Internet delay, which can be measured by pinging the MeetingPlaza server (mp1.meetingplaza.com). This is done by starting an MS-DOS Prompt window and typing "ping meetingplaza.com" to produce the Internet delay for your client. By adding this value to the 350 millisecond delay for LAN environments, you will gain an approximate idea of the audio delay you can expect from your PC.

7-4
Q. I'm not sure if my audio stream is audible to others. Is there a way to check this?

A. When the server is receiving your audio stream, the border around your self-image will be pink. You can also use the loopback feature to monitor your own voice.
Click here for more information about the loopback feature.

7-5
Q. I'm having trouble settling on a microphone level. Can this be adjusted on the server side?

A. Under normal circumstances, you should only have to set your microphone level once. The setting will be saved for future sessions.

Since audio devices vary widely in terms of specifications, our servers do not provide a feature for microphone level matching. You may find it useful to use the loopback feature to monitor your own voice level.

Click here for more information about the loopback feature.

7-6
Q. With the Auto Voice Switch setting activated, the audio becomes muted after 30 minutes of sending a continuous audio stream. Why does this happen?

A. The Auto Voice Switch setting is designed to automatically mute the audio transmission stream after a predetermined amount of time.

7-7
Q. Which setting should I use, Auto Voice Switch (AVS) or Push to Talk (PPT)?

A.With the Auto Voice Switch setting activated, the PC on the receiving side may hear a delay when you talk continuously. This delay is cause by fluctuation in the audio packets, and is less likely to occur when you use the Push to Talk setting, where manual toggling of the voice stream using the Ctrl key helps to limit any fluctuations that might occur. We recommend using the Push to Talk setting for most situations. Additionally, the Auto Voice Switch setting may not work at all times due to the ambient noise or noise from your PC. This is another reason why we recommend using the Push to Talk setting.

7-8
Q. What precautions should I take when using the Auto Voice Switch (AVS) setting?

A.
(1) You must manually switch to the Auto Voice Switch setting every time you log in.
(2) A microphone that is particularly sensitive or tends to pick up ambient noise will send a continuous audio stream. (The use of a headset will cut down on ambient noise and reduce the likelihood of sending a continuous audio stream.)
(3) If two participants send a continuous audio stream, all other participants will not be able to speak.
(4) When a continuous audio stream continues for one or two minutes under the Auto Voice Switch setting, the audio stream will automatically be muted (cut off). To continue speaking, you must manually clear the Mute check box.

7-9
Q. The audio output level is too quiet.

A. Some microphones or audio devices, used alone or in combination with other devices, may not produce a sufficient audio output level, even at their maximum settings. We recommend trying a different microphone.

7-10
Q. The audio output is noisy.

A. Different microphones will produce different levels of noise, and will vary widely in sound quality. We recommend the use of a headset to reduce noise.

7-11
Q. The audio stream breaks up when I send a shared document. I can't make out what is being said.

A. Document sharing utilizes HTTP transmission, which can affect the priority of the audio stream.

You may find that the audio stream breaks up when a shared document is sent over a low speed connection, but is almost unaffected when sending documents over an ISDN connection. This variation is a reflection of how well the transmission control algorithm for the TCP layer is executed. If you experience a break up in the audio stream, we recommend waiting until the document sharing is completed before speaking.

7-12
Q. When I hold down the Shift key, an icon is displayed in the task bar. What is this for?

This occurs when the following accessibility options are used in Windows, and also applies when using MeetingPlaza.

Accessibility Options

Go to Start/Settings/Control Panels and click Accessibility Options. In the Accessibility Options window, click Accessibility Options to display the Accessibility Options dialog box.

a. Click the Settings button under StickyKeys to display the Settings for StickyKeys dialog box. If the "Use shortcut" check box is selected under StickyKeys, the StickyKeys icon is displayed in the task bar when the Shift key is pressed five times.

*In Windows XP, the StickyKeys icon is displayed in the task bar even if the "Show StickyKeys status on screen" check box is not selected.
*In Windows NT, the StickyKeys icon is not displayed in the task bar, as there is no "Show StickyKeys status on screen" check box.

b. Click the Settings button under FilterKeys to display the Settings for FilterKeys dialog box. If the "User shortcut" check box is selected in the Keyboard shortcut area, and the "Show FilterKey status on screen" check box is selected in the Notification area, the FilterKeys icon is displayed in the task bar when the Right Shift key is held down for eight seconds.

*In Windows XP, the FilterKeys icon is displayed in the task bar even if the "Show FilterKey status on screen" check box is not selected.
*In Windows NT, the FilterKeys icon is not displayed in the task bar, as there is no "Show FilterKey status on screen" check box.

8-1
Q. I had to restart the computer because of a problem. Now my Web camera won't work.

A. Some Web cameras require that the PC be shut down completely before being started again, rather than being restarted. From the Shut Down Windows dialog box, select the Shut down check box , then restart your computer after the shut down is completed.

8-2
Q. My Web camera is connected, but I only get a solid black image.

A. Open the video capture software that came with your Web camera and set the video image size to 160x120 or 176x144. The video capture format should also be set to RGB16 or RGB24.

8-3
Q. When I switched to a different USB Web camera, the self-image wouldn't display in MeetingPlaza, although it works under Windows Image Acquisition.

A. The drivers for your old USB Web camera probably need to be deleted. From Control Panels, click Multimedia to display the Multimedia Properties dialog box. Click the Devices tab and expand the Video Capture Devices tab to delete any unnecessary drivers.

8-4
Q.Do I need a Web camera and video capturing to use MeetingPlaza?

A. You can use MeetingPlaza with your existing setup, without a Web camera and video capturing. You will only be able to receive images of other participants, and cannot send your own image. If you wish to fully experience the conference proceedings, we recommend using a Web camera and video capturing.

8-5
Q. What does the frame rate setting do?

A. The video data is made up of a continuous stream of images. The frame rate represents the number of images sent per second. The receiving frame rate indicates the overall frame rate for video received from all conference users. If the receiving frame rate is set to 12 frames per second (fps), and there are four other participants, the effective frame rate per user is 3 fps.

8-6
Q. What monitor color setting do you recommend?

A. Your system should be set to High Color (16 bit).

8-7
Q. What is the video transmission protocol?

A. MeetingPlaza uses a proprietary protocol that combines a pyramid encoding algorithm with DCT encoding. Compared with existing standards, the proprietary protocol most closely resembles the Motion JPEG standard.

8-9
Q. We don't have any plans to use Web cameras. Is it possible to hold a conference using just document sharing and voice conferencing?

A. Yes. Document sharing and voice conferencing are more than sufficient to hold a conference. It may be helpful for each participant to prepare a still image to be used in place of the video image.

9-1
Q. What kind of files can I share?

A. You can share any file that can be opened in Internet Explorer, as well as MS PowerPoint files. To share PowerPoint files, you must have MS PowerPoint software installed on your computer.

9-2
Q. When I click on a link, is the new page shared with other users?

A. Document sharing is a universal name for Web sharing, local file sharing, and PowerPoint file sharing. With most Web pages, clicking on a link updates the Web page shown on other user screens. However, some Web pages do not allow full tracking because of the way they are written. This is particularly true of Web pages that employ IFRAME tags. The display of banner ads will also frequently differ from user to user. We are currently considering changes that would ensure full synchronization of Web pages.

9-3
Q. When I share a file, it takes a long time to send the file. Is there a better way of sharing the file?

A. We recommend that you use the following steps to speed up document sharing.

- Compress the file as an LHA or ZIP archive. When doing this, you must ensure that the time stamp and file size are preserved when the file is decompressed.
- Send the compressed file beforehand by E-mail.
- After decompressing the file, copy the file to one of the following file sharing cache folders:

a. For Windows® 95, Windows® 98, Windows® ME and Windows® XP: C:/Windows/MeetingPlaza2D/Share
b. For Windows® NT 4.0, Windows® 2000: C:/Winnt/MeetingPlaza2D/Share

MeetingPlaza document sharing utilizes file caching for sent files. If the file sharing cache folder ("Share" folder) already contains a file with the same file name, file size, and time stamp, the file is not downloaded and the cached file is used instead. By placing the shared file in the file sharing cache folder, file sharing can be implemented without having to download the file during the course of the conference.

Note: You cannot share a file located in the file sharing cache folder.

9-4
Q. Do I need to start up the application beforehand when I want to share a file?

A. No. The application will automatically start up when you share it.

9-5
Q. Can I modify the contents of a shared file?

A. No. A shared file cannot be modified or edited.

9-6
Q. Are shared files automatically downloaded to each client machine?

A. Yes. Shared files are automatically distributed to each client machine, so that any user can share a local file with other users.

9-7
Q. What document formats can I share? Only Web pages and PowerPoint files are mentioned in conjunction with document sharing. Is it correct to assume that you can share any file that can be opened with a browser?

A. Your assumption is correct. However, users should note that the file extension and the corresponding application used to open the file are strictly dependent on the particular applications installed on a particularly machine, and the history of installation on that machine. Some machines will display certain files within the browser, while other machines may start up a dedicated application to display the files.

9-8
Q. How do I share an Excel or Word file?

A. When you share an Excel or Word file, the initial display will be the same for all users. However, any attempt to change the page or scroll the shared document will not be reflected on the screens of other users. Users must manually synchronize page changes or scrolling throughout the course of the conference, using visual or voice cues.

9-9
Q. How do I share a JPEG or GIF file?

A. When you share a JPEG or GIF file, scrolling is automatically synchronized for all users.

9-10
Q. How do I share a text (.TXT) file?

A. When you share a text file, scrolling is automatically synchronized for all users.

9-11
Q. How do I share an MPEG, Real, AVI or WAV file?

A. When you share an MPEG, Real, AVI or WAV file, a copy is distributed to each participant. If you are the one sharing the file, the player application will start up and play the file immediately after the sharing is enabled. For other participants, the player application will start up and play the file only after the file has been completely received. The playback volume is not synchronized and will vary from machine to machine.

9-12
Q. When I write something on the electronic whiteboard, the writing is displayed out of position on other screens. How do I prevent this from happening?

A. To ensure that writing on the whiteboard is displayed in the same position on every screen, you must first ensure that everyone is using the same window size for the shared document. Paid subscribers with special user privileges (i.e., the conference organizer designated for each conference) can remotely synchronize the window size for the shared document. Trial users do not have access to this feature.

Users of Internet Explorer 6 have also reported that the window size of the shared document can differ slightly according to the skin selected by the user.

9-13
Q. What do you mean when you talk about how a Web page is written?

A. Some users have reported that tracking is not enabled with HTML files (Web pages) that use the IFRAME tag. In addition, search engines and other pages with banner ads may display a different banner ad on each machine, as they are specifically designed to display a different banner ad for each access.

9-14
Q. When sharing multiple documents, there is no easy way to go back to a previous shared document. Do I have to re-share the document?

A. You cannot go back to a previous document from the currently displaying document. Re-sharing a document can be done quickly, since the file caching features ensures that the data does not have to be sent or received again.

Note: PowerPoint files are not cached when different versions of PowerPoint are installed on user machines. When sharing a PowerPoint file where different versions of PowerPoint are installed on various user machines, the file is automatically overwritten and the format is updated. This mechanism circumvents the file caching feature and causes the file to be downloaded every time it is shared.

9-15
Q. When I tried sharing a document, it immediately closed.

A. The document sharing window is synchronized for all participants. When someone closes the document window on their machine, the window is closed for all users. This method is the only way of ensuring complete synchronization of the document sharing window for all users.

9-16
Q. The shared document display was reduced in size and nearly unreadable. When I tried to zoom the window, it just reverted to the original size.

A. The conference organizer is able to control the size of the shared document window. When the conference organizer zooms the shared document window, the window size is zoomed for all users.

10-1
Q. How secure are the MeetingPlaza servers?

A. The MeetingPlaza servers are very secure.

The MeetingPlaza serves are located within NTT SmartConnect's secure data center. Click here for more information of the NTT SmartConnect data center. In addition to being in a physically secure location, the MeetingPlaza servers are connected to the Internet through a firewall that prevents unwanted access to the servers.

NTT-IT places the utmost priority on security, and is constantly gathering security information and applying patch files as they become necessary.

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Q. Can an outsider eavesdrop on a conference?

A. The risk of eavesdropping is nearly zero. MeetingPlaza employs protocols that are largely proprietary in nature. Even if an individual were to somehow copy packets over the Internet, it would be nearly impossible to analyze the resulting data. With the Internet now being operated by commercial providers, it has become highly unlikely that packets would be maliciously copied over the Internet and transmitted to an eavesdropping individual.

In some instances, a trespasser can gain unwanted access to a customer's network and secretly install a "sniffer" program to intercept and copy network packets for diversion to an external point. However, this type of program is usually used to steal passwords. If a trespasser were to secretly install a sniffer program to intercept and copy audio and video streams, the resulting packets would form a continuous stream of traffic that would be quickly noticed by your network administrator.

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Q. Is file transmission secure during document sharing?

A. File transmissions are very secure. Shared files are first processed within the server memory before they are distributed to other users. In the event of unwanted access, there are no stored files to be stolen. As discussed in the preceding paragraph, the risk of someone copying file data over the Internet or from within a customer's network is extremely low.

File transmission under the MeetingPlaza service uses standard protocols. In certain respects, sending files with MeetingPlaza is more secure than sending file attachments by E-mail, since E-mail is temporarily stored on a mail server, as opposed to being processed in memory.

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Q. Can a trespasser gain access to our conference?

A. There is almost no risk of trespassing as long as the conference notice is used in an appropriate manner. The conference URL contained in the conference notice is separately generated for each participant, as each new conference is reserved. The conference URL is only valid during the conference reservation time, and is a temporary URL for one-time use only.

Users must treat conference notices with the utmost care. If a conference URL or conference notice is leaked to another individual, that individual can participate in the conference. In spite of the risk of trespassing, the video and audio features of the MeetingPlaza system provide a built-in safeguard against its actual occurrence. If you suspect that a conference notice has been stolen, you should cancel the conference and reserve a new one. No charges are incurred when canceling or reserving a conference.

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Q. What security precautions should users observe?

A. Users should observe the following precautions at all times.

a. Frequently change the password to your conference reservation account.
b. Monitor your hours of use to ensure that no one is illegally using your account.
c. Never reveal a conference URL to another individual.
d. At the start of a conference, take the time to verify that only invited participants are present.

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Q. Is there any risk of someone gaining access to user information held by NTT-IT?

A. NTT-IT will not reveal or sell user information to any other company. The actual database containing user information is secure from unwanted access. If an individual were to somehow gain illegal access to the database, there would be some element of risk. However, every possible precaution has been taken to ensure that the MeetingPlaza servers are secure.

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Q. Do I have to install the client software?

A. If you are using Internet Explorer, the necessary ActiveX controls or plug-in will be automatically downloaded the first time you access a conference room. There is no need to install the client software beforehand.

If you are using a Netscape browser, you will have to install the plug-in ahead of time. In future versions, the Netscape plug-in will be automatically installed.

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Q. How large are the downloaded ActiveX controls and plug-in?

A. If you are using Internet Explorer, the ActiveX controls requires 415 KB of disk space. (If you do not have MFC-related DLLs installed on your machine, the MFC runtime library will take up an additional 667 KB.) If you are using a Netscape browser, the plug-in installer requires 2,218 KB of disk space.

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Q. Is it possible to use one computer to simultaneously participate in multiple conference rooms?

A. No. Multiple copies of the program cannot run simultaneously on a single machine

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Q. Are Macs supported?

A. We do not have a Mac client available at this time. Users have reported that the MeetingPlaza 2D Browser runs on Windows 98SE with Virtual PC 3.0 installed on a Mac equipped with OS 9.

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Q. Why isn't there a feature that allows users with slow connections to use visual emoticons in place of a high bandwidth video feed?

A. Visual emoticons are not used because there are very few universal emoticons available. The typical hand signal for "OK" can imply "money" in some countries, while an image of folding one's arms can be interpreted in different ways throughout the world. Emoticons have not been implemented due to the risk of misinterpretation on the part of users.

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Q. How are the system servers configured?

A. The MeetingPlaza system servers are dividing along the lines of a conference server, Web server, and database server. The system runs on three Pentium III 800MHz machines. The conference management software uses a database management system (DBMS). The system currently runs on PostgreSQL and Oracle. If you intend to use MeetingPlaza on Oracle, you will be required to purchase a license.

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Q. What versions of the Netscape browser does the plug-in support?

A. The plug-in supports Netscape Navigator 4.0 or higher. Some MeetingPlaza features make use of components in Internet Explorer. Even when you plan to use Netscape Navigator to log in to MeetingPlaza, please be aware that Internet Explorer (4.0 or higher) is needed to use all the MeetingPlaza features.

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Q. How do I uninstall the MeetingPlaza plug-in?

A. The plug-in is uninstalled using the following procedure.

1. Start an MS-DOS Prompt window.
2. Go to the Windows System directory. (For Window NT 4.0, Windows 2000, or Windows XP, go to the System 32 directory.)
3. Type the following strings:

regsvr32 /u mp2d.ocx
del mp2d.ocx
del umcdll.dll
del ptthook2.dll

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Q. You recommend using the online Help files, but is there a paper manual available?

A. The MeetingPlaza service is designed to be used by both subscribers and non-subscribers who are designated by subscribers. Therefore, we have made all the necessary information available online, rather than in paper form.

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Q. What exactly do you send me when I subscribe to MeetingPlaza?

A. At the present time, subscribers are sent the MeetingPlaza Service Commencement Notice. For instructions on how to use the service, use the online Help files. If requested, we will also send you an instructional video.

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Q. What is the lead time required for the MeetingPlaza system integration (SI) product?

A. If you require NTT-IT to purchase the server, the lead time is three to four weeks. Otherwise, the lead time is about one week.

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For the best Distance conferencing results, we recommend using a headset. By eliminating ambient noise, a headset will make it easier for you to make out individual voices. A headset also provides a fixed distance between the mouth and microphone, which helps to stabilize the volume level