Vyew is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with FreeConference to create new conferencing services using each other’s proprietary platforms. Both companies are embedding each others’ respective services into their own, integrating Vyew’s browser-based visual collaboration and web conferencing software with FreeConference’s free audio conference call services. The new integrated service, branded SharePlus on the FreeConference.com web site, is currently available for FREE.

Read the Press Release
Test-Drive FreeConference’s SharePlus
Start a FREE Vyew Conference Now

One of the challenges we had in building the Vyew interface was creating a space where users could work together, or work apart, on the same document. That’s what we call “synchronous” and “asynchronous.”

Each VyewBook has a SYNC MODE setting. It can be turned ON or OFF.

When SYNC MODE is ON — Every user sees the same thing on their screen, as every other users. That means when a user changes pages, scrolls, or zooms in, everyone will also see that exact portion of the VyewBook.

When SYNC MODE is OFF (Un-Sync Mode) — When a user changes pages, zooms, or scrolls, it only affects their own screen, not anyone elses. This is useful when users would like to create content or read on different VyewBook pages.

When should I use SYNC MODE?

* During a presentation. You are in the room with a few other people, and you want them see exactly what you are seeing.

* During a discussion/meeting with other team members.

* When you don’t want viewers to browse the VyewBook on their own.

When should I turn SYNC MODE OFF (Un-Sync Mode)?

* When 2 or more people are marking/reviewing the same VyewBook.

* When you want to allow viewers to browse the VyewBook on their own.

About Default Sync Modes:

Each VyewBook gives you the option of keeping the VyewBook on a certain Sync Mode after you leave the VyewBook. During the course of a meeting, you may turn Sync Mode ON or OFF several times, so it may be useful to assure a VyewBook resets back to a certain Sync Mode when you are done.

When would I default a VyewBook to SYNC MODE ON?
* When the VyewBook is strictly used for presentations and meetings, and you don’t want viewers who come early to a meeting to be able to browse all the pages.

When would I default a VyewBook to SYNC MODE OFF (Un-Sync Mode)?

* When the VyewBook is used as a notebook, scrapbook, or document for collaboration/review. This would keep users who come into it, from bumping into eachother or getting in eachothers way when changing pages.

* When you specifically want Viewers to be able to browser pages in the VyewBook.

When collaborating on a document with a lot of pages, it is good to know, what additional comments have been made, on what pages and in what sticky notes. Previously, it was hard to figure it out. You had to manually scan each page and open each sticky note. With Change Notifications, it’s easy!

Change Notifications are visual cues in the VyewBook to let you know which pages have been edited or added to, since you last visited, and which sticky notes have been edited since you last saw them.

Notice that Page 5 is a different color. That means that there is new content or edits you haven’t seen yet.
Sticky Notes change notifications:

Vyew is pleased to announce Vyew 2.5, one of the first online applications to fuse both live meeting and asynchronous collaboration capabilities to improve content collaboration, online meetings, and workflow. Vyew 2.5 is business-ready, highly customizable, and now provides Multi-Language support to make Vyew more functional to users across the globe using localized keyboards. Content collaborated on in Vyew is also now portable and can be published via ‘Vyewlets’, allowing multi-media content to be embedded and viewed anywhere on the web without the need for client software. Read the Press Release.

Some of you may be confused about the Lobby. Let my try to clear things up.

What is the Lobby and what is its relation to VyewBooks?

• The Lobby is a place to meet and greet your guests, then bring them into a VyewBook.
• The Lobby is a directory of VyewBooks that you have made public, so while your guests are waiting for a meeting to start, they can view these public VyewBooks.
• A guest is redirected to the lobby if they are attempt to enter a locked VyewBook.

The Lobby is useful for impromptu meetings

If your meeting ID is 1234, then your Lobby URL is vyew.com/1234.

Let’s say you’re on the phone with a friend, trying to describe a new mousetrap idea that will revolutionize the industry, but he doesnt understand. You tell him, “Go to vyew.com/1234″. When you both navigate there in your browser, you’ll both be in your lobby. Since you are the owner, you will see a button “CREATE NEW VYEWBOOK.” Click on it.

Once you click that, you will be asked if you would like to bring your client into the newly created VyewBook. Click “FORCE PARTICIPANTS TO FOLLOW YOU”.

There you go. You have just started a quick impromptu meeting in a new VyewBook in about 10 seconds (assuming your friend was in front of a computer).

(this scenario, adapted from this page, dealing with custom ID’s)

Vyew Named Finalist in ‘Webware 100′ Awards by CNET Webware Editors and the Web 2.0 User Community

Vyew is honored to have been chosen as a finalist in the publishing category for the Webware 100 Awards. Vyew was selected from more than 5,000 user-submitted nominations. Winners will be announced on Monday, June 18 and posted on Webware.com, a CNET site. Voting is open until June 11th. Vote for Vyew at - http://www.webware.com/html/ww/100/2007/publishing.html.

My favorite usage of a Custom ID is for fast impromptu meetings. I can tell someone a short easy to remember URL and instantly we’re in a real-time conference.

Here’s an example:

Let’s just say your Custom Room ID is “John” and you have a VyewBook called “newideas“, this VyewBook can be accessed instantly by entering the following simple URL into your browser:

Vyew will automatically resolve to the full VyewBook address: